Bernard Young – Poetry Roundabout

The Poetry Guide: Trevor Millum and Bernard Young

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Liz Brownlee

If you are a teacher or a librarian, or even a poet looking for ideas of how to teach poetry to classes or groups, this is the book for you!

Both Trevor and Bernard are very experienced, both as excellent poets and as educators working with young people.

The book is laid out well, the subjects of chapters are pertinent and useful, any instructions are clear and easy to follow – all with examples and sample poems. There are sections on every type of question you may have from ‘How to do poetry with pre-readers/writers’, to ‘How to use audio/video as an aid’, and other things covered include ‘performance’, ‘reading aloud’, ‘music and poetry’, ‘imagery, similes and metaphors’ and even ‘how to answer difficult questions’!

I really recommend this! Published by Troika, you can buy it here.

Funny Poem a Day

Funny Poem a Day: The Giggles, by Bernard Young

Posted on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 by Liz Brownlee

This is Lola with her best friend, a golden cocker spaniel called Blousey. As you can see they are both giggling about something. We don’t know what, though. They were born within weeks of each other and are both now 10.

Our poem today is from Bernard Young – thank you Bernard!

The Giggles

Our giggles are infectious.

They start off in our heads.

At first they’re only rumours.

Then the rumours spread.

(Giggling is contagious.

It soon catches on.

But if you do it in the classroom

you find you’re in the wrong).

When asked about The Giggles

we won’t know what to say

but we’ll get into trouble

if they don’t go away.

‘Do tell me what’s so funny,’

Miss Simpson will demand

but if we say, ‘Nothing, Miss’

she won’t understand.

She’ll think we’ve got a secret

and I suppose we have

but we’re completely baffled:

What was it made us laugh?

We need to find a reason.

she’ll expect us to explain.

I just hope our explanation

doesn’t set us off again.

Our giggles are infectious.

They start off in our heads.

At first they’re only rumours.

Then the rumours spread.

Joke – What looks like half a cat?

The other half.

Here is Bernard with his lovely old cat, called Toffee.

National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Truth Poem by Bernard Young

Posted on October 4, 2019October 4, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

Bernard Young is an experienced professional poet and performer who leads writing workshops for children and adults. Bernard’s poems have been broadcast on local and national radio and feature in numerous anthologies of poetry for young readers. His speciality is primary school age. Here is a link to his new book, What are you Like? And here is a link to his website.

Here he is with his poem ‘Absent’ in a field somewhere deep in Somerset.

A to Z Challenge 2019

#AtoZ Challenge; Y is for Bernard Young

Posted on April 29, 2019April 26, 2019 by Liz Brownlee

And here is lovely poem Bernard sent for the Poetry Feast:

Best Friends

Would a best friend

Eat your last sweet

Talk about you behind your back

Have a party and not ask you?

Mine did.

Would a best friend

Borrow your bike without telling you

Deliberately forget your birthday

Avoid you whenever possible?

Mine did.

Would a best friend

Turn up on your bike

Give you a whole packet of your favourite sweets

Look you in the eye?

Mine did.

Would a best friend say

Sorry I talked about you behind your back

Sorry I had a party and didn’t invite you

Sorry I deliberately forgot your birthday

– I thought you’d fallen out with me?

Mine did.

And would a best friend say, simply,

Never mind

That’s OK?

I did

If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge, please follow this link.

Children’s Poets’ Climate Change Blog: Be the Change

Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet

Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet

KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate

Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit

Poetry Videos

Happy #TeacherAppreciationDay – Bernard Young Performs His Poem, Absent

Posted on May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 by Liz Brownlee

A to Z Blog Challenge 2018

Y is for Bernard Young, Children’s Poet and Performer, #AtoZChallenge ZtoA

Posted on April 2, 2018April 2, 2018 by Liz Brownlee

Bernard Young

Here is one of Bernard’s fab poems:

Absent

Dear Teacher,
my body’s arrived
it sits at a table
a pen in its hand
as if it is able
to think and to act
perhaps write down the answer
to the question you’ve asked

but don’t let that fool you.

My mind is elsewhere.
My thoughts far away.

So apologies, teacher,
I’m not here today.

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