Where Do You Start the Story - By Tanya Warnakulasuriya

Written By: Tanya Warnakulasuriya (writing as T.P. Tovenaar, performing as The Twitchy Witch)

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Tanya Warnakulasuriya, writing as T.P. Tovenaar, presents a powerful poem titled "Where Do You Start the Story" in the Poetry category of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Performed under her alias "The Twitchy Witch," this piece is dedicated to Rosanna Fox and social workers worldwide, diving into the complexities of societal systems and human suffering. Through this competition, Hashtag Kalakar celebrates diverse voices and poignant storytelling from around the globe.

About the Work

"Where Do You Start the Story" is a thought-provoking exploration of systemic failures and their impact on individuals like Traci, a young mother trapped in a cycle of deprivation. The work delves into raw themes of abuse, societal judgement, and the cyclical nature of victimhood, urging readers to reevaluate their perceptions of blame and empathy. With its vivid imagery and emotional depth, Tanya Warnakulasuriya's poem invites introspection on the human condition and the structures that perpetuate suffering.

Where Do You Start the Story

Original Submission by Tanya Warnakulasuriya (writing as T.P. Tovenaar, performing as The Twitchy Witch)

Where do you start the story?

Written by TP Tovenaar

Recited by The Twitchy Witch

And dedicated to Rosanna Fox and all social workers

I was chatting to a dear friend

Rosanna was her name

A brilliant dedicated social worker

Now disgusted with the social ‘game’

That played with the lives of the vulnerable

Toyed with the dignity of the poor

Wasting millions and billions in the name of salvation

To preserve lives of misery for whom – we’re not sure

I asked her to tell me of her most challenging case

The one that she’ll never forget

And she spoke of a young woman called Traci

Whom she leaves in the system, with regret

Traci was a girl of twenty two

With twelve children from different fathers

She lived in a council house, provided by the State

Spending her child allowance on booze and drugs for others

Usually boyfriends who swore to love her

By pimping her out for some extra cash

To supplement the benefits she got from the government

For flat screen tv’s and designer trainers –

She forgot about her babies nappy rash.

To hard working Brits – to those who have,

Traci is abhorrent, she’s scum, a slapper a chav

The dregs of society, a common lazy sponge

Draining the country of its wealth and decency

Breeding like a rat to pay for a half-life of grunge

“Forcibly sterilize her. Remove her womb”

“Make her work like the rest of us,

To lift herself out of her poverty doom”

These were the solutions Rosanna would hear

To solve the Traci-problem, to remove this societal smear,

And these societal fixes would come from the stewards of Traci’s fate

Police, doctors, and judges who could see the failure of the State

To solve problems like Traci, preferring instead to contain them

In cycles of deprivation and violence

State systems devoid of dignity

Render uncomfortable truths silent

And to these suggestions, Rosanna’s answer was always the same,

Where do you start this story? Who plays the victim in this game?

Cos, before Traci was a negligent mother,

she was an innocent child

Prostituted and gang raped by her father and his friends

Tortured and tormented for their laughs and their smiles

To her, rape was an affection, she found intimacy in her rapists hold

It was far better than being tied with a metal chain

Being urinated on and made to eat from a dog bowl

And when she had her first baby, still a baby herself at 12

The feeling of unconditional love, overpowered and overwhelmed

A high more beautiful than the dopest stuff

A love so pure, she couldn’t get enough

And unfailingly social services took each baby away

“But I’ll be a good mum this time…please can my baby stay…”

She would howl like a wounded animal. The removed love, a gaping pain

And when she was out of hospital she would rape love, to get pregnant again.

And the babies would be thrown into foster care

Damaged through no fault of their own

And now our compassion for Traci and her children

And our hatred for her father has grown.

But once again Rosanna’s words are plain

Where do you start this story? Who is the victim in this game?

And now she tells Traci’s father’s story

Of a little boy horribly abused

Beaten by an angry stepfather

Who sold his mother for men to use

Running away for home, imprisoned for crime

Pretty jail bait, repeatedly raped

In prison he and his anger did their time.

It makes no difference where you draw the line

Where you start the story, who you blame this time

Victims or perpetrators its all the same

These are all human beings suffering in pain

A pain that’s perpetuated by the systems created

Not out of love but out of punishment and hatred

Systems inefficiently fat and slow

Designed to trample human spirit when it has no place to go

Brutalized bodies, broken souls

Hidden away in welfare hell holes.

The following work is based on real events and experiences. While the essence of these encounters remains true, certain names and identifying characteristics have been changed to respect the privacy and anonymity of the individuals involved."

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event that showcases talented writers across the world. This platform provides a unique opportunity for participants to share their creative expressions and engage with a global audience. The competition celebrates the power of words and the impact of storytelling in highlighting diverse perspectives and fostering cultural understanding.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Tanya Warnakulasuriya for her evocative contribution, "Where Do You Start the Story," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Through her poignant words and reflective narrative, Tanya invites us to contemplate the complexities of human suffering and societal systems. We appreciate her for shedding light on these critical issues and contributing to the rich tapestry of voices in this esteemed competition.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.