Off to Tauranga for beach poems

I am about to drive to Papamoa for my wild-card visit. Very exciting.

Tomorrow I am visiting Golden Sands School and then we are going down to the beach to do beach poems in the sand.

In the afternoon I am doing an event at Tauranga City Library at 4pm with lots of local children helping out. Would love to see you there!

And on Saturday there is my Hot Spot Poetry Tour finale at National Library in Parnell at 2pm. Loads of local authors and children are joining me in this poetry celebration. Do join us!

Posting poems on Poetry Box – a remarkable car or two excuse the pun

Next year I will introduce a new timetable of things on Poetry Box as I aim to have a busy year writing!

But this year I always post my favourite poems from the challenges I set.

I sometimes post my favourite poems that have come from a school visit.

I don’t post poems sent to me that don’t fit these two things as I need time to do my own work.

This poem was sent to me after my visit to the fabulous Remarkables Primary School in Queenstown on Wednesday. I suggested all kinds of poetry things but one thing we played with was the last line of poem. I suggested testing out five different endings. I really like the ending Maddy came up with in this poem. Great job Maddy!

CARS

Cars roar
Cars glide
Cars run along the highway
Cars crash
Cars smash
Cars slip here and there
Cars go to the garage and have a nap.

Maddy -Age 8-Year 4-Remarkables Primary School-Class Whenua 2

A Te Papa welcome

Mary sent this photo of Ati welcoming us all. Brings back good memories!

Beautiful place for poetry.

Meeting Gisborne locals at a Turkish restaurant

It was Alex’s birthday and he had heard me read poems at his school. So when they were at the next table at this fabulous Turkish Restaurant, Sofra, in Gisborne we had to have a birthday photo!

Time to go home with a dusting of snow

This morning the Queenstown mountains were dusted in snow. Such beauty. Now I am sitting by the lake eating lunch before I fly home.

I miss home and my family, but I have had a very special time.

Help! I have lost all your titles I have collected on tour

Some of you know now I have been collecting titles of poems from you at every event and school visit. I decided I would like to try and write a collection of children’s poems using your titles.

Fun! Challenging. Takes me to new places.

I had collected over 60 on Notes on my iPhone. Usually I write with a pen in my notebook.

Last night at the Remarkables event I accidentally deleted the lot.

I am gutted.

Maybe a whizz can find them. I can’t.

Meanwhile if you remember any titles I picked and short listed can you let me know please?

I need title, name of child and name of their school or email address.

If you can share this with anyone who can help …. Thanks

I am heartbroken. The children will be disappointed.

xxx

paulajoygreen@gmail.com

When I get home will email everyone I can think of and try and rebuild the list. With a pen in my paper notebook.

And

The Christchurch event was wonderful

Just as well we changed venues as around 200 plus turned up. Russley School was a perfect substitute. Lots of great poems read by local poets and children. I was especially thrilled with the performance of poems from both The Letterbox Cat and The Treasury by Russley School and Fendalton School. Great costumes and props. Not complicated but such fun. The final act was a performance of Apirana Taylor’s ‘haka. ‘ The strength in the performers as the poem rose in them was magnificent. Gavin Bishop, Bill Nagelkirke, Doc Drumheller, James Norcliffe and Helen Jacobs read and switched some onto poetry for the first time. (with apologies from Fiona Farrell) I didn’t get many photos as I was on stage mostly but here a few. It was a very special night.

Great to have young poets, Skye, Henry, Alex and Caleb, read their poems from the Treasury and Monica and Ewen read their poems at the back of The Letterbox Cat. Special!
Thanks so much to hard working Melanie Koster and Russley School for hosting the event and to all the teachers and pupils who worked so creatively getting the performances and poems shining. Extra work in your busy busy school lives. Thanks to Amy from Fendalton who got her students performing poems that were an utter delight and to Dean from Russley School who did the exact same.

I salute you all.

A Christchurch highlight

This morning I went to Ilam School and did poems with the Middle and Senior School which was such fun. They broke a few records, made dome terrific poems up and won a few challenges. It was so nice to see the girls that read with me last night. Ysabella had got a copy of The Letterbox Cat for a challenge she did on the blog so she gave me her book of poems as a ‘thank you’ present. Her dad came to listen and take a photo of the both of us. I was so touched. It was hard to get away as everyone had extra questions and poems for me to read but I had to skedaddle to the lovely children (Y2to 4) at Lyttelton School. We made up a gorgeous rain poem. At the end again there were so many great questions. One girl had her copy of The Letterbox Cat and said nearly every poem was her favourite. It was true! She had bent the pages of all her faves and like she said, it was nearly the whole book. That meant heaps to me.

Oh lovely Christchurch maybe I will get to come back. Like I said at the event last night you really are my poetry hit spot. Will tell you about the event soon.

Another biscuit poem ready to eat

Gemma Lovewell made this one. It is called ‘Playing with My Food.’ You might remember they fave me a wee ah of biscuits to make a poem with. Great idea!

Nelson photos: lunch with Shirley, reading with Melanie and Rachel