Posted in National Poetry Day 2022

It’s National Poetry Day TODAY!

Image by Jackie Morris

It’s National Poetry Day 2022 which is of course my FAVOURITE day of the year – everything is poetry!

So here is my poem for National Poetry Day 2022 this year, as a shape poem. The otter poem is also available on the National Poetry Day website as words!

Otters were almost extinct in the 50s and have made a bit of a comeback with a concerted effort to clean up rivers and riverbanks, where they live, hunt and breed. They cannot live in dirty rivers – so the recent news of raw sewage being discharged into our waterways is not good news for the otter.

Below is a film my husband made of me reading my otter shape poem.

Perhaps you’d like to write a poem about an animal yourself?

I started by reading all about otters, and their lives – otters were very endangered but recently their numbers have increased due to rivers being cleaned up.

I often draw the animal I am about to write about – it helps me think as I am trying to come up with what I am going to say in my poem.

My next stage was to think of words that could describe things about otters – their eyes and thick, shiny fur, the way they walk, how they swim and catch prey. I watched some videos online. There is nothing like seeing the animal moving to give you ideas!

I suggest writing down all the words and grouping them together in different ways – using alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme etc. You don’t have to rhyme, in fact it’s better not to as then you can really think about the words and what sounds well together – but words that sound similar in rhythm or syllables are helpful.

If you do find two words that rhyme, even in an un-rhyming poem, they can be used to create a satisfying end.

Have a lovely National Poetry Day!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2020

National Poetry Day Video of a Thomas Hardy Poem

Hello again! It is still National Poetry Day –  if you haven’t seen the video of the poem I wrote especially for NPD, as I am a National Poetry Day Ambassador – see the entry before this on the home page!

I was also asked to choose a poem to go with mine, and this is the one I picked. The magical The Fallow Deer at the Lonely House, by Thomas Hardy.

Posted in National Poetry Day 2020

National Poetry Day is Nigh!

The day of deliciousness for poets is nigh and getting nigher. National Poetry Day’s theme this year is vision, and I have a few poetry films to share up until the day.

In fact they are all bird poems.

Today it is the Curlew  – the curlew is a rare and getting rarer sight, in fact it has just been declared endangered in the UK.

Hope you enjoyed that.

The National Poetry Day website is FULL of poets and poems and lesson plans and posters and general poetic delightfulness if you’d like to visit and find something to see  or use on National Poetry Day.

Posted in Poetry News

National Poetry Day 2020!

The brilliant thing about National Poetry Day is that it does not need to be covid-cancelled. Poetry lends itself wonderfully to showcasing using an array of online opportunities, and the day will go ahead on October 1st.

This year’s theme is vision – my poem on the subject is below, also available on the NPD website.  I’m very proud to be a National Poetry Day ambassador, and you can see all the ambassadors here with their poems for National Poetry Day, too! 

If you have a poetry event planned for any age, you can add it to the National Poetry Day events calendar.

Don’t forget you can book a poet to do a Zoom or Skype or other online event for National Poetry Day – including me!

Long-Eared Owl

 

Who Knows?

 

Who knows what the owl sees
with its yellow planet eyes
shuffling moonlight in its feathers
under aubergine night-skies

who knows where the owl sees
hiding in the clambering trees
interrogating movements
from the doorways of the leaves

who knows how the owl sees
as the scrambled ground protects
the taps of tiny heartbeats
where evening dark collects

who knows who the owl’s seen
when its vision paths its flight
passing like an exhaled breath
until lost inside the night

 

© Liz Brownlee

 

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Truth Poem by Zaro Weil

Zaro Weil lives in an old farm on a little hill in southern France, and her poetry for children has appeared in many anthologies. She has written several books including a book of children’s poetry. Her book Firecrackers, Troika, illustrated by Jo Riddellcan be bought here, and her book, Cherry Moon is available here! Zaro’s website is here.

 

Unicorn

 

Unicorn

don’t go

let me ask you

how long you’ve been here

 

please

no lies

 

© Zaro Weil

Thank you, Zaro, for this lovely poem!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week, Climate Truth Poem from Andrea Shavick

Andrea Shavick is an experienced UK writer with 27 books published including best-selling children’s picture books, funny children’s poetry and a biography of Roald Dahl that’s still in print around the world after 20 years! Her poetry book, Grandma was Eaten by a Shark can be bought here. For freelance writing/commissions please get in touch via Andrea’s website here.

Environmentally Friendly Haiku

To save energy

Not to mention trees and ink

I’ll stop writing now

 

© Andrea Shavick

 

Thank you for this fun climate truth haiku, Andrea!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week – Truth Poem from Julie Anna Douglas

Julie started writing poetry four years ago and she just can’t stop! Her poems have appeared in magazines like SpiderEmber Journal and The Caterpillar and Watcher of the Skies, an anthology of space poetry by The Emma Press.

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What is Truth?

Truth is the mountains, the sea and the sky.

Truth is the answer when children ask ‘Why?’

Truth is the moment remembered for years.

Truth is the word which can stop or start tears.

Truth is the friendship where time always flies.

Truth is the photograph which never lies.

Truth is the thought that can cut through our fear.

Truth is not always what we want to hear.

.

© Julie Anna Douglas

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Lie Poem by Trevor Parsons

Trevor Parsons was born in Parsons Green, London, but, disappointingly, was not the son of a parson. After studying dentistry at London University (he decided it was not for him) he had a variety of jobs including being a postman. He has written poetry since his postman days and for the last twenty years has written for children as well. He has had poems in dozens of anthologies and in 2011 had his first children’s collection, Hear Here (illustrated by Lucy Creed) published –  available here! He also writes poems for greetings cards. This is his website.

 

Lying Around

 

Lying on the beach

lying in the sun

lying on a lounger

lying having fun.

Lying by the water’s edge

lying in the foam

couldn’t go to school that day

lying ill at home.

 

Lying in department stores

lying, she was caught

lying in a cell before

lying in the court.

Lying to the magistrate

she was nowhere near the crime

lying she was on the beach

lying all the time.

 

© Trevor Parsons

Thank you for this excellent poem, Trevor!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Truth Poem by Michaela Morgan – Blake’s Tyger Revisited

Michaela Morgan has had over 140 titles published including poetry, picture books, junior novels and non-fiction. She is a regular visitor to schools. Her 2016 poetry book Wonderland: Alice in Poetry, illustrations by Tenniel, was shortlisted for the prestigious CLiPPA Award for poetry and her 2017 collection Reaching the Stars: Poems About Extraordinary Women and Girls co-authored with Jan Dean and Liz Brownlee won the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award 2017.  Her book How To Teach Poetry: Writing Workshops, stresses the importance of poetry across the curriculum.

Here she is with her poem Blake’s Tyger – Revisited.

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Week Lie Poem by Neal Zetter

Neal Zetter is an award-winning children’s author, comedy performance poet and entertainer. Most days Neal is found performing or running fun poetry writing or performance workshops in schools and libraries with children, teens, adults or families. He has worked in all 33 London Boroughs and many, many other UK cities. One of his Troika books for 6-13 year olds includes Yuck & Yum (A Feast of Funny Food Poems) illustrated by Scoular Anderson, with poet Joshua Seigal. More information is here. Neal’s Twitter page is here, and Neal’s Amazon Author page is here.

 

The Dog Ate My Homework

The dog ate my homework Miss
At breakfast time today
I managed to complete it first
I’m sure I got top grade
He suddenly felt peckish
In one gulp wolfed it down
I can’t hand in my homework
‘Cause I have a hungry hound

The dog ate my homework Miss
He shredded it to bits
Then munched it, crunched it, lunched it
Sent it to the dark abyss
It’s stuck inside his stomach
It nestles in his guts
I can’t hand in my homework
‘Cause my mutt has scoffed it up

The dog ate my homework Miss
I hate to break bad news
Preferred it to his dinner
And his biscuits, treats and chews
I’m begging you believe me
I’m telling you the truth
I can’t hand in my homework
‘Cause my pet’s a piggish pooch

The dog ate my homework Miss
It’s never coming back
My literacy, French, science
Art, geography and maths
He certainly is sorry
I hope you’re fine with that
But think I’d better warn you…
I also own a greedy cat

 

© Neal Zetter

Thanks for this funny poem, Neal!

Posted in National Poetry Day 2019

National Poetry Day Lie Poem by Gerard Benson

Gerard Benson was one very beloved poet and was also a lovely friend to have. He was an actor, poet, raconteur, book reviewer, editor and co-founder of the ‘Poems on the Undergound’ project, former Barrow poet, former teacher at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Sadly he died in 2014, and is much missed.

He was an immensely talented poet – and any poem read in his wonderfully resonant tones was a joy to listen to. Here is one of his poems read by Hannah Evans.