Category: National Poetry Day 2023

Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Me

Posted on by Liz Brownlee 
This one is by me - you can find it in The Same Inside, Poems about Empathy and Friendship.


Refugee

After the bombing
and all are lost
and gone

I walk

I can carry only
my father’s pride
my mother’s longing
my brother’s blood
my sister’s hope
and my dreams

but my father’s pride
cannot be carried
as a refugee
so I lay it down

and walk

when I sleep
my mother’s longing
is too painful to hold
so I lay it down

and walk

in time my shoes
fall off my feet
and I leave
my brother’s blood
and my own
on the road
as if it is worthless
and I walk

the road is long
I sleep so little
I cannot remember
my dreams
so I lay them down

and I walk

I can carry only
what is in my heart

my sister’s hope


© Liz Brownlee
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Michaela Morgan

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Here’s a poignant poem – thank you Michaela. 

Names         
                                                                                          
Drifting in from faraway. Dreaming of land. 
We appear, uninvited. 

We startle with our upturned faces, our colours, our odd names - 
Clinging Ivy. Sweetheart. Bindweed. Bay. And Dock.
Oxeye. Bluebell. Hollyhock.
Poppy.Daisy. Buttercup.
Without permission we pop up.

Searching for home on stony ground.
Find refuge, put down roots, start to settle…
but the trimmers and the strimmers are set to search us out.
We fear the boots that shake the ground. We hear a mutter and a shout -
 ‘You’re taking up our valued space. You can’t stay. 
Go away. Jog on.  Be gone. 

but … Clinging Ivy. Sweetheart. Bindweed. Bay. And Dock.
Oxeye. Bluebell. Hollyhock.
Poppy. Daisy. Buttercup. Without permission we pop up.

Healing and feeding, we’ll enrich this earth.
Borne here on dreams and clouds of seeds     
We settle where we can. 
They call us names.
They call us weeds.

© Michaela Morgan
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Chrissie Gittins

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Here is a lovely poem by Chrissie Gittins – thank you, Chrissie!

The Rare Boy


There was a rare blue-eyed boy
who travelled through the air,
he landed in a terraced house,
he made this house his lair.

At first he kept his eyes closed,
his arms tight by his side,
it wasn’t until November
that he opened his eyes wide.

What he saw was sunlight,
a cat which swayed its tail,
food served up on a table,
a bath where he could sail.

He stepped outside the front door
and watched the falling snow,
each snowflake kept a secret,
each one he’d come to know.

The secrets of the Christmas Tree,
the secrets of lemon tart, 
the secrets in his fingers,
and the secrets of his heart.


© Chrissie Gittins
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Sarah Ziman

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

A building refuge poem from Sarah Ziman – thank you Sarah! 

Lego Club

Wednesday lunchtimes, year 7.
It wasn’t exactly super cool, I knew that.
Not like juniors’ football, 
or Mr Bowen’s new ‘Throwing Thursdays’,
where the boys I’d not have trusted
with a sharpened pencil, let alone heavy artillery,
were let loose with javelin and shot put
up in the top field.
But Mrs Green had seen me on my own,
trying to walk with purpose, not really
knowing anyone else yet, a piece
which didn’t quite fit,
and there was a warm and welcoming light 
coming through her classroom door.
So I figured, might as well.
Some of the bricks had dried-out crusty plasticine 
stuffed in the holes, there was a definite shortage of ‘twos’
and most minifigures didn’t even have a face,
but the custard creams were plentiful
and the soft rattle as we sifted through the tubs
let me relax the first time that week.
I came back the next, to finish off my supervillain gaol
and Gethin and Amayah helped me out.
Amayah’s treehouse was AMAZING, to be fair.
We’re running it these days, us three. Took over 
from Mrs G when we did our Bronze D of E, and never quit. 
It’s not for everyone, but we’ve built up quite a crew –
 		it’s great to have a place to just be you.


© Sarah Ziman
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Mark Bird

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

This poem has been written by Mark Bird – thank you, Mark! 

Sound Sanctuary
(Ode to Music)
 
Your beats, your raps
Your clicks, your claps
 
Your rock, your roll
Your blues, your soul
 
Your jazz, your funk
Your ska, your punk
 
Your hip, your hop
Your lift, your drop
 
Your sharps, your flats
Your songs, your scats
 
Your beat, your drum
Your pluck, your strum
 
Your sway, your swing
Your synths, your strings
 
Your chords, your notes
Your words, your quotes
 
Your scales, your keys
Your Do-Re-Mis …
 
Have helped me cry,
Wonder, fly
hide, escape
play, reshape
lose you, grieve
heal, believe
fear, scream
imagine, dream
stand up, fight
remember, write
 
Without your sounds
of sanctuary
where would I go?
who would I be?
 
© Mark Bird
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem from John H Rice

Posted on by Liz Brownlee 
This fantastic poem is from children's poet John H Rice. Thank you, John! 
My Space

This is my space –

My quiet space, my safe space,
My ‘slide inside and hide’ space,
My secret place, my special space, 
My ‘mustn’t see me cry’ space.

When my world’s gone lumpy
And I’m feeling down and grumpy
‘Cos the dog just sits there howling
And my dad is cross and scowling
And my sister won’t stop yelling
And my mum is always telling me
That I should go and tidy up my room…

My space fits my shape,
Helps me find my own escape,
Lets me take a little break -
When I’ve got a people-ache.

©John H Rice
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Shauna Darling Robertson

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

This poem is by Shauna Darling Robertson, from her book Saturdays at the Imaginarium (Troika, 2020). You can choose to watch and listen to her read it or read the poem below the video! 

Dark, My Friend

Darkness came 
and wrapped 
its gentle arms 
around me,

smoothed away 
the worry lines 
that marred my brow,

soothed away 
the great and smaller troubles 
of the day.

Dark, my friend,
I’m feeling 
lighter now.

© Shauna Darling Robertson
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem from John Dougherty

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Yay, National Poetry Day, and continuing the theme of refuge, here is a wonderful poem from John Dougherty – I, too, have taken refuge among these pages. 

Refuge

When life became too much to bear
I took refuge in the form of a rabbit 
Followed Hazel from Sandleford Warren
Made a perilous journey in a giant peach
And was shipwrecked and washed up on shore with Odysseus.
I sought sanctuary in the Neverland
On Kirrin Island
And at the court of Cair Paravel.
I escaped to towns and countries and worlds and houses
And found shelter between the shelves.
Asylum was freely given
And no one ever told me
I should have stopped
In the first safe place

© John Dougherty

Come back every hour today and see a new refuge poem from a wonderful poet each time!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day: A Refuge Poem by Carole Bromley

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

This one is by Carole Bromley – this lovely poem won the Caterpillar prize 2022. Thank you for sending it, Carole!

Pry`vit
 
Two new pupils started at our school,
Ivan and Nadiya. The Head explained
that they had just arrived here from Ukraine. 
They looked so nervous; how could they tell
what he was saying? There was applause
when they walked in and I’m not really sure
why it made me cry. Mum hides the paper,
these days daddy switches off the news,
 
and yet the footage haunts me anyway;
women and children, nowhere left to go,
a father puts his hand against the window
of a train. I can’t think what to say;
I offer Nadiya my pen, I don’t yet know
that pry`vit is Ukrainian for hello.
 
© Carole Bromley
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day! A Refuge Poem by Sue Hardy-Dawson

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Today is National Poetry Day! The theme this year is refuge, and as usual, we have more than one wonderful refuge poem to post – but today, I will be posting each poem on a new page which you will be able to read throughout the day. All by wonderful children’s poets, all on the same theme of refuge, but all amazingly different.

The first poem is by Sue Hardy-Dawson. Beauty permeates all Sue’s poems. Thanks for sending this, Sue.

Happiness

Sometimes we wear it like a scarf
wrapped tightly against the sad

it may be as thin as silk to the wind
light as spider webs, but it shields
 
prevents the kind words of friends
creeping in to spoil the effect

Others it comes unbidden, a poem
a hand brushes ours – welcome

as a caress. These are warming seeds
that grow. They cannot be seen

but they are strong within us
the stout armour of cruel days

If we are wise we keep them close
count them over, tight as misers

© Sue Hardy-Dawson
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Day Week: Refuge Poems for Wednesday!

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

For Wednesday, the penultimate day before National Poetry Day, we have some more refuge poems from top poets!

This comforting poem is from Attie Lime, thank you, Attie! 

The Perfect Den

A treehouse, please,
high in the trees.

A cave, for me,
deep under the sea.

A tent made for one,
somewhere in the sun.

A small comfy chair,
tucked under the stairs.

A garden shed,
with a hammock-bed.

A blanket fort,
in a far-off port.

A silver cocoon,
in a pod to the moon.

A cosy nook,
with my favourite book.

© Attie Lime 

This poem has been sent by children's poet, Mark Bird - thank you, Mark! 

Home Time (My Refuge)
 
I stand outside the chained school gates
But me, I’m there inside
Locked in with all my laughter,
my pencils, pens and pride
 
My happiness runs round the hall
My hope hides in my tray
My confidence with teacher
My dreams up on display
 
I stand outside my own front door
My house no place to play
Where ghosts of gloom come gliding
to greet me every day
 
Anger in the attic
Fear beneath the floor
Worries in the wardrobe
Doubts stuffed into drawers
 
I stand outside the chained school gates
I wish that now was then -
Monday morning, 9 o’clock
When Home Time's here again
 
© Mark Bird

And here’s a poem seeking refuge from Roger Stevens!

Pussy Cat

Pussy Cat

Pussy Cat

That is your name

 

You came

Into our home

Seeking refuge

A stray cat

A wire-thin cat

Bedraggled and sorrowful

Wet and hungry

And Mum said

You could stay

You soon settled in

And we called you Pussy Cat

 

Pussy Cat

Pussy Cat

I wonder why

We never gave you

A proper name?


© Roger Stevens


This one is from Neal Zetter - thank you, Neal! 


My Me Only Zone
This is my bedroom
My door's always locked
I won't let you in though you
Knock! Knock! Knock!

It's my den, my hideout
It's my special place
I'm warning you “Keep out of my personal space!”
With stickers and photos
And posters on walls
This is my territory where I make the rules

This is my bedroom
My door's always locked
I won't let you in though you
Knock! Knock! Knock!

That name on the sign's
Not belonging to you
Here I play my music, computer games too
No adults may enter
They're outlawed, they're banned
While I speak a language they don't understand

This is my bedroom
My door's always locked
I won't let you in though you
Knock! Knock! Knock!

I chose my own carpet
My curtains, my quilt
So I don't need Jack - it's this room that I built
I watch my TV
Then I chat on my phone
'Cause this is my magical Me Only Zone

This is my bedroom
My door's always locked
I won't let you in though you
Knock! Knock! Knock!

© Neal Zetter

And here’s a poem by Rob Walton, thank you, Rob!

On Choosing a Book

Here’s a question for you, 5G.
If you were a book,
what sort of book would you be?

I’d want to be one with a smart dust jacket
that was kind of cool
but didn’t make me stand out too much.

I’d want to be one with fun chapters
and no cliff-hangers
so I knew what was round the corner.

I’d want to be one without the worry
of too much conflict and build-up,
that jumped straight to the resolution.

I’d want to be one with a glossary
that explains things about my country
so people don’t ask me all the time.

I want to be a beautiful illustrated book
with a blurb where my family and friends
learn to write lovely things about me.

Please, Miss,
I’d want one where I decide
the contents.

© Rob Walton
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Week: Refuge Poems for Tuesday!

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Tuesday of National Poetry Day brings some more wonderful refuge poems from top poets from around the world!

This fun poem is by Stewart Ennis.

If A Stranger...

The story goes something like this...

Once upon a time
- no-one can remember where
no-one can remember when -
there was a tradition that said,
If a stranger knocks at your door,
and asks for hospitality,
then you must offer them hospitality.
You must offer them the tastiest food.
You must offer them the softest bed.
Only after three days 
may you ask,
'By the way, what is your name?'
...
Knock-knock!
Knock-knock!
...
You'll have to excuse me.
I'll continue this story later. 

© Stewart Ennis

And from Australian poet, Jackie Hosking, this great poem, thank you, Jackie! 

Inside

I’d go outside but the wind is cross
It’s pushing the leaves from the autumn aloft 
It’s telling the branches - get out of the way
And that’s why I’ll stay indoors today
 
I’d go outside but the sky’s upset
And the ground, from its tears, is soaking wet
It’s gathered the clouds like a soft grey rug
And given itself a comforting hug
 
I’d go outside but you just never know
If the sky’s gonna cry or the wind’s gonna blow
So I’ll stay inside, cause it’s warm in here
And you’re just never sure of the mood out there

© Jackie Hosking

And here’s a poem for younger readers from poet Philip Waddell, thank you, Phil!

Herman the Hermit’s Happy Hideaway
 
Herman the hermit is happy
In a hermit crab sort of a way.
Like all hermit crabs, as a softy,
He needed a safe place to stay.
 
So, what has made Herman so happy?
He found a shell, this very day,
Just the right size, snug and comfy,
Let’s hear it for Herman – HOORAY.

Philip Waddell
Posted in National Poetry Day 2023

National Poetry Week: Refuge Poems for Monday!

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

National Poetry Day is on Thursday! And on Thursday, there will be poetry loveliness everywhere. The theme this year is refuge. This week I am posting refuge poems by a variety of wonderful poets from around the world (with their permission, of course!).

The first poem is from the wonderful Pie Corbett, of Talk for Writing fame! 

Trouble scowls so -

I sought refuge in
sunlight basking in the backyard,
cloud-watching, green-bathing in leaves and grass,
cat-stroking, dog-running and pavement-
patrolling, snowflake-chasing, raindrop-racing,
trying to snare a bag of wind or wrestle lampposts.

I sought refuge in
pages, flickering-wings of stories, castles, savage unicorns,
dragon-hunters and hidden secrets, a skyship adventure,
the touch of a frost goblin, a ladder into another world,
a pet griffin, a forbidden wardrobe, foot-tapping 
songs that lift and words like ants that swarm ideas.

I sought refuge in
a pebble collected from Margate, seaside postcards
from Gran, a lego spacecraft, a 13 colour biro that no longer works,
a rainbow-bracelet, two shiny coins, Ziggy’s last
collar, a memory stick with holiday photos, a diary unwritten
but with Dad’s phone number and a Nokia that no longer works.

I sought refuge in
the memory of sandcastles and Funland, hair-dropping slides,
cold tea and sand in the sandwiches, chip-diving seagulls,
the wet tongue of a dog called Terry, Uncle Joe’s snores,
opened doors, watching an electric lightning-storm from Mum’s bedroom window, seeing Baby Joe for the first time, his pudgy fist in mine.

When the world wears a frown, scowls and howls like
a wounded cat, you’ll find me curled like an ammonite
in my own ecosphere of memory, memorial, that living library
of people, places, tales and faces, inside / outside, my living-hive
where I survive.

© Pie Corbett

This second poem comes all the way from Australia from Kate O'Neil - thank you, Kate! 

Homeless

I saw on the street a raggedy man
begging for coins as we walked by.
He was holding out an old tin can,
and I stood there a while, wondering why

Whatever had happened, had happened to him.
He was somebody's baby years ago.
What could have made his life so grim?
There were so many things I wanted to know. 

Why must life be so unfair?
Why can't we sort it for everyone,
so homeless people, everywhere,
can have a place to call their own?

Nobody chooses where they are born.
Nobody chooses how clever they'll be,
so nobody has the right to scorn
anyone's deal from destiny.

It's weird how much depends on luck.
And scary if you think it through:
how would we feel if we came unstuck?
What if it happened to me or you?

© Kate O'Neil

The next poem is from Kate Williams, thank you, Kate!

While Gales Push

Beneath the bush
lies a lump of a toad,
slumped in slumber,
safely stowed
in leaf-gold skin
and leaf-mould shawl,
as the gusts begin 
and the cold rains fall.

While gales push
and water streams,
the toad in his bush stump
dreams.

© Kate Williams