Happy New Year from Poetry Box

 

 

may 2020 gleam with poetry!

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box summer reading: Stacey Morrison’s My First Words in Māori and Christine Dale and Ngaere Roberts’s Raumati: My summer words / Ngā Kupu Māori mō te Raumati

My First Words in Māori, Stacey Morrison, illustrated by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly

Puffin, 2019, Puffin page

 

Stacey Morrison is a broadcaster and Māori language champion extraordinaire. With illustrations by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly, Stacey has gathered words and ideas children first use when they begin to talk. The illustrations are gorgeous.

I love this book. Ka nui taku harikoa!

The pages feature: kanohi / face – tinana / the body – kākahu / clothes – whānau / family – kare ā-roto / emotions – mōkai  / pets – kai, inu  / food, drink –  whare / house – rūma moe / bedroom – kei waho i te whare / outside the house – wāhi tākaro / places to play  – tātahi / the beach – marae

 

This is what the illustrators say:

Kia ora all New Zealanders, we dedicate our mahi on this book to you – no matter how young or hold you are, no matter where you were born, if you are a New Zealander, te reo Māori is your language too!

 

Every time I hear te reo Māori spoken on the radio, on television, in the streets, in shops, in schools, I am happy. Every time I hear people pronouncing Māori words correctly I am happy (we might not always get it right but we can try). Every time I see an Aotearoa children’s book translated in Māori or first published in Māori I am happy.

Some people say we are what we eat but I also say we are what we speak.

Stacey’s book is the perfect book to snuggle into this summer with whānau; to read and let te reo Māori grow inside you. The more we speak and listen to our first language, the more this treasure will grow and glow.

 

 

 

Raumati: My summer words / Ngā Kupu Māori mō te Raumati,

Catherine Dale and Ngaere Roberts, OneTree House, 2019

OneTree House page

 

Christine Dale and Ngaere Roberts have translated the experience of summer into a visual and word feast. The book matches stunning photographs with texts in both English and te reo Māori. Each language sings in its own right.

 

See the sky,

wide and windy.

Titiro ki te rangi whānui,

rangi hauhau.

 

I love this book.

All our senses are activated. We will hear the surf whakarongo ki te auheke ngunguru, eat crisp watermelon rongo i te reka o te merengi mātao, feel the sand whāwhā i te kirikiri māngūngungu, smell the cut grass rongo i te kakara o te pātītī mata.

This is another book to snuggle into with your whānau this summer  / matiti.

Say the words out loud. Listen to how delicious they sound. The writers have used their ears like poets do because every page is music. Both languages!

And summer sparkles and glitters and tumbles and squeals on the page as you read.

Wonderful!

 

I highly recommend both these books for your summer picnic kete or your trip to the tātahi or for reading under the pōhutukawa in the shade. These books were made with aroha. Ka pai!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box summer reading: Catherine Chidgey’s Jiffy, Cat Detective

 

 

Jiffy, Cat Detective, Catherine Chidgey, illustrations by Astrid Matijasevich

OneTree House, 2019

 

 

He lay down in a patch of sun –

he’d help them find the truth.

Not one of them suspected

he was Jiff the Purring Sleuth!

 

 

Catherine is a much loved New Zealand novelist who teaches Creative Writing at Waikato University  – this is her first book for children and it is a little beauty. It is based on her own cat (she has lots of white cats) and is dedicated to her daughter Alice. For ages 3 to 7.

Mr Bee has only one shoe on his foot because the right shoe is MISSING!

Wise Mrs Bee gets him to picture where he last saw it (I always ask someone else to look and that usually does the trick). Except the last place he saw it was on his right foot!

Time to ask Alice. Alice looks but NO LUCK!

Ah one snoozing smart cat to the rescue. He’s JIFF the PURRING Sleuth!

Oh and Jiffy has one gold and one blue eye. He thinks he’s rather cool and rather clever. Pretty special cat I reckon, itching for more cat adventures.

WHERE WOULD YOU HUNT FOR A MISSING SHOE?????? Every time I ask questions like this I feel like writing a poem! I couldn’t help myself:

 

in a basket

under the mat

in a bath (filled with lemon bubbles)

in my rail-trail cap

 

But no – The shoe is in none of these places I’d thought of!

Catherine has written the story like a poet with dazzling rhyme and rhythm carrying us along to the end. I did not expect the ending which SURPRISED me! I do like a story with a FLICK in its tail!

Astrid’s illustrations are bright on the page and it’s a hard-cover book which is an added bonus.

I gobbled up this book in a flash and have my fingers crossed I will get to read more Jiffy stories. My favourite thing about this book? Jiffy!

 

OneTree House author page

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box November challenge: some favourite Aotearoa wildlife poems – Part 2

 

Wildlife in Aotearoa by Gavin Bishop, Puffin (Penguin Random House, 2019)

 

Poetry Box’s last challenge of the year has seen a record number of poem arrivals and it has taken me days to read them all and write back which is why I am posting today and not November 30th.

To get such a swag of heart warming poetry inspired by Gavin’s book and the birds, animals and fish of our country is AMAZING. Wow! I have loved the fascinating facts and the way you used your ears and eyes.

I loved the way you have been inventive and thoughtful. I loved the way your words danced and sung. I loved the way messages about caring for our planet were important. So many different ways to write a wildlife poem. So much poetry joy!

I have added macrons on Māori words so let me know if I missed one please.

I am very sad I couldn’t pick all your poems but I have tried to get a range of subjects and styles and locations.

I know you are all passionate writers and remember that is what matters – when I don’t get picked (it happens!!) I just remind myself how happy writing makes me. And I write another poem. Or book!

Watch out for my summer challenge! Do follow my blog so you can do things next year with me! And yes – I will do a wrap post in a few weeks maybe with a secret summer challenge or three.

 

I put names in a hat as I read all your poems as this is a challenge not a competition and I pulled out these: I am sending Ava (Russley School, Christchurch) Gavin Bishop’s Wildlife in Aoteaoa thanks to Penguin Random House. I am sending Groovy Fish to Maddison (Churton Park School, Wellington), Niamh (Westemere School, Auckland), Mia D (Selwyn House).

 

PS I will have a copy of Groovy Fish for someone who emails me and tells me which poem they like here and why! Open to any age – even adults! paulajoygreen@gmail.com

The wildlife poems

 

Morepork

A morepork hoots while I’m in bed
I look out the window and I see its soft feathers
It’s sitting on a branch in my garden saying “morepork morepork”
It looks around and stares at me without blinking.

Ivy M age: 6 Y2  Ilam Primary School, Christchurch

 

Kiwi

Kiwi have nostrils on the tip of their beaks.
Kiwi are nocturnal.
Kiwi’s beaks make noises that squeak.
Kiwi eat wētā and worms.
The worms wriggle and squirm.
Kiwi feathers are as soft as a feather floating in the sky.

Sophie C Age 6 Westmere School

 

 

Tūī Fly

Tūī fly
in the sky.
They hunt for food
way up high.
They dive down on to trees
and suck the nectar… yummy!

Sofia C Age 6 Westmere School

 

Haast Eagle

Claws curled
Claws jagged
Claws are samurai swords

Beak big
Beak large
Beak pointy as a shard of glass

It is ready to fight

Wings grand
Wings mighty
Wings wide as a vast desert

Hunt
Hunt
Hunt

Soaring through the sky, searching for moa…

By Hunter L Aged 9 LS5 Westmere School

 

Kiwi

Kiwi only come out at night.
They have short wings,
and are not good at flight.
Kiwi eat wētāa
wētā are crunchy.
They eat them on Tuesday night,
and wētāaare munchy.
Kiwi put their beaks in the ground to get bugs.
Their feathers are soft as silk.

Rory D Age 5 Westmere School

 

The dance of a Tui
A tūī’s dance is like a powerful blizzard.
Its wings flap up and down like the ocean waves.
My tūī’s beak rattles,
remembering her previous journeys to Akaroa.
Her feathers tell stories to warn her friends of oncoming climate change.

Eileen C, age 9, Ilam School

 

Pīwakawaka
On the Heaphy track
little pīwakawaka flutters
in the air and snatches
the sandflies before they bite me.

“Peep, peep, peep, peep,”
she sings and opens her throat
and fan and dances
with great joy.

She hoovers up spiders
and grub that dare come near
her cup nest lined with hairs
and covered in soft webs.

When the wind rises
above the strong kauri,
pīwakawaka returns to her nest
and two of her eggs,
to sleep and warm them.

Tom N Age 11 Year 6  Hoon Hay School/Te Kura Koaka

 

Fantail

Funny fantail wiggling its tail

Acrobatically flying through the trees

Nosy little creatures

Twittering chattering squeaking

Always putting a smile on people’s faces

In the shade of a pōhutukawa tree

Lovely little fantail!!!

 

D’Artagnan R Age 10 LS7   Westmere School

 

 

A Tuatara
I am a tuatara
I live in a rocky burrow on an island
I am 1 of 100,000 and more are dying
I smell mushy murky mud
I hear birds singing and trees rustling
I feel sharp rocks underneath my scaly feet
I taste raw crunchy wētā in my mouth
I see forest wherever I go
I walk around seeking for bird eggs or something to eat
I love being a tuatara
And I love being me.

Joe M  Age 9 LS8 Westmere School

 

Special penguin

Little blue penguins
Have wings but can not fly.
Dog are predators.
The world’s smallest
Penguins nest in burrows or
holes
1kgs standing over 30cm.
I’m as blue as a sapphire
As tall as a chair.
Living in Antarctica where it’s freezing
Cold and just perfect for ice-skating.

Olivia C  Y4 Fendalton school

 

Tuatara

Beware
I am the Tuatara
The Tuatara with three eyes
The Tuatara who lives in a self constructed burrow

Beware
I am the Kererū
The Kererū that weighs 650g
The Kererū with a white chest

Beware
I am the Albatross
The Albatross with the largest wingspan of any bird
The Albatross that can travel 10,000 miles in a single journey

Maddison A Age: 11 Year: 6 Churton Park School

 

Chatham Island Robin
Tiny button eyes
Ebony black feathers
Spindly twig legs
The Chatham Island robin

Scouring the forest
For wētā and worms
Always on the run
From malicious cats and rats

Racing across
The forest floor
There’s barely any of us left
Only 234

In summer
I care for my young
Hiding them away
From stoats and other scum

A violent squeal
Is what I call
When danger comes

My eggs are speckled
Beige and brown
Like a chicken’s
But smaller

At night I retire
To my nest
I tuck my tiny beak in my feathers
And rest
The Chatham Island robin
Cheers!

Sophie B  age 10, Y6, Churton Park School

 

Our old friends
Did you happen to know
We have a dinosaur of our own.
It’s called a tuatara,
And they don’t like to be in the mara.*
These guys fan out their spikes,
And rats these guys don’t like,
They’re 200 million years old,
Which explains why they look like mould.
They also have wrinkles,
They don’t look like sprinkles.
Our friends have more than two eyes,
They just love to eat all blowflies
Our tuatara has been alive,
for quite some million years time,
So if you see our old friend,
Some time with him you should spend!

* Māori name for garden

Mahinaarangi W  Age: 10  Richmond Road School

 

Poi eee!!

Tuft of a white fluffy poi… (EEE)
Unique as a little elephant
Indestructible
Sounds like a Squawking duck, and a Squeaking owl.

Paora S age 11 Richmond Road School

 

 

Noisy Kiwi

Crac crac crac
Kiwi stomping here
Pipi pip pip
Kiwi picking here
Grr grr grr
Kiwi bitter here
So noisy and cute
Yet forests seem mute…

Name: Alex E  Age: 7   Y2    Ilam School

 

 

Beautiful Ruru

Looking up at the beautiful Moon
I hear the sound of a ruru
Its beautiful massive yellow eyes
Silently staring into mine
I gaze – wondering what to say
Come my friend, come out to play

Ilah  age 8  Year 4 Maoribank School

 

Kiwi bird – deep in a forest

Long lost in the forest in a place warm as heaven
I hear your sound – “Ki- wi ki – wi ”
Your whiskers so helpful
Your feathers but no wings
But again, I hear you deep in the forest
So I sing to you
Oh kiwi so brown you run but don’t fly
But you’re still a special bird on my mind
Kiwi bye bye
Lost deep in the forest
My mum says “It’s time to go”
I will see you again
Now found in the forest

Kylesha M 8 years old  Year 3 Maoribank School

 

 

Kakapo tries to fit in

Chubby little bird what a cutie he can be
He’s cousins with a Kaka who’s really quite neat.
His sharp claws can make him fit in with Kea
Who might tease him about his weight and sneer.
His song is too simple for a group of popular Tui
His fashion’s a bit trashin and his feathers are gooey.
A Kiwi’s nose is grand compared to his short stubby one
Yellow eyed penguins? Nah yellow eyes I have none.
There’s a Fantail, Kakapo says with hope
He’s chubby like me…. his tail is too cool, I bet he’ll just say nope.
Kakapo feels sad inside, his eyes well up with tears
Even the blue billed duck is not weird enough to be one of my peers.
He looks up and Takahe says don’t cry your exactly like me
You see.
I won’t tease you about your weight cause your belly’s just like mine
Your voice is average, it really is in line.
Your nose is the same as mine and who wants a big nose
Yellow eyes, who wants those.
Brown are the best, right
A big tail, hmm you would blow away like a kite.
So please be my friend and don’t decline.

Alexander F, age 10, Ilam School, Christchurch

 

The Special Penguin
I am a Little Blue Penguin,
the smallest one of all
I live for about 6 years,
Scientifically called Eudyptula minor.
I come out in the cover of darkness,
hide inside my burrows in the day.
I eat fish, squid or krill it is the best.
My feathers are as soft as velvet
I tweet a happy song.
Swimming round the ocean,
Now the day has gone.

Leona K age 9  Selwyn House

 

Ruru

Yellow eyes so big and bold
Peering through the old hollow tree.
He turns his head round 270 degrees
And flies down and digs his talons
into a termite nest.
Sensitive eyes to the sun pointy beak
Who knows where he is in Punakaiki

Georgia 8 Selwyn House School

 

Little Blue Penguin
My little blue flippers
flap away in the water.
My white streamlined stomach
Rumbles and moans.
My dark grey beak
Chomps away
on any food I find.
I swim away from the sharks
towards the plankton.
I am the Little Blue Penguin
Shivering in a cave in Akaroa.

Anneliese S age 11, Selwyn House School

 

A bat is what your looking at…

Flap
flitter
in the night.
A bird
an insect
not at all.
A bat is what your looking at.
It scoops an insect.
Gobble, gobble.
Yum, yum, yum!
A bat is what your looking at.
This one isn’t normal though…
a native New Zealand bat,
as little as a mouse, bat,
As squeaky as a rubber duck, bat…
a long-tailed bat.
Quite rare they are,
fluffy on their head,
and boy their wings can spread.

Ella M LS6 Westmere School age 10

 

Longfin Eels

Slither sliding like a sea snake,
Live in rivers, inland lakes,
Hunt at night in the dark,
Eating drinking like a shark,
Feed on fish and water snails,
Have sharp teeth like a killer whale,
They don’t look like an eagle
but they use noses like a beagle,
They are here and they are there,
Longfin eels are quite rare
They are never really seen
They do have eyes but they can’t see
I love eels and you should to,
They are sweet and you are too.

Jemma L Westmere School Y6 age 10

 

 

Big Brown

He feels as soft
As a pillow.
And he’s beautiful as
Bright flowers.

He walks like a
Waddling penguin.
And squawks like an
Old squeaky tractor.

He is as brown
As milk chocolate.
As he lies in his
Cosy burrow he nibbles
On earthworms.

The big kiwi
Is very rare
We need to look after
him with care.

Olive W, LS6, Age: 10, Westmere School

 

Life as a Kea
My beautiful orange feathers flash up and down
As I fly up and down the West Coast.
My olive green feathers,
wave in the wind.
When I hop around the frosty floor,
I munch on berries
And an audience crowds around me.
I am a fan of car window wipers.
At the end of the day
I fly back to the ski field
and huddle in the freezing snow.

Mia age 11 Selwyn House School

 

Giant kōkopu
Declining in numbers
20 years living
300-400mm long
Speedy predators
Close to extinction.

Kōura
Camouflaged in the lake bed
Moulting leaving behind the previous covering
Hunted by large trout and shags
Hunted by us for a crayfish snack.

Gemma H Age 11 year 6 Churton Park School

 

Saddleback
The saddle burnt on it’s back
Noisy and active
Foraging for food
In the NZ forest
Aidan C,  aged 11  Year 6  Churton Park School

 

Wildlife

Be amazed by
The flightless, nocturnal Kākāpō
That makes ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ noises at night.

Be amazed by
The giant, vicious Haast’s Eagle
That hunts for Moa with a bird’s eye view.

By Emily Y  Age:11 Year 6 Churton Park School

 

Manukura
Watch out for
The only white kiwi
Known to the world
Manukura is her name
Digging her nose
Into the dirt
To find
Something to eat
They saw her as a tohu
A sign, a gift to the world
So they named her Manukura
A brave strong leader
Madison R Churton Park School age 11

 

Be amazed by
The slimy Archey’s frog
Growing up to four centimeters long
Jumping from tree to tree
camouflaging from its predators

James age: 10, year: 6,  Churton Park School

 

Upokororo

Dead in reality
But alive in our hearts
It haunts the waters
Where it once laid
The fin that transfers from red to blue
Mesmerizes us all
Where did it go in the 1930s?
The mystery is a secret we shall never know
from now on and into the future
We will never know the mystery of the grayling fish

Jack M Age 11 Year 6 Churton Park School

 

 

The fantail
I’m in a myth
I’m small and magnificent bird
I flit around in the forests
And make a `cheet cheet’ sound.
I eat fruit flies and berries
I’m black, white, brown and orange and small.
So that’s what I am!

Catherine S Year:4 Age:8 Fendalton School

 

 

Fairy Tern

Fairy tern
Trying to survive with
Only 40 left living
They hover over fish
And eat
to keep
Their species alive
Sounding like squawking penguins
Fairy tern
Now I want to tell you
How to save the
Fairy tern…
So next time you see a fairy tern
Be aware of what I’m about to tell you.
Stay away from nesting grounds
And keep predators away, hey!

Miro P Age 9 LS8  Westmere School

 

Kārearea

Kārearea
The only native raptor in New Zealand
Feathers black as an eclipse
Flying through the sky
Talons as sharp as blades
It’s a meat eater
carnivore
It’s beak is like a knife
Predator of the sky

By Elliot P Age 7 LS5 Westmere School

 

Kingfisher

King fisher

Smart fisher

Chirping at you, fisher

Meat fisher

Treat fisher

Eating all the insects, fisher

Blue fisher

White fisher

Royal to New Zealand, fisher

Special fisher

Cheeky fisher

Luckily not endangered, fisher

Forest fisher

Flying fisher

Diving for food, fisher

Diurnal fisher

Pretty fisher

Flying like a bullet, fisher

Although I’m not endangered…
please protect me fisher!

Niamh Cotton 9 Westmere School

 

 

NEW ZEALAND FAIRY TERN

small, white, grey and black

feathers flutter wildly

twisting over the ocean

looking for a fishy prey

 

feet and beak shine

like newly minted coins

as they dive towards

the shimmering ocean

 

their ovoid eggs lie waiting

like hidden treasure

in a sandy dip

by the shore

 

Ava M, 11 yrs Russley School

 

THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT

I ruffled my feathers

in the rough stormy weather

dim-lit sky withered

evening smells slithered

puddle water glimmered

as last light shimmered

 

Benson L, 10yr Russley School

 

 

PĪWAKAWAKA

My fluttery tail and swishy wings help me fly

I can snatch little bugs straight out of the bright, blue sky

 

My brother is charcoal and I am chocolate

and when people whistle, I will come right away

 

My nest isn’t made of hay,

I am pīwakawaka, every single day

 

Eabha D, Russley School

 

 

PARTY IN THE SHED

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The humans will be sleeping

the fantail will be tweeting

the cicada will never stop screeching.

 

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The kea is coming

the kaka is coming

even the kiwi will make its way.

 

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The little blue’s bringing the fish

the Kererū is bringing berries

even the bellbird is bringing the worms.

 

As the sun rises

we know we must leave

for now the world is waking.

 

Eliza S, age 10, Russley School

 

NZ Forest

The fantail glides around, circling the trees. My footsteps crackle against the golden leaves and old twigs. The fantail is distracted by every step I take. He lands, ruffling his feathers against a nearby tree. He picks himself up and flies against the light breeze. I snap a twig off a kowhai and put it out to the left of me. He cautiously flies down and lands on the twig. I take a closer look and scan the details. He has fluffy ombre feathers like Rapunzel’s long thick hair and three toes on each side of his petite feet. I whistle a short rhythm and a whole war party of fantails float around me like miniature ships on the light blue sea.

by Kimberly C, 13yrs Russley School

 

Kiwi’s Features

long beak scavenging for grubs

 

tiny wings to tuck his beak in

when he goes to sleep

 

fast legs bolting from predators

 

a kiwi’s shrill call

like my brother’s shriek

 

Liam B age 9, Year 4, Russley School

 

 

Fantail

Pīwakawaka, pīwakawaka
Flitter, flutter
Spider webs
For baby’s beds
Build the nest
Have no rest
Lay the eggs
The baby begs
Off she flies
in the sky

Leo Age 8 Westmere School

 

Hoiho
Hoiho eats fish and squid
It lives in the South Island
It has waterproof feathers and they
shine as brighter sky
Its eyes are neon yellow like the galaxy
It waddles away from predators like a baby
Its feathers are black, yellow and white
It has small feet
The parents hunt for food
and they all feast
on fish and squid

By Diana K Age 7 Westmere School

 

Hāpuku

Hāpuku Hāpuku
Giant grey hāpuku
on the ocean floor
feeding on crabs
Up comes a hāpuku
running for its dad!
Stretched puku
my puku
Humungous brown hāpuku
100 kilogram hāpuku
boosting through the water
coming at the speed
of light it turns midnight.
Speeding as fast as a bullet
Could be coming round
corners a hāpuku bumps in to me
Huge puku
Humungous hammerhead puku
Hāpuku Hāpuku

By Billy  LS5  Age 8 Westmere School

 

Powelliphanta Snails
Suck slurpy worms
Like spaghetti,
In the dark
They slither
along the
forest floor
looking for
famishing
food.
They’re nocturnal
You know
they need damp to grow.
The powelliphanta snail
has been found!

By Martha B Age 8 Westmere school

 

THE kōkako
I am a kōkako.
I am native to New Zealand.
I eat yummy leaves and fruit.
I have strong long legs like a stainless steel door.
The thing that makes me special is that all of my kind have rounded wings like a banana.
I sound like a screeching thing and if it is a word in English I am a scruncher.
I am endangered with an only 1300 left on the North Island.
When I fly in the air I feel free and alive.
When you are looking for me I am very hard to find.
I am a kõkako.

Julian S Age 10 LS8 Westmere School

 

Kaimanawa Horses

Kaimanawa horses
gallop in
the night, shining
in the moonlight. Black or
white, brown or grey,
they are always
kind. I ride on them when no one is
looking, and in the morning they vanish.

Sophie O, aged 7, Ilam School, Christchurch

 

The Kākāpō

The world’s only ground parrot

Comes out when the lights go out

In green feathered camouflage

 

Booming through the undergrowth

Calling for a mate

But not really ready to mate

Until the Rimu flowers

 

When facing fear

Is it fight or flight?

No, it’s freeze

Pretend to be a bush

Or moss on a tree stump

 

Once called the worlds ugliest

This cheeky native of NZ

Is really one of the cutest

With the longest lifespan

Yet only the smallest chance of living

Our critically endangered taonga

 

Precious psittacines

That scuffle and hide

They climb, they dance, they BOOM!

Some say that kākāpō can’t fly

But I know that’s a lie

Ambassador Sirocco flies like you or I…

On an AIR NZ 747!

 

Daniel Y6 Adventure school Wellington

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box November challenge: some favourite Aotearoa wildlife poems – Part 1

 

 

 

The challenge to write poems about animals, birds and fish in Aotearoa has proved to be one of my most popular challenges ever and I am still working my way through all your emails.

I know you are all checking my blog to see if I picked your poem and I am hoping to get the post up today but I may not finish until tomorrow.

 

I have decided to break my post into two parts and share a bunch of fabulous poems from Royal Oak Primary School first. The poems are from the Kahikatea room (Y5 and 6 students).

We were inspired by Gavin Bishop’s new book Wildlife of Aotearoa (Puffin) and I am pretty sure he will be inspired by these.

The students have done utterly magnificent eye-catching artwork to go with the poems. Each illustration is alive with colour and movement. Looking at these fills me such joy I feel the children must have filled with joy to create them.

The poems are equally exquisite. The words are gifts for ears and eyes as the poems  sound good and also build a striking picture of the animal, bird or fish in your head as I read. The poems have been so beautifully crafted. Lines leap out at me, similes catch my attention.

I love these poems so much I am a sending a copy of Groovy Fish to the class and I put all the names in a hat and picked out Abigail to get a copy too.

This is poetry magnificence! And it makes me so happy. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box secret poem challenge: Keep Calm and Carry

 

 

I spotted this sign in a cafe in Timaru and it felt like the perfect title for a poem (the sugar has hidden the final word). Now I am wondering if there is actually a word behind the sugar!

In my mammoth post on my fabulous Storylines Festival Tour I hid three poetry challenges  – this was the last one. Simple – write a poem using this as the title. Daniel did all three challenges and wrote another very cool poem for this – I love his poem because it has a twist in its tail. And sometimes I think we are all carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders and it hurts. Glorious poem!

Russley School in Christchurch also sent in a cool bunch of poems. They ranged in mood and I loved that – and always surprised me. I liked the way some poems followed the pattern of my poem and some poems made their own pattern (form). I loved reading these as they made me feel good and made me want to write. Wonderful!

I put all the names in a hat and pulled out Eabha D to send a copy of Groovy Fish.

I will post the Wildlife poem picks in the next few days as I have so many to read!

 

 

Keep calm, and carry…

 

Books for your sister

Shopping for your dad

Washing for your mum

Papers for your neighbour

Sports gear for your teacher

And cats, just for fun

 

But only carry what you can manage

If you try to carry the weight of the world

You might hurt your shoulders

 

Daniel L, Y6, Adventure School, Wellington

 

 

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

Keep calm and carry

one gaming console

two tūīisinging

three chocolates melting

four fat fantails

five bowls of Weetbix

six hairy dogs

seven whales swimming

eight dolphins diving

nine kittens purring

ten tall towers

eleven birds chirping

twelve raindrops falling

 

Mitchell M age 12 Russley School

 

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

Keep calm and carry a quiet noise

like ninjas running along rooftops

acoustic guitars, playing in the background

 

closing my eyes and looking into the empty abyss

watching movies flicker before me

feeling the wind rush through the open window

 

seeing the trees sway around me

colouring the blank canvas of people’s lives

 

walking down lonely roads

feeling the grass below my feet

water washing up the shore onto my toes

 

by Charlie K (age 12) Russley School

 

 

Keep calm and carry

 

one chocolate fountain

two quacking ducks

three Christmas trees

four bowls of jelly

five big fat Santas

six maths boards

seven skinny humans

eight sneezy grandfathers

nine bars of gold

ten double digits

eleven movie tickets

twelve golden watches

 

by Mckenzie age 12yrs Russley School

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

one purring cat

two watermelons

three fluffy dogs

four lions roaring

five bowls of curry

six singing parrots

seven dolphins swimming

eight whistling trees

nine brothers dancing

ten birds chirping

 

by Emerson B age 11yrs Russley School

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

Keep calm and carry

one Mt Everest

two multiverses

three hundred mansions

four Santas to give me toys

NOT MY BROTHER.

Six Lamborghini Venenos

Seven pet tigers to play with

Eight Tesla trucks

Nine rainbows to bring colour to my life

Ten sixtillion dollars.

by Huzaifa S (age 11yrs) Russley School

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

Keep calm and carry…

one magenta butterfly

a pair of fluffy socks

three buttercup flowers

four sparkly stars

five soft kittens

six shimmering snowflakes

seven joyful books

eight Christmas reindeer

nine naughty narwhals

ten stripey tigers

 

by Jasmine M age 11yrs Russley School

 

Keep Calm and Carry

 

Keep calm and carry the shimmering ocean view of Sumner Beach

two ripe feijoas, so sweet to eat

 

Keep calm and carry your three favourite days

and four classic show tunes to hum on your way

 

Keep calm and carry five birds singing sweetly

and six lovely memories to think of every day

 

Keep calm and carry seven slices of chewy mozzarella cheese

and eight pairs of winter boots to warm up your knees

 

Keep calm and carry nine summertime flowers

and ten of your closest friends who support you in every way

 

But most importantly, keep calm and carry

your heart, wherever you go

 

by Eabha D, age 11  Russley School

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box secret poem challenges: random word poems that make me smile

My second secret challenge from the Storylines Festival Tour was inspired by the words in a poem St Albans School made up with me but I could NOT read my writing – just these words:

 

the wild wild wind, chocolate milk, a fox, a chicken, a super sheep and something lovely

 

The challenge was to use at least three of them in a poem.

I got a cool poem from Daniel plus Westmere School in Auckland sent in a fabulous bunch. I love these poems so much because they made me SMILE! I am sending Groovy Fish to: Olivia and Emma.

 

A True Story

 

The wild wild wind blows fiercely around Porirua.

 

A chicken coop gets blown open, and the chickens escape.

As soon as they get out, the door slams shut.

The chickens are trapped outside, with no shelter and no food.

Then someone comes running.

The someone grabs the chickens and puts them back in the coop.

Something lovely is what the chickens found when they were safe and dry.

A beautiful mess of corn kernels and cake met their beady eyes.

Then, of course, to relieve stress, they had a chicken nap.

 

Daniel L, Y6, Adventure school, Wellington

 

The Chicken’s Cluck

The wild, wild wind,
Blew between the trees,
The skies were dark,
In the park,
There was a chicken,
Clucking away,
Between the swings,
On that cloudy day,
With a fox in the bushes,
And a super sheep in the sky,
What could ever go wrong,
Right?
Well,
The fox crept up,
As quietly as he could,
And the chicken continued to cluck,
Like a chick-related duck,
The super sheep flew down,
Like a falling clown,
And stopped the fox,
that was ready to pounce,
So a flower grew,
Where the fox lay,
As beautiful,
as the brightest day.

 

Olivia P Age: 11  Westmere Primary School

 

 

The Fox that Stole my Food

I was at the beach
listening to the wild wild wind
blowing in the air.
The air smelled of chocolate milk
and roast chicken.
But then I saw
A little fox that
Did such a big thing!
IT TOOK MY BIG ROAST CHICKEN!
I was sooooooooo mad!
I chased it down the beach.

Mia G  Age:9 Westmere School

 

What I Saw
I looked out the window
And I saw
A spooky scary super sheep
Staring back at me.
I walked out the door
And I felt
the wild weird wild wind
blowing me away.
I walked to my bedroom
and I spilled
My super yummy chocolate milk.
I got a fright! Ohh such a sight…
The spooky scary skeleton
Staring back at me.

Tilly O’Brien age nine Westmere School

A Perfect Day

Out on a freezing day blows the Wild Wild Wind
The air lingers of roast chicken and gravy
Take a sip of my ice cold chocolate milk
See a red fox curled up on the snowy hill
Walk down the street and get a whiff of something Lovely
Roses? Christmas trees?,Freshly Baked Bread?
But as soon as I have time to think it is gone
Rush back inside to get a blast of warm air
Sit down by the table and devour the chicken
After a quick shower I lie down on my bed and fall asleep instantly
What a Perfect Day.

Conor L Age 9 Westmere School

 

The Runaway Cheetah Poem

The fox ran as fast as a crocodile.
The chicken ran as fast as a skateboard.
The sheep ran as fast as a penguin.
The snail ran as fast as an ant.

Cooper D Age 6 Westmere School

 

 

The Eat Poem.

The fox ate the ox
and the chicken ate the fox
and the sheep ate the box
and the box ate the rocks.

Ana B Age 6 Westmere School

 

 

Super Sheep… dun dun dun ..

The fox and the chicken
listened to the wild, wild wind.
Super Sheep
was flying to Mrs Meep,
to deliver chocolate milk…
BON APPETIT!

Rose L Age 9 Westmere School

 

The Super Sheep Sugar Gang

The wild, wild wind
whisked up
some chocolate milk
to give to
the Super Sheep Sugar Gang!
It was something lovely!

Emma T Age 9 Westmere School