Thanks for sending in poems that showed a highlight of the year. A highlight for me was most definitely my Hot Spot Poetry Tour of NZ. This morning I was searching through my photos for something and I kept rediscovering such wonderful memories. What I treat I got to do this very special thing this year.
Next year is going to be a bit different as I want to do lots of writing. Lots of time at home writing!
I haven’t posted all the poems got but I did love reading them all. Thank you so much for sending them in!
Here are some of my favourites.
Thanks to the wonderful Helen Parsons (she and Roger used to run the best bookshop in Auckland for poetry and NZ books, Parsons Bookshop), I am sending Gemma and Daniel a copy of Baxter Basics: Poems for Children by James K Baxter. A big thanks to Helen. I have another copy she gave me I will use for James K Baxter challenge next year. This is a wonderful collection of classic poems for children.
Both Gemma and Daniel’s poems catch a moment beautifully. I was there at Te Papa so I was overjoyed to see how Daniel caught that time in his poem. Wonderful. I sent it to Te Papa too. Gemma‘s poem is a bit different and uses a list to show her highlights. I love the way she uses sound in this poem.
I also loved the way the hangi poems from Russley School made me want to go and eat a hangi. I had a really good one last summer at the music festival in Muriwai on Waitangi Day. These poems made me in the mood for another. I just picked a couple of the hangi to post plus one about first-day nerves. I know what that’s like. Every time I go to a school I get first-day nerves! I am sending Elizabeth a copy of my poems, The Letterbox Cat.
And finally I love the way the watermelon is a highlight for Imogen. Yum! Such good detail in this poem and it also sounds good. Sometimes food is a highlight for me too. Like the fresh strawberry I just picked from my garden and ate! I am also sending Imogen a copy of my poems, The Letterbox Cat.
Poetry at Te Papa
Heart beating fast in my throat
Butterflies on a rollercoaster inside a whirlpool in my stomach
Crunching and munching fingernails
(Not helping)
Onto the stage
Shocked to see how many people were there
200 eyes staring at me
Scanning for familiar faces
(Not helping)
Paula behind me
Sister beside me
Mum and Dad in front of me
Mrs Bennett at the back
(Not helping)
Ten big breaths
(Not helping)
Close my eyes
(Not helping)
Rescue Remedy
(Not helping)
Imagining playing at home with my toys
(Not helping)
Then I read the first word
Finally feeling better
(This is helping)
Reading on
Not worrying about anything
I loved that!
I want to do it again lots of times!
Thinking I could read a poem to the whole wide world
14 billion eyes staring at me
(Helping!)
By Daniel L Age 5, Year 1, Adventure School Whitby
Highlight of My Year
I couldn’t choose just one highlight of the year…
So I decided to put them all down here!
January – English cousins staying with me and real Paeroa L&P
February – my new class teacher’s great and in my class are all my mates
March – My birthday shout and a mystery day out
April –Easter celebrations and ANZAC commemorations,
May –swing bridging over the Buller river, and ziplining making my mum quiver
June – Ferry rides and glacier guides
July – Designing a clock and seeing a croc
August – winning prizes and Viking disguises
September – a mountainous highlight and a sickness lowlight
October – Poetry reading and Giraffe feeding
November – School jubilee and a Zoo menagerie
December – Camping with Scouts and School reports out!
By Gemma L, Age 8, Year 4, Adventure School, Whitby
Watermelon
Watermelon (a yummy highlight)
Strawberry red middle,
Extreme black dots everywhere,
The juicy crunchy juice,
The nice tangy apple green
Imogen R, Age 8, Year 4 Kenakena School
The Hangi – by Elizabeth, age 7
the hangi flames were like Hades’ hair
it smelt like nothing I’d ever smelt before
because it was so good
it felt like warm roasting bones
and sounded like crashing stones
Hangi Simile Poem – by Hunter, age 8
the steam flew away like paper
it smelt like mint leaves
on a skinny tree, sleeping in a meadow
it was white hot, cooking our food
Hangi – by Tom Hayes, age 8
Flames as bright as a spotlight.
Smells like smoke.
Rocks grinding like hadrosaur teeth.
Flames boiling like overboiled soup.
Tastes like a birthday lunch!
Highlights of 2014 – by Kelly, age 10
First day nerves soon disappeared
with Capture the Flag (Halloween edition)
Getting last during orienteering at camp
Hanging out with Mrs Koster at Writing Club
Crashing the go-cart at camp
Coming 3rd in discus at Zones
Screaming to the song ‘Without You’ in Team Singing
I’m very sad the year is ending,
but can’t wait for Christmas!
Poetry Box 