Monday 19 November 2018

Playful Poems


Julia led our creative writing group today, focussing on her favourite poet - AA Milne - famous of course for his Winnie the Poo series, but we learnt a bit more about him and his writing. What Julia loves is his playful, fun take on poems. Poems like 'Binker' where he wrote about his imaginary friend as a child, and 'Sand Between the Toes' where he remembers being at the beach. These poems and his playful style were our inspiration for the day.



INVISIBLE FRIEND

Where did you come from?
Where have you gone?
You were there for awhile
But not for long

You were there when I needed
Some comfort and warmth
Someone to be with me
When I was forlornth

Mum often busy
And preoccupied
But you always free
And came to my side

To brothers and sister
A nuisance I was
But you always present
And no reason, just coz!

Thank you for seeing
How much I needed you!
And now you have gone
Left me feeling blue!

It must be
That I don`t need you now
But you will remain with me
And not lose your power.


- Pauline



BY THE RADIO

By the radio I sat
My own programme at nine
How important I felt
It was just sublime!

By the radio it seemed
It was just for me
All else faded away
As I listened with glee!

By the radio there was
My own little world
And I soaked it up
Like a frond unfurled

By the radio most days
I puffed up my chest
Proud of the fact
I was my own special guest!

- Pauline



 MY SUPER DUPER FRIEND

Toaster was cool
He could do cool stuff
Like ride a motorbike
And race it super fast

He could jump the fence
The car or a truck and trailor
A house would be no trouble
There was no chance of failure

He could fly too of course
A fighter jet or old bi-planes
He'd do the loop-de-loop
Just for a laugh and some fun and games

Now that I'm older
I don't see Toaster so much
We'll always be friends
And I'll try to stay in touch

But he has other kids
Who need him more than me
Kids who need a super duper friend
To set their imagination free

- Paul



SUMMER WITH BANDY

We were stuck on a branch, my friend Bandy and me
We couldn't get down from that fairly tall tree
"Let's slide down the leaves and roll onto the grass"
Called Bandy
We did and I landed quite hard on my bottom.

We wandered inside, to where Mum was baking
But I couldn't sit 'cos my bottom was aching
"lie down on the windowsill, look at the view"
so we did, as we ate a biscuit or two

With Bandy I trekked on down to the stream
We poked into corners, where fishes were seen
Bandy jumped rocks, and fell right in the pool
and came up spluttering; silly wet fool

The long meadow waved to us, Bandy & I
the summer was long, and the sun in the sky
We rolled down the bank, leaving tracks all the way
Now summer is ended, Bandy has less to say.

- Karen



TEA IN A WHILE

"Caravaning" down the Coast
Mum, Dad, Aunty, Uncle, Joy
And me
Waves, Togs, barbeque
More family visiting still
Tree climbing
Riding the branch like it's a horse
Apple pie served
Singing and Ukulele strumming
"Caravaning" down the Coast
Sun shining relentlessly and strong
"Caravaning" down the Coast
Togs under my zip-up dress
Running back to the caravan awning
To have a break
Mum and Dad resting, now, there
In two matching deck chairs
Sun shining relentlessly and strong
Smiles greeting
"Why don't you take your dress off?"
Mum saying
I can't say I feel fat and awkward
"Caravaning" in holidays
"Caravaning"
"Caravaning" some holidays
Soon
"Caravaning" will be gone
Yet to know this
It's tea in a while

- Natasha


Thursday 1 November 2018

Statuesque


What would it be like to be a statue? Today we find out! The challenge was to imagine you are a statue such as Robbie Burns or Queen Victoria and to write a poem from their point of view - what they see, feel or think. We then went one step further and imagined we were the harbour molars, the controversial teeth sculpture on Portsmouth Drive. An interesting session ensued!



ROBBIE BURNS STATUE

Encased in stillness
Larger than life
Quill in hand
I know I'm in strife
There's so much to see
With my unseeing eyes
Overwhelmed by events
And the seagull's cries.
Surrounded by theatres
So much going on
A church, some cafes
I would die for a scone!

- Pauline



QUEEN VICTORIA 

Sitting so regal and tall
I watch my subjects pass me by
Are they listening to me?
Are they watching me?
How I act, what I say?

I was a Queen for 63 years
I also was a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend
Where are all those people now?
I remember, they are up in heaven with me.

- Gail



THE TEETH

Blustery today,
Sea spray all over me,
I am cold and wet.

At least the sea spray washes away the smoke
from the cars that roar past me.
I have a grand view, 360 degrees, although only
half of me can see at a time.

The sea is blue and choppy and I can see some
small boats bobbing up and down on the water.
Hills surround me at a distance, green with trees
and houses dotted on them.

Sometimes I feel cracked and blue, rough to touch.
Why am I here?

Do children look at me and vow to brush their teeth?
So they don't have teeth like mine - big, full of holes
and rough on their tongues!

I hope they take notice
It's too late for me.
I am here for eternity.

- Gail




I AM QUEEN

They think they know me
standing here.

But do they really?
As they whiz by in their cars?

I've seen people walk by
and stop to look.

Those on horses and in cars
rarely do.

Why did they put me here?
I'm not even facing the Gardens
named after me.

I'm facing the toilets!
What an unsavoury position for a Queen!!

- Christine



THE ROYAL 'WE'

Her majesty
uses the royal 'we'.
I am a statue
Attracting bird poo.
Ruler of the world
In a grassy field.

Who said there was a glass ceiling?
It is to a woman you're kneeling.
The sun never sets
on my empire.
Only by death will I retire.
By statue, immortalised
Forever, in stone attire.

- Phillip Porteous



TEETH FROM MARS

Whitestone
Ivory bone
For all to see
By harbour and sea
Naturally decaying
Watching kids playing
Picnicers and birds
Avian turds
Green grass and cars
Teeth from Mars?
Now on Earth
Giving people mirth
The plaque
Leaves its mark.

- Phillip Porteous

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