Sue Hardy-Dawson is a poet and illustrator, her latest book, Where Zebras go, can be bought here.
Category: Freedom Poem
Freedom Poem for National Poetry Day from Neal Zetter
When the Bell Goes
When the bell goes
The long day’s ending
When the bell goes
Grab coats and bags
Thrilled and overjoyed
Making lots of noise
Running to the gates with all the other girls and boys
When the bell goes
We’re so excited
When the bell goes
At half-past three
Hurrying for home
Chatting on our phones
Stopping at the ice cream van to buy a strawberry cone
When the bell goes
We’re screaming, shouting
When the bell goes
We’re crazy, nuts
Dashing down the streets
Sucking sticky sweets
Practising our rapping to the rhythms and the beats
When the bell goes
The lesson’s finished
When the bell goes
We come alive
Jumping over walls
Breaking every rule
Doing lots of stuff we’re not allowed to do at school
I don’t care about anything
When I hear ring, ring, ring, ring
When the bell goes
When the bell goes
When the bell goes
© Neal Zetter,
Freedom Poem for National Poetry Day by John H Rice
The Art of Kite Flying
“It’s the string that makes it fly,” he said
As the kite tugged wildly at its thread.
“Without the string, it falls and dies –
Collapses from these bright blue skies,
Yet still it battles to break free
But it is just a kite, you see.”
And then he stopped and turned his head,
“So, what’s your string?” the old man said.
© John H Rice
John H Rice is a former primary school headteacher who writes educational materials for children – and poems!
Freedom Poem for National Poetry Day by Andrea Shavick
A DIFFERENT HUNGER
Powerful cougar, mountain cat
Leaping, sprinting, jumping
Eats any animal it can catch
Loves hunting
Fragile cougar, Big Cat House
Caged from January to December
Eats for an audience at 3 o’clock
But remembers
National Poetry Day Poem by Sue Hardy-Dawson
Freedom Poem for National Poetry Day by Jonathan Humble
Freedom
Suppose I wasn’t here today
Behind a desk at school,
and say
Instead of maths and grammar stuff,
Of which we do more than enough,
I left this place and caught a train,
Flew in hot air balloon or plane
Across the sea to Timbuktu
To meet the Tuareg with whom
I’d wear deep blue alasho and
We’d ride out on Saharan sand
On camels out towards the east,
To live in tents and later feast
On goats’ milk tea and baked taghella,
With cheese and dates bought from a seller
Of gorgeous African cuisine,
Then watch the sun set on a scene
Of such delight and beauty rare,
It stands alone without compare
And beats hard sums and parsing flat
So much, in fact, I dare say that
If I were asked to swap my place
Behind a desk at school and face
An option far from tests and strife,
I’d choose the free nomadic life…
Freedom Poem – Riding a Lion by Coral Rumble
RIDING A LION
I dreamt of riding a lion, a fast one,
A fierce one, with a flash of wildness in his eyes.
I could feel his tented ribs with my clinging knees.
I dreamt he leapt and flew, huge wings spreading,
His deep growl rumbling like a well oiled engine.
My fingers curled into a tangle around his mane.
I dreamt he swooped a deep dive, a daring dive,
A dizzy dive, against the roaring wind,
And I didn’t even close my eyes in fear.
I dreamt he landed on an island, a golden one,
Where all the lions fly, and children ride
On their warm backs, clutching the edge of danger.
© Coral Rumble
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