After the terrible sadness we felt about Christchurch I thought hard about what words can do, what poems can do. I decided it would be wonderful to celebrate the food we eat in Aotearoa – we all eat food but we eat many different kinds of food cooked in many different kinds of ways. And I love that.
Food draws us close to people.
Food shows us who we are.
Food is a time of sharing.
Food is a time of being creative.
Some of us grow out food and that is a good feeling.
Some of us are always hungry and that is not.
Whenever I visit another country I always eat the local food.
I love to cook meals for the people I love.
I can’t help the way food gets into my poems.
It made me warm inside to read all your food poems. Thank you so much for sharing them. Just remember how warm your poem made me feel, how some made me laugh, and some made my taste buds dance! I even asked for recipes! I am always sorry I can’t post all your poems but I do hope you love writing poems for the sake of writing them.
This is not a competition but I am sending a book to Gemma at Churton Park School and Phoebe at Selwyn College.
Check out my all year blog challenges below.
Churton Park School in Wellington set my taste buds sizzling with their poems. What fun they had writing these:
Tacos
A crispy shell though very delicate
A simmering browned meat
juicy gravy
The crunchy lettuce
a stiff and strong leaf
A luscious smooth tomato
with little seeds moving around
A rough spice with a fiery tang
a runny white sauce
Elly Age: 10 Year: 6 Churton Park School
Curry Time😋
Spicy flavour
Exotic roasting essence
Savoury smells
And sticky herbs
Runny curry
Soft taste
Warm and juicy
Golden roti and rice
Delicious butter chicken
Tiernan G Age: 10 Year: 6 Churton Park School
Roti
Warm out of the oven
Appetizing homemade roti
Mouthwatering soft crunchy bread
Spicy sauce, soft rice, moist chicken, creamy potatoes
A dinner for special events, birthdays and Christmas
Something everyone looks forward to
Comforting food,
Tempting to eat,
Savory goodness,
My favorite food
Brooklyn Age 10 Year 6 Churton Park School
KFC
Delicious mouth watering chicken
Creamy smooth potato and gravy
Crunchy spicy coleslaw
Salty tempting fries
Flavorful enticing KFC
Eva Age 10 Year 6 Churton Park School
caramel apple cake
The caramel apple cake comes into the bowl
I see the singed, burnt edges
The soft, spongy middle of the luxurious cake
Hazel brown apples on the top,
Heavenly with caramel ice cream.
By Gemma Age:10 Year:6 Churton park school
Sausages and Steak
tender
juicy
exquisite
pot pan
cook cook
sizzle sizzle
chop chop
my favorite
oh it was good!
Dylan age 10 year Churton Park School
Potato
As my taste buds unite with a spark
the words tasty, delicious, and crispy come to mind
The flavor of salt bursts in my mouth
It’s like a war with exploding bombs
attacking my tongue
I chew and swallow,
until there is only salt behind my teeth.
Maddison A, AGE: 10 YEAR: 6 Churton Park School
dumpling
I put the chewy dumpling in my mouth
my tongue explores all the fillings inside the dumpling
I know all the flavors from the tip of my tongue
I try and get all the flavors out of the dumpling
before
I gulp it down my throat.
Lydia Age 10 Year 6 Churton Park School
Nana’s Chicken Pie
The smell of Nana’s chicken pie
travels through the kitchen
as she mixes and pours the chicken filling
into the perfect pastry base. She wears her
favourite apron with the fantail
resting on the Pohutukawa tree
with the hot New Zealand sun behind.
Skipping into the kitchen I ask when it’s ready,
10 more minutes until the warm softness
of my Nana’s chicken pie is in my mouth.
Phoebe J, aged ten, Selwyn House School, Christchurch
Bacon and Egg Pie
My Nana makes scrumptious egg and bacon pie
Yum Yum Scrum in my tum
Sometimes I help Nana make it.
It cooks for years
It might even disappear.
Tasmin W, age 7yrs, St Andrews College, Christchurch
Lemons
My mother picks fresh tasty lemons from the tree.
They taste so good just like me.
The moon makes the lemons taste so good.
My mummy puts slices of fruit, and cream, and lemons, and pinch of sun, and me!
Maddy H Age: 7 St Andrews College, Christchurch
Pani Puri / Golgappa
The delicious crunchy puri with the hole in the middle ,
With the masala in the hole.
The magic masala pani pours in the puri ,
then mixes with the masala.
It’s crunching and munching in my watery mouth.
OH pani puri you are super tasty ,
I can have this every day !!!
Namasvi, Age 11 Fendalton School, Çhristchurch
Pizza
The dark tomato sauce is as sloppy as mud
The mozzarella cheese is as stringy as elastic
The spotted pepperoni perches upon cheese
The olives are scattered over pepperoni
The blushing ham sunbathed under a layer of cheese
The mushrooms sit in between olives and ham
The scent drifted, filling the air with the smell of pizza
(And a side of garlic bread)
Amy V Age: 9 Year: 5 Fendalton Open-Air School, Christchurch
Noodles
As I slurp the curly/ stringy/ warm noodles
As I sip the hot/ steamy sauce
The spice shoots fire….into my stomach.
What a meal for lunch!
Angelina P Age: 8 years, Y4, Ilam School
Pizza….
Pizza…. I hear it munching and smunching in my mouth
Its cheese melts like a stick of butter
Eyes of salami stare at me
My fingers swimming in the river of cheese
With its sweet, sweet aroma
Mmmmm……
Maia R (age 9) Fendalton Open Air School, Christchurch
My mum’s fish burritos
The sour cream smooth and light
The bitter lemon giving me the shivers
Chilli sauce electrifying my taste buds
The great taste of coriander
Red onion diced into tiny segments
Cheese melting in my mouth
Fish crumbed to perfection
Grated carrot fresh and orange
Violetta D Age :10 Fendalton Open Air School
Sponge Cakes
My Mum makes lovely Victoria sponge cakes
My neighbours can smell my Mum baking sponges
My mouth waters
After she bakes
On top she puts cream
Strawberries
Which she makes merry
Ben E Age 7 Y3 St Andrews College, Christchurch
Red Velvet Cake
I hear the oven whirr to life. I see the batter
twirling, swirling, red as a rose
whoosh!
A wave of heat warms me up.
I open the oven.
I see the batter
pouring into the pan
like a rose-red waterfall.
I put it into the oven
let it bake
rising like mölti
up towards the sky.
I pour the sugar
into the bowl
falling, tumbling, twirling
like snow from an ashen sky.
The melted butter
comes pouring down like beams of sunlight
through my windows.
The cream cheese and vanilla
go into the bowl,
then Whoosh! swirling, twirling, curling,
around and around and around.
I spread the icing onto the cake,
rolling and tumbling like hills
covered in snow before spring.
Katja C, Age 9 Ilam School, Christchurch
Fantastically Funny Food
Curious Capsicum Curry
Please don’t eat it in a hurry
You know what comes next dear Murray
Be careful with capsicum curry
Perilous Pernickety Peas
Although they might drop on your knees
They can’t be worse than these
Pongy Piffles of Peas
Crazy Cottage Pie
I really want to say goodbye
If I see you I might even cry
Why oh why put mash in a pie
These are my least favourite foods
Now let’s go see the big old goods
Big Bulbous Burritos
They look a bit like giant mosquitoes
And smell like spicy doritos
Just don’t spill them on your feet-os
Proportions of Pasta and Pizza
If you have some where can I meet-ya
You know I might try and beat-ya
For a slice of Italian pizza
Humongously Wholesome Hot-Dogs
No I didn’t say leap frogs
When I eat it i’ll try not to hog
The partially elegant Hot-Dog
Toby R 9yrs Year 5 Richmond Road School
Butter chicken
Mmm, butter chicken,
It’s worth nickin’
If ye’ get the chance.
It’s so tasty, it makes me wanna dance.
I love the spice,
It’s best with a pile ‘o’ rice,
But the chicken is the best,
Better than the rest.
Always have it with some naan,
The taste will make ye’ wanna ruun.
I really like the the colour of the curry,
It’s orange, there’s no need to worry.
The first time I had it, it was like a dream,
And it had the texture of cream.
It sometimes ‘as a couple almonds, that can make it good,
But with or without them it’s still ma’ favourite food.
The first thing that comes to ma’ mind when I eat it,
Is that no food can beat it.
Mmm, butter chicken,
It’s worth lickin
Wolf C Year 6 Age 10 Richmond Road School
The Amazingly Disgusting Burger
Burping, Squirting goes the sauce on the burger
Burning and exploding goes the chili on the burger
Yucky And Unlucky Go The Pickles In My Mouth
Regretting and Unforgetting goes the lettuce on my tongue
Blasting and Backfiring goes the chilli in my tummy
I ate more…. It made my nose go runny.
The Amazingly Disgusting Burger
Kavafau P Y6 Age 10 Richmond Road School
Favourite Foods
My Favourite food? Well, it’s hard to choose.
There’s miraculous meat, and blissful berries.
I like chicken and rice,
Don’t forget coconut slice.
There’s fantastic fruit, and nutritious nuts.
Better bread, super spread.
But my favourite food, by far…
Is the food from the restaurant, down by the bar.
Gretel H,age 9, Year 5, Richmond Road School
Chili
Chili dribbles from my Volcano.
Chili is the color of fiery red autumn leaves.
Chili sizzles in the pot.
I swirl with hunger, when will I EVER get some spice in my life!?
Curry!
I hear the rice cooker crackling, as though it is a witch.
I hear the chili drop into the pot. It swirls like my stomach swirling with hunger.
The chicken thumps into the pot with the chili. The chicken sizzles with anger.
The curry drops like a heavy statue onto my plate, T H U M P.
The salt drizzles like rain on my hot plate.
My curry is ready to eat!!
Two poems from Niya Age: 9 Year 5 Ilam Primary, Christchurch
Curry Night
The delicious aroma fills the air
My nose twitches in excitement
And leads me to the source of the irresistible scent
A steaming bowl appears upon the table
I wave may hands so the vapours of temptation waft towards my face
Drowning me in deliciousness
The blissful taste
Fills my mouth
With an explosion of spices
Flavours bomb my tongue
Sweet
Salty
Spicy
Hot!
My taste buds are set alight
I am lost in a world of curry
My food heaven
Daniel L Age 10, Year 6, Adventure School
The Nalder Boy of Corn
I have a head of corn
I have a mouth of corn
I have a nose of corn
I have a tummy of corn
I have an eye of corn
I have an eye of corn
I have an ear of corn
I have an ear of corn
I have an arm of corn
I have an arm of corn
I have a leg of corn
I have a leg of corn
Popcorn
I am the corn who lives in a pot.
I lift the lid when I get too hot.
I burst open to form fluffy balls,
and pop and pop and hit your walls.
I go to the theatre with Nalder.
I watch Toy Story 4 when I’m older.
I go on the Abel Tasman with Nalder.
I help him avoid any boulders.
Corn Cakes
The corn cakes are in the oven,
they’re bubbling in small muffin tins.
They’re strong and determined,
as a yellow storm.
They beg me to set them free,
they smell like corn smoke.
I stack them like pancakes
on my yellow plate.
The sun has fallen,
I call her corn cakes.
Corn Haiku
The corn,
in her green jacket
like whale wings.
Sunny morning
I wake the corn
so she can pop.
4 poems from Tom N Age 10, Year 6 Hoon Hay School/ Te Kura Koaka
What is… Watermelon
A watermelon is a pink
pulpy sponge full of pips.
It’s a set of triangles
making a delicious puzzle.
It’s a handful of seeds
sprinkled like slippery sand.
It’s a squishy squashy Juicie
dribbling down my chin.
A frozen flamingo coloured treat on a stick,
the light in my day.
Zoe S Age: 12 Year: 8 Heaton Intermediate School, Christchurch
Remember my blog is all about the joy of writing and reading poetry – and setting you challenges! Here are some I am running in all year. Email me if you want to do one and want tips on what top do next. I will email you back asap!
Review a poetry book
Interview a NZ children’s author
Write a letter to a NZ children’s author
Write a letter to a poet from anywhere and any time ( I will give tips)
Show a cool class poetry exercise with poems you have done (from a child or from teacher and class)
