Photo courtesy of Marlon and Angelo
REPLYING TO YOUR EMAILS: I have received so many poems and emails in lockdown, I discovered I missed replying to some for the other challenges. If I don’t reply to your email a few days after the deadline please let me know.
TIP: I can’t post PDFs. Sadly some cool poetry missed out as I don’t have time to type your poems out.
TIP: Wait at least a day before you send your poem, read it aloud, and make sure you are happy with hopw it flows.
NEW CHALLENGE: October 1st (I am excited!)
Thank you so much for sending in such a TREASURE HOUSE of lockdown poems. I loved the way you showed how poems can do a GALAXY of things, how using your ears and eyes helps when you write a poem, how imaginations are cool and real life is equally cool in a poem.
I loved how Chloe wrote about her favourite lockdown meal (pasta carbonara), how some of you thought about cats, how Jerry showed how a book can be important, how Isabella used capital letters to start every word, a bit like how lockdown is full of capital letters (we see things stand out when we go walking).
I loved how Rameeen showed the sunset colours she sees when she goes out walking, how Margarita looks at Covid Earth from the moon, how Isabella shifted her boredom to getting better at something, how Ameer used a handful of words to celebrate listening to the rain, how Alexia’s kebab poem has a superb and surprising twist, how some poets were were inspired by Edgar Allen Poe.
How Mia dreams of Denmark and how Linna shows the importance of kindness is.
I loved how Megan gave us a recipe for lockdown with a perfect ending (just what I need). I finish the post with her poem and April’s splendid sea poem. Great notes to end on.
So many wonderful poems and as always I am so sorry I can’t post them all. This is never a competition – this is is a chance to fall in love with what poetry can do – to find your own words to share a thousand ways of feeling and thinking and being in the world.
WHEN I AM OUT OF LOCKDOWN: I will send books to Chloe (Westmere School), Megan (Kingsway School), Ollie (Merrin School), Alexia (Russley School), Gus (Richmond School) and Dante (Ilam School).
The Poems
Lockdown Kindness
Kindness is a thing that goes ping ping ping.
It’s important to be kind during lockdown.
When most people’s faces have a frown.
If you make them happy you will have the kindness crown.
Talk to people nicely.
Don’t eat anything spicy.
Or you will go…….
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Linna C, Y3, age 8, College Street Normal School
My Book
A magical portal within my reach,
A world of my own, and my own to share,
A way to travel and see Charlie’s Giant Peach,
A place to make new friends with elves and hares.
Jerry, age 12, Y8, Churchhill Park School
A Night in Lockdown
The rain
splattered on the roof.
The moon
spread her arms wide
and lit up my house.
A turtle dived
into the sea
to catch a jellyfish.
The trees waved
in the wind.
Two horses
are walking slowly
in the snow.
The ice crystal clear.
Dante A, Y3, age 7, Ilam School
Chloe’s Carbonara
Chloe’s cheesy, crunchy, crispy carbonara.
Soggy eggy sauce.
Sweet and salty.
Butter
Bacon
Parmesan
Pasta.
Chloe L, age 5, Westmere School
RAIN
When i wake up i see rain i hear the pitter patter on
the tin roof i open my cold door that feels like ice
i walk down the hall to be greeted by the smell of
bacon frying.
i taste the bacon the bacon takes me on a journey to a sunny day.
Maybe rain is not so bad
Gus, Y6, aged 10, Richmond Rd School
A Sweet Treat
”Beep, Beep, Beep” the timer going off
The air smells strong and sweet
I grab the black tea towel from the bench,
Slowly I look inside the old oven
”Let’s see if it’s done,” I say impatiently
I pick up a long sharp wooden kebab stick
Carefully I pull out the pan from the scorching hot oven,
I stick the clean kebab stick in the batter to see if it’s ready
It comes out looking the same as it did before
I exclaim, ”Wow”, impressed at how it turned out.
After an hour of letting It cool, as gently as possible
I flip the tin upside down onto a plate
”It’s ready!” I yell
Suddenly a big stampede of elephants come running down the hall
Excitingly wanting the sweet treat on the bench
Alexia M, Y7/8, Russley School
IN LOCKDOWN
I hear the thump as the tūī hits the ground.
In lockdown there is normally not a move,
Not a sound.
I smell the smell of brownies from a cook.
In lockdown most of us settle down with a book.
I see the early morning trees.
In lockdown we sit down,
Loong cups of tea.
Miri H, Y6, Richmond Road School
Apart from friends
17 August 2021
All of New Zealand moved to Alert Level 4 at 11:59pm
Dad came to pick
me up from school,
it was half past four, he said
“bring anything home that you will need
we could go into lockdown”.
I was just standing there
stunned like a petrified goldfish
but then Dad said “go”.
I went and ran to get my stuff.
Then we left.
Mum made dinner, we all helped.
Then while we were eating it
We listened to the announcement.
The levels had changed.
31 August 2021
All of New Zealand south of Auckland moves to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm. Auckland and Northland remain at Alert Level 4.
After two weeks we went into level three
but that didn’t change anything.
Mum still going to the supermarket,
masked and handsanitiser
waiting for her when she gets home.
2 September 2021
Northland moves to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm.
All of New Zealand except Auckland is now at Alert Level 3.
Auckland remains at Alert Level 4.
7 September 2021
New Zealand except Auckland moves to Alert Level 2 at 11:59pm. Auckland remains at Alert Level 4.
After 3 weeks of not being able
to see my friends in person
I could finally see them
but not hug them or touch them.
School was almost normal with specialists
but online assembly in the class.
Desks spaced out and distended
Apart from friends.
Apart from everyone.
Forever hoping that we go into level one
Emily B, age 11, Selwyn House School
The Mixed up ‘Backs to Fronts’ Wild Animals!
In my zoo I have a Cata-Lion and it is as fierce as a T-Rex
In my garden I have a Bun-Ingo and it is as friendly as a cute bunny.
In the wild there is an Eag-Cher and is as scary as a dinosaur made of fire.
In my zoo I have a Kiwi-Egg, brown and white.Its feathers are as soft as foam and its shell is as hard as a table.
Silvia, Phoenix, Seb, Zoe, aged 5, New Entrants, Westmere School
Still
Lying in bed,
listening to the rain,
it sounds like an egg on a pan, or a static radio.
My whole room drowning in darkness.
Sitting in silence
I feel like the whole world is empty,
just like my head.
Ameer L, age 10 years old, Y6, Ilam School
I DREAM OF DENMARK
I dream of going to Denmark,
In a plane high in the sky,
Where no eyes can spy.
I went there once,
As six years old,
Before the world was on hold.
We could go if we saved a lot,
But COVID,
And Delta,
Has caused this idea to rot.
I dream of looking at rows of brick houses,
In a straight line,
Of probably more than nine.
I dream of biting into food,
And feel it run down my throat,
While I wrote.
I dream of staying with my relatives,
For a year,
As an exchange.
Even though everything would be strange.
I dream of going to school there,
For that exchange year.
How different would it be from here?
There are no uniforms,
And only some teachers create storms.
How would it be to wear whatever I wanted?
From hoop earrings,
And ripped jeans.
It would be nice to actually wear my things.
Like bracelets,
And rings.
I dream of going to one of the Queen’s many palaces.
Eating ice cream,
So good I could scream.
Walking through white doorways,
Seeing wonder after wonder.
Everything a – gleam.
I dream of Denmark.
Mia C, Y7, Age 11, Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School
Lockdown
We Put Our Shoes On, And The Dog’s Collar On Too
To The University We Go, I Shout
We Walk, And We Walk, And We Finally Arrive
We Sit Down On A Small Hill To Have A Picnic
We Take Out The Food We Packed, Delicious I Say
Everyone Agrees With Me And We Go Further Into The University
There Are Some Traffic Lights
Some Of Us Go Left Others Go Right
The Dog Won’t Budge, He Likes His Mum
We Wait For Her, She Comes, It Did Not Take Long
Now The Dog Will Move And We Continue On Our Journey.
Isabella S, age 11, Selwyn House School
In lockdown from the moon
In lockdown from the moon
I see darkness all around
I see comets zooming like cars on the street
I see the mountains below
I see the seas and oceans as blue as my pillow
I see forest as green as grass
I see a planet circling the sun
I see craters like fingerprints on the moon
The clouds, the clouds as white as cream
Margarita G, age 7, Ilam School
Lockdown
I pull out the mixing bowl, set it aside
butter melting,
flour sifting, and sprinkling.
yeast bubbling, coming alive,
egg cracking,
yolk falling like the sun
proving in the dark, warm cupboard,
oven preheating, hands kneading
warm dough
sticking to my hands, like glue
greasing the old, silver tin, with buttered paper,
placing the tin in the middle rack of the beeping oven,
toasty, comforting aromas fill the room,
crust cracking,
soft centre, like
smooth strawberry jam,
slides across the loaf.
Amelia G, age 12, Russley School
Pikelets
Pikelets are so yum
I’m going to cook me some
Flour, milk, sugar, and egg
With a little bit of salt my brother begs
Mix and stir and put it in the pan
Wait for a minute and flip it as carefully as I can
Smells so good can’t wait to taste it
It’s soft and milky there’s no way I’m going to waste it
Saraiyah, Y4 , aged 8, Richmond Road School
Waking in Lockdown
Waking in lockdown is like being trapped
In a stone prison
Having the hardest time
Being stuck
Far from
Your favourite friend
Nearly being struck
By lightning
Leo F, age 7, Y 2, Ilam School
Three poems inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’
Midnight
Darkness cuddled me
Moon hugs me tight through the night
Until day creeps back
Yiying Q, age 9, Y5, Parnell School
Raven
Ravenous ravens roaming for food.
Across the woods they roar.
Violent beaks cawing louder than before.
Echoing through the darkness.
Nightmares, they cause frightening things.
Nina W, age 9, Y5, Parnell School
Midnight
Three blocks down,
Deep into the ground,
Soil covers my head,
Still alive, not dead,
Mobs growl above,
A world with no love,
Need reach dawn,
I mustn’t respawn,
No light, no sight,
Ten minutes to midnight.
Jason R, age 10, Y5, Parnell School
If I Could Hypnotize My Cat
If I could hypnotize my cat
I’d make him do my homework
And if he saw a bird
I’d make sure he didn’t lurk
If I could hypnotize my cat
I‘d make him make my dinner
He would make me pizza,
Yum what a winner
If I could hypnotize my cat
I’d give him lots of hugs
And I’d put his face on lots and lots of mugs
I really wish
I could hypnotize my cat.
Liam J, aged 10, St Francis School
My Cat Has Powers
My cat has powers
And they surely are dangerous
He has laser eyes
Oh how I wish they were contagious
My cat has powers
He can make the ground rumble and crack
We surely would be safe
If there was an alien attack
My cat has powers
He’s got super speed
He could be a superhero
And do all the good deeds
My cat has powers
He’s starting to get into trouble
He doesn’t want to have them
He’d much rather just have a cuddle.
My cat used to have powers
But he doesn’t know
It’s amazing there’s no earthquake
When you hear him say meow.
Sam AB, age 9, St Francis School
Purrfect Peace
Two amber eyes glare at me
Telling me I’ve broken the rules
Day time is cat time
For lounging
And sleeping
Eating
And sleeping
Climbing on furniture
And sleeping
Undisturbed
But the glare makes me guilty
I’m invading her homely haven
Now time is my time
For learning
And eating
And creating
And eating
And Zooming
And eating
I’m sorry cat
I promise to disappear again soon
I will leave you in purrfect peace
But until then I am begging you
Can you please stop chasing my mouse?
Daniel L, Age 13, Year 8, Hadlow School
The life of a lockdown cat
Playful kittens roam the halls,
Stealing gloves and stray socks
Meows and purrs galore
The life of a lockdown cat.
Licking our dinner plates
Running off with masks
Wondering why we won’t go to school
The life of a lockdown cat.
Chewing cables
Scuffing up the couch
Howling at us late at night
The life of a lockdown cat.
Nuzzling our legs
Napping on our laps
Loving us dearly
The life of a lockdown cat.
Eabha, Y8, Russley School
Wave-washed
I am wave-washed,
Walking on the place in between sea and sand,
Knowing, that I am but a droplet of water,
Compared to the ocean of feet that tiptoed on this shore,
Living like the leaves on the trees,
And wandering with the wind and breeze,
I am lost but the ocean finds me,
Anxious but the island calms me,
Forever dreaming of the sunset with a blush of an amber rose petal,
I am wave-washed, adrift amongst the sea.
Ollie W, Age 11, Year 7, Merrin School
Marlon and Angelo were inspired Daniel Stoke’s poem ‘The door’ and hearing Gareth Ward’s thoughts on doors. They helped them see ordinary doors, everywhere, in magical ways.
The door
The door bars a prison.
The door locks secrets away.
The door gates a castle.
The door goes into a house.
The door is a portal going to a place of mysterious possibilities.
Marlon R, age 9 Y5, Pukete School
A door
A door is a gate of unknown things.
A door is a giant’s gate.
A door an overgrown passage.
A door is a stony hole to a world of magic.
A door is a door going through a waterfall.
A door is a hole in a boat to the sea.
Angelo R, age 7, Y3, Pukete School
Thank the Trees!
I get in the car after a long day of school
and the first thing my mum tells me is
“There is a case of Covid-19 in New Zealand.”
I sigh,
Another lockdown right in front of my eyes.
I know we are lucky in New Zealand
but I would rather be with my friends.
The evening comes and the announcement is made
My mum checks her emails,
She said I have a day to prepare until school starts.
Great,
Just another day on my own.
Online school is better than nothing!
Two days later I am sitting at my desk,
Lonely,
In my bedroom on my own.
The only company
I have is My classmates through a computer
and my rabbits but they only ever sleep.
I get on and do my Schoolwork.
All done by 1!
I go and play outside
Not like there’s much else I can do.
I go to a tree I used to climb when I was little
I haven’t touched it much since then.
I put my hands on the nearest branch and give it a go.
I am up!
I didn’t know I could even climb it anymore.
A week later,
I finish my schoolwork again.
I head outside.
I try something new.
I use a tree branch as a bar.
Like the ones on the school playground.
I raise myself up,
All of my weight,
On my arms,
On the branch.
I lean forward.
Move the position of my wrists
And land my feet on the fresh, wet grass
I did it.
I go to do it again,
And again,
And on and on I go.
I am out there for about 20 minutes
Climbing trees,
On and on…
Isabella G, age 11, Selwyn House School
Isolation
I wish we were out on this sunny day,
But this is the price we have to pay.
I wish we could play on the soft grass,
But we have to wait for this to pass.
I wish we could play between the ferns,
But this is the lesson we have to learn.
I wish we could go out to run and shout,
But we can no longer have a friend over and roll about.
So we need to stay safe and stay out of trouble,
And that can only happen if we stay in our bubble!
Amadeia D, age 10, Y6, Kaurilands Primary School
What Am I? . . .
I’m a million shades of mellow yellow, orange, lilac purple, and cute pink
It’s time to say goodbye once the enormous sun races down the horizon and shrinks
The next day I’ll come, my shimmering shades of colour will change, but the way you look at me will always
stay the same
I’m the Sunset and dazzling you with my bright and shimmering colours is my game
From a blue sky to tropical I become
Some days clouds will cover me, and wrap me up, but you can still see a bit of my shades,
I will keep astonishing you until night falls and I will fade
Rameen, age 9, Year: 5, Kaurilands School
Lockdown poem
I ran into the garage,
I used all my strength
to heave
the heavy object to the floor.
I put on the hard hat
to protect my head and
climbed onto
the two wheeled motorbike.
The chase had begun,
my brother sped past me
but I quickly made a comeback.
I could smell victory in the air
But just when I thought the race
was over my brother
zoomed past me so fast that
he even knocked me off my
bike …
Wow what a race!
Jasmin M, Y8, Russley School
Pets point of view in lockdown🐕🐑🐑
(My dog Coco)
Waving to dad at the front step as he goes off to work.
Cuddles on the couch just me and you.
Running up and down the paddocks chasing the sheep.
Walking over to me as you feed the lambs.
Chasing after frisbees that you throw for me.
(My two lambs Funny and Money)
Feeding us our bottles on a warm spring morning.
Going for a ride on the basket on the back of your bike
We run as fast as we can as you eagerly try to tag us
Cuddles and pats on the sweet smelling garden.
Gabriella, age 9, Selwyn House School
Lockdown walks
His brown tail wags in the air
He makes a dash for the world outside
He excitedly jumps at the gate
Ready for his escape
I grab onto his long worn lead
The gate slowly opens
His eyes sparkle in the sun
He walks around like he owns the neighbourhood
He glares at the people who stare
He barks at the cats that growl
The day begins to fade
Home at last.
Michaela, Y8, Russley School
Hermonie
Let me have Tom’s room to myself.
Let me stretch out in the sun.
Let me wash my fur in peace.
Let me sharpen my claws on his bed.
Let me sleep away from zoom.
I wish Tom would leave his room.
Tom N, 13 years, Year 8 at Christchurch South Intermediate
I’m stuck inside
The sun is shining on my face,
The wind is blowing past.
I’m stuck inside my apartment house,
And I’ve got a virtual class.
The room is messy,
Full of things.
With books, and toys,
And things that sing.
I’m stuck inside,
All all day,
And all I can do is
Play my video game.
With thoughts in my head,
Books in my bed,
I’d rather be outside,
I said.
With the tv turned on,
Writing lots of songs,
I’m stuck inside,
If only outside.
The sun is shining on my face,
The wind is blowing past.
I’m stuck inside my apartment house,
And I’ve got a virtual class.
Penelope, age 9, Y5, Richmond Road Primary
A Lockdown Recipe
This recipe’s easy and won’t cause you trouble,
Just start with a bowl in the shape of a bubble,
And into that bowl, these things you will add,
Listen quite carefully, and don’t say I’m mad:
A generous chunk of devices galore,
A spoonful of Netflix, or possibly more,
A kilo of Zoom meetings —now that’s a lot—
Drizzle with takeaways (or maybe not!)
Pour in a bucket of “learning from home”,
Then whir it and stir ‘till it bubbles up foam,
Add a dollop of distancing, two metres apart,
Or instead, online shopping to fill up your cart,
Chuck in a bundle of updates at one,
(Glued to the screen ‘till the conference is done!)
Some of your breakfast, or dinner, or lunch,
Homemade, not store bought; throw in a bunch,
Add a gallon or more of emailing your friend,
And a bottle of thinking, “When will this end?”
Now give a good stir, and mix it all up,
Then leave it to set in a bowl or a cup;
But what in the world does this recipe make?
Cupcakes, or cookies, or maybe a cake?
No, what you’ll get isn’t something you’ll eat,
Not custard, not mustard, not veggies, not meat,
It’s none of these things; it’s time to uncover,
Memories, moments, it’s time to discover:
Hobbies, and passions, and trying new things—
Drawing, or knitting, or something with strings!
Finally, there’s one more thing that I’ll say:
Treasure the moments that make up your day,
The moments you laugh, the moments you smile,
The moments that make this recipe worthwhile!
Megan L, age 11, Y7, Kingsway School
April O, aged 7, Kaurilands Primary
Poetry Box 