National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Day, Climate Truth Poem by Liz Brownlee

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Happy National Poetry Day everyone! Here is my National Poetry Day Truth poem, published last month in Be the Change, Poems to Help you Save the World, Macmillan.

Greta Thunberg

When the whole world is deaf

by greed and by choice,

how do you change things

with only your voice?

It’s hard to be noticed,

harder to be heard,

but she stood up and spoke,

could not be deterred.

What made them listen?

What cut through their lies?

Not the pollution

or the fast melting ice,

not the experts or science,

not hunger or flood,

not the extinctions,

our hands red with blood,

it was her steady gaze,

on our planet, alight,

her desperate calm,

her demand, make it right.

It’s what we’ll recall

of her fight for our youth,

her luminous words

her courage, her truth.

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Lie Poem from Trevor Millum

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Trevor is a writer and performer of short stories and poems for children and has published lots of other stuff too. His poems are widely published and anthologised. He is also an experienced workshop leader and is well known for his work on creativity and developing the use of ICT in English. His website is here.

Lies

A lie
set free
like a fly
where will it settle
where will it go
will it mate
and reproduce
produce maggots
of untruth?

A promise made
Emerging like a butterfly
From its cocoon
Tests it wings
Takes flight
Settles… moves on…
Can it be trusted?

A reminder…
A buzzing fly
banging at the window pane
of your mind
flies off around the room
out of sight, out of mind
And returns
bangs against the pane again

An excuse..
Wriggling
Avoiding the light
A worm
Wanting the haven of deep dark soil
Away from the pecking beaks
Of close questioning

Thank you very much for this great lie poem, Trevor!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Climate Truth Poem from Roger Stevens

Posted on October 2, 2019October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Roger Stevens is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, a founding member of the Able Writers scheme and runs the award-winning website www.poetryzone.co.uk for children and teachers. Roger (link to 3 Simple Steps to Perk up your Poems) has published 40 books for children. His book Apes to Zebras – an A to Z of Shape Poems (Bloomsbury), written with Sue Hardy Dawson and Liz Brownlee, won the prestigious NSTB award in 2018. Recent books include I Am a Jigsaw; Puzzling Poems to Baffle your Brain (Bloomsbury 2019) and Moonstruck; an Anthology of Moon Poems (Otter-Barry). This poem is from the Tricky Questions, Talking Points section of the just published Be the Change; Poems About Sustainability (Macmillan) written with Liz Brownlee and Matt Goodfellow.

Getting to the Truth

Some people say
drinking cow’s milk is bad
For one thing
cows expel huge volumes
of greenhouse gasses
which contribute
to global warming

They say
Drink almond milk.
Almonds are good for you.
And they are.
Very good for you.

But it turns out
that nearly all the world’s almonds
are grown in California*
where there are often droughts
And did you know that
in California
it takes
six thousand litres of water
to produce one litre of almond milk?
That’s BONKERS!
And farmers are ripping up
healthy citrus groves
to meet the rising demand
for almond milk.

Oatmilk seems to be a better alternative
But the whole point is this.
Don’t always accept
what you read on a label.
or what people tell you.
Don’t always believe what you read
in the papers
or see on TV
or on the internet
If you really want to help
Just dig a little deeper
Try and get to the truth

*around 80%

Thank you for the poem, Roger!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week, Climate Lies Poem from Dom Conlon

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

We continue today, the day before National poetry Day, with a climate lies poem from Dom Conlon. Dom launched onto the children’s poetry scene with Astro Poetica, illustrated by Jools Wilson, a collection of poems inspired by space and praised by Nicola Davies, Jon Culshaw, George Szirtes and many more. Since then he has been published in magazines and anthologies whilst performing and teaching in schools and libraries around the North West. He’s a regular guest on BBC Radio Lancashire where his poetry covers everything from the universe to grief. Dom’s work can be read here.

There is no new land to discover

The law passed in the year

twenty-it-doesn’t-matter

making it illegal to make anything

which could not biodegrade

but change came too late

they’d already climbed into the plastic bath

and cut it loose from the plumbing

plug plugged in taps stopped

as the latest flood

licked away the wall like a stamp

sending them out through the town clutching

each other like loofahs

but all we found all we have of them now

is the rubber duck

squeaking its parched cry over a sea of bags

whispering in the wind of days out days shopping

days caught below a storm filled with gossip

of how the world does not need saving.

Great Climate Lies poem, Dom, thank you.

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week, Climate Truth Poem from Liz Brownlee

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Happy National Poetry Day Week from me! If you don’t know who I am, I’m a children’s poet, I own Lola the poet assistance dog, I quite enjoy performing but prefer organising poetry events, I write this blog, and my own, and I have five published books, the latest of which is Be the Change, Poems to Help you Save the World, from which the following poem comes. It is not too late to change the world. The truth is we just need to love one another, help one another and cooperate with one another.

Snow

Swirling slowly

in lilting flight,

as cold as stars,

in soundless white,

their drifting feathers

spread their wings,

and sing the songs

that snowflakes sing,

of how small gifts

of peace and light

can change the world

in just one night.

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week, Lie Poem from Coral Rumble

Posted on October 2, 2019September 30, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Wednesday’s National Poetry Day Week poem is from the wonderful Coral Rumble. Coral has worked as a poet and performer for many years and now specialises in writing and performing for children. She has three collections, Creatures, Teachers and Family Features, Breaking the Rules, illustrated by Nigel Baines, and My Teacher’s as Wild as a Bison, also illustrated by Nigel Baines, and has poems in over 100 anthologies for young people. Her website is here.

The Lie Fox

Sometimes, the Lie Fox

Races out of my mouth

Before I can stop him.

He’s a sneaky character –

Crafty, cunning, conniving,

Tricking my tongue into action.

Speedily, he darts into ears,

Wriggles into the minds

Of my trusting friends.

He’s sly, that artful Lie Fox,

Always prising open my pursed lips,

Chasing the truth into dark corners.

Thank you for this great lie poem, Coral!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Truth Poem by Kate Williams

Posted on October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Kate Williams wrote her first poems for her children – anything to get them to sleep at night! But they stayed awake and suggested she sent them off to a publisher. She followed their advice and has been writing poems ever since, with around 200 published to date in books and arts magazines for children in the UK, Australia and the US. Kate also provides poetry workshop days for primary schools. Here is her website.

If we let it

As true as the blue of a field cornflower,
As surely as the glory of a great, green wood,
As stark as the bark of a midnight fox,
As clear as the dear robin’s cheep-cheep-cheep,
As true as me and you, and all we ever knew,
our world will fall away if we let it.

Thank you for sending your lovely truth poem, Kate!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week – Truth Poem by Matt Goodfellow

Posted on October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Matt Goodfellow (links to What Poetry Offers in the Classroom) is a poet and National Poetry Day Ambassador. His most recent collections are The Same Inside (Macmillan 2018), written with Liz Brownlee (me!) and Roger Stevens, and his solo collection, Chicken on the Roof illustrated by Hanna Asen (Otter Barry 2018). He visits schools, libraries and festivals to deliver high-energy, fun-filled poetry performances and workshops. His new book, Be the Change, Poems to Help you Save the World, written with Roger Stevens and Liz Brownlee (me, again!), is out now. Matt’s website is here.

Walk

the mown path

through the park

sparkles with dew

which stains the tips

of these too-tight shoes

and way way up

in the stillness

of the blue

passengers

sip cardboard teas

suck boiled sweets

lean back in their seats

and know nothing

of me

down here

on my last walk

to school

Thanks for this lovely poem, Matt.

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week! Truth Poem from Joshua Seigal

Posted on October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Tuesday’s poem for National Poetry week is from Joshua Seigal. Joshua is a London-based poet, a performer and educator. He has three published books and has performed all over the world. He has held residencies at numerous schools, and is an official National Poetry Day Ambassador. His website is here and his book, I don’t Like Poetry, illustrated by Chris Piascik, here.

Lies

Whenever I start crying
I say that I feel sick,
and no one knows I’m lying –
It always does the trick.

It’s what I tell my teachers,
my friends, my mum and dad –
I tell them that I feel sick
when really I feel sad.

Thank you for this lovely poem, Joshua Seigal!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Day – Celia Warren’s Favourite Quote from William Blake

Posted on October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Celia Warren has been writing poetry ever since she learned to read, and has been published in hundreds of children’s anthologies. She has compiled two anthologies: The RSPB Anthology of Wildlife Poems illustrated by a range of fabulous artists, (Bloomsbury) and A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen (Schofield and Sims). Celia loves reading and performing her poems to anyone who’ll listen! Her latest book, Don’t Poke a Worm till it Wriggles, illustrated by Sean Longcroft, A&C Black, is all about worms! Celia’s website is here.

A Truth thats told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent

William Blake

From Auguries of Innocence

Thanks for sending that quote, Celia Warren!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week, Lie Poem by Philip Waddell

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Originally from Guyana, Philip Waddell has lived in England for most of his life, these days near the wonderful city of Oxford. He particularly enjoys writing humorous poems and likes directness, wordplay and poems with a twist. Since 1997 Philip’s poems have appeared in well over a hundred anthologies, many published by Macmillan and Bloomsbury, and with his good friend Ian Bland, performance poet, he has co-written and illustrated two collections of poems, A Bug in My Hair! and Go to the Head! .

Compulsive Liar

My best friend tells lies all the time.

He says he’s lost his homework

when he hasn’t even done it.

He says he’s feeling sick

when he wants to bunk off school.

I’ve even heard him lie about his name –

when we got caught scrumping apples one time.

My friend is such a liar that he’ll even lie

for absolutely no reason at all.

For example if you ask him,

‘Do you like chocolate ice-cream?’

which everyone knows he’s crazy about,

he’ll automatically say ‘No, I hate it.’

My dad says, ‘That boy’s a compulsive liar,’

which means that it’s so natural

for him to tell lies that he can’t help it.

But yesterday something happened

which I believe shows that there is some hope for him.

Our teacher asked him who, in his opinion,

was the smartest pupil in the school.

Quick as a flash he pointed at me and said, ‘He is.’

I don’t know why everyone laughed.

Thank you for this great poem, Philip Waddell!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week! Monday’s Poem from Laura Mucha!

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Today’s poem for National Poetry week is from the fabulous Laura Mucha! Laura has worked as a face painter, studied flying trapeze, philosophy and psychology, and swam in Antarctica before becoming a lawyer. Now she spends most of her time playing with words. Her poetry has been published in books, magazines and newspapers around the world, and she’s performed on BBC Radio, at festivals and in schools. In 2016, she won the Caterpillar Poetry Prize. You can read and listen to Laura’s poetry here.

I Did Not See What He Said He Saw

No witness stands, confirms his claim.
No doctor certifies he’s sane.
Optician – none, his eyesight – poor,
perhaps he might believe he saw
precisely what he says he saw…

But that’s just it – a mere belief:
the mind’s a trickster, joker, thief.

And so, as I have said before,
I did not see what he said he saw.

Thank you for that great poem Laura!

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Day 25th Anniversary!

Posted on May 1, 2019April 27, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Yes, National Poetry Day has been running for 25 years and this year there will be big, ongoing celebrations!

The National Poetry Day Ambassadors have received their National Poetry Day badges, and there’s no prizes for guessing which one I like best. I’ll give you a clue, it’s yellow and has a dog on.

National Poetry Day will be Thursday, October 3rd, and theme this year is Truth.

If you have any poetry events happening in relation to NPD, you can post them on the NPD website for free. You can also send them your truth poems!

You can also send me your truth poems, and they might be posted here!