AtoZ Challenge; P is for Pie Corbett
Letter P in the Feast of Poems is fulfilled by Pie Corbett (link to Pie’s article on here about reading poetry in school). Pie is an inspirational English educational trainer, writer, author, anthologiser and poet who has written over two hundred books. He is now best known for creating Talk for Writing which is a teaching programme that supports children as storytellers and writers. He has supported children’s writing and children’s poets as well as the education of primary children for many years. Pie’s excellent and very popular main collection is called Evidence of Dragons, illustrated by Chris Riddell and Peter Bailey, published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Here is his lovely poem:
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In the City
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In the city of snow,
The silence smothered the citadel.
In the city of suffering,
A poor man became the author of statistics.
In the city of saxophones,
A silhouette of sound insinuated itself.
In the city of scales,
A piano played for justice.
In the city of scholars,
They taught the science of beauty.
In the city of serendipity,
A startled key stumbled across a frozen lock.
In the city of sarcasm,
Stern words sliced chasms of pain.
In the city of silences,
The soft-hearted were squashed.
In the city of sunsets,
A song stood still.
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© Pie Corbett
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Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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#AtoZ Challenge; O is for Eric Ode
Eric Ode (pronounced Oh-dee) is a national award-winning children’s singer/songwriter, an author and widely published poet, and a thoroughly engaging entertainer. His performances include interactive music, stories, skits, poetry, props and puppets. One of his latest books is Sea Star Wishes, Poems from the Coast, illustrated by Erik Brooks, available here in the UK and here in the US. Eric’s website is here.
This is the wonderful poem he has sent for the Poetry Feast, from Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails!
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Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
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AtoZChallenge; N is for Now That I Really Think About It, by Shauna Darling-Robertson
Shauna Darling Robertson’s poems for adults and children have been set to music, performed by actors, displayed on buses, turned into short films, made into comic art, hung on a pub wall and published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Shauna also makes artwork and loves working with other writers, artists, musicians and film-makers to explore and play with poetry in different ways. Her website is here.
This is the fabulous poem she has sent for the Poetry Feast:
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Now That I Really Think About It
My friends all say I think too much.
I think they could be right.
I think my way throughout the day
and think myself awake at night.
Outside, I think of ways back in.
Once in, I think things out again.
I chat with John and think of Jane.
In rain, I think about the sun.
When Jane comes round, I think of John.
At school I think of going home.
When home alone, I think of friends.
If blue, I think of red or pink – it never ends
and now I’m thinking hard about
how much I tend to think.
I tell all this to Jane, she says,
your brain must have a kink.
But John, he looks me in the eye,
asks why I think so much.
I think about it deep and long,
then round and square
and down and up,
then left and right
and like and such
I really make a meal of it
but think it’s best I don’t reveal
the reason that I think I think.
(I’m not sure how I feel.)
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© Shauna Darling Robertson
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Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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AtoZ Challenge; M is for Michaela Morgan
And who else could it be, with such a perfect name other than award-winning poet Michaela Morgan? Michaela 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 is the poem Michaela has chosen, from Reaching the Stars.
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Tinker… Tailor
I could be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a vet.
I could be a mother, an artist, or the pilot of a jet.
I could be the one who speaks up for a revolution
Or a steady force for status, calm, order, institution.
I could be a strutting model or a structural engineer
Or I could march in uniform to fight foe, or fire, or fear.
I could be a juggler… a jeweller…
What could be my scene?
Whatever it is, I choose to be
A fully fledged human being.
© Michaela Morgan
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Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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AtoZChallenge; L is for Laura Mucha
My L poet for the poetry feast is the bundle of fun, Laura Mucha. Laura 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. Laura’s latest book, however, is a non-fiction one about Love – Love Factually. You can read and listen to Laura’s poetry here.
This is the poem Laura sent for us to enjoy:
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MIRROR, MIRROR
I’ll show you if broccoli’s jammed in your teeth
or toothpaste is smeared on your lip,
your frowns won’t escape, every face that you make
I’ll reflect – don’t neglect me. Look quick!
Come by, say hello, and I’ll make sure you know
that there’s orange all over your chin,
your eyes need a wipe or your nose needs a blow,
and I’ll even remind you to grin.
So do pop along as I’d love to help out –
as long as you don’t come and gawk.
Just take a quick peek to ensure you look chic,
and then turn around, honey, and walk.
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© Laura Mucha
If you’d like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge post, follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
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KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; K s for Kate Wakeling
Kate Wakeling‘s poems have appeared in many magazines and anthologies. Her debut collection of children’s poetry, Moon Juice, illustrated by Elīna Brasliņa (The Emma Press) was described by The Sunday Times as “clever, funny, inspiring”, and won the 2017 CLiPPA; it was also nominated for the 2018 Carnegie Medal. You can buy and read about Moon Juice here. There is a link to Kate’s website here.
Here is the lovely poem Kate sent for the poetry feast:
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Jungle Cat
I lived for a while in a village in Bali. After many nights hearing strange noises coming from the ceiling, I found out I was sharing the house with a jungle cat. Jungle cats are larger than ordinary cats with long legs and an extra tuft of fur on each ear.
They told me
you live in my roof,
jungle cat.
Fire-eyed
trick-tailed
sleep thief.
You rumble the night
with your claw dance,
your tooth song.
I hear you yowl and pounce
and hiss and purr.
You scratch my sleep.
You creep across my cat naps.
Years later,
I find you still roaming my roof,
a wild thing
grinning
in the black night…
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© Kate Wakeling
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Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZChallenge; J is for James Carter
James Carter is an award-winning children’s poet, non-fiction and educational writer and INSET provider. He is the author of over 16 popular and best-selling poetry titles. James travels all over the UK and abroad with his guitar (that’s Keith) and melodica (that’s Steve) to give very lively poetry/music performances and workshops. His latest poetry/non-fiction picture book, Once Upon A Star (Little Tiger Press) was BooksforKeeps’ Book of the Week March 2018. His new book, Spaced Out, an anthology of space poems, edited with Brian Moses, is just out on May 9th! James’ website is here.
Here is the great shape poem James sent:
© James Carter
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge, follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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AtoZChallenge; I is for I’m Igserious, by Robert Schechter
Robert Schechter’s children’s poetry has appeared in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ladybug, and various major anthologies. His website is here.
Here is his fun poem for the poetry feast beginning with the letter ‘I’:
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I’m Igserious
If “ignoble” means “not noble,”
it seems to me that “ig”
should make all words their opposites.
You’re “small”? No, you’re igbig!
For “empty,” why not say igfull?
For “dark,” why not iglight?
For “ugly,” try igbeautiful,
for “left,” why not igright?
I am not “dirty”! I’m igclean!
“Embarrassed”? No, igproud!
When I am hidden, I’m igseen.
When quiet, I’m igloud!
Someday when I have igshrunk up
(make that igshrunk igdown!)
I’ll be igpoor and igunknown
(the thought makes me igfrown).
The world will igignore me then,
since igno one will dig
the fun I’ve igdeprived them of
iglearning them to ig!
© Robert Schechter
If you would like to blog hop to another AtoZ Challenge, here is a link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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AtoZChallenge; H is for Sue Hardy-Dawson
© Sue Hardy-Dawson
Sue Hardy-Dawson is a Yorkshire born poet, artist, and illustrator (she illustrated poet Matt Goodfellow’s first book, Carry Me Away), and is widely published in children’s poetry anthologies. She enjoys visiting schools and has provided workshops for the Prince of Wales Foundation for Children and the Arts. Being dyslexic she takes a special interest in encouraging reluctant readers and writers. Her first solo collection, of illustrated poems, Where Zebras Go (Otter-Barry Books) was long-listed for the North Somerset Teachers’ 2017 Book Award and shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2018. Sue has a new collection of shape poems, Apes to Zebras (Bloomsbury) with Roger Stevens and Liz Brownlee, and her second solo collection If I Were Other than Myself (Troika) is due out soon!
Here is her wonderful hare poem for the poetry feast:
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The Shape of Hare
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Sometimes he is long and thin
others, just ears
a grass apostrophe
but mostly he’s gone
lacing the meadow
with damp loam shadows.
somewhere distant
he’s a constellation
shades on the moon
waxing about cloud hills
he who has watched
our ancestors prayers
and dances
knows only the beat as rainfalls
the gentle music of silence
moist winds
inside he’s the rattan
of storm bent trees
soft bones sinking into fern
blanched stone
hardly a touch
from the breath of his feet
forged in earth
as the land falls below
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© Sue Hardy-Dawson
If you would like to blog hop to another AtoZ Challenge, please follow this link to Beth Lapin.
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
AtoZChallenge; G is for Matt Goodfellow
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 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 about Sustainability, written with Roger Stevens and Liz Brownlee (me!), is out in August. Matt’s website is here.
Matt sent this beautiful poem from Chicken on the Roof, saying: “I wrote it for my mum, who died nearly 20 years ago, as a reminder to her, and myself, that memories live on. I hear and see echoes of her wherever I go.”
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Still There
I see you near the river,
half-extinguished by the mist.
I see you in the summer fields
where dandelions drift.
I see you through the stubble plains,
autumn at your back.
I see you on the skyline
when night is winter black.
I follow you down shadow-lanes
where memories still pass.
I walk within your footsteps,
haloed in the morning grass.
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© Matt Goodfellow
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If you would like to blog hop to another AtoZ Challenge, follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
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Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
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