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Monday 30 November 2015

Idiom Poems - Workshop Idea (KS2/3)





My Baby Brother

My mum says
that my baby brother
is so cute
that she just wants
to eat him all up.

He doesn’t look
very tasty to me.
 
He smells mostly
of warm milk and sick,
with a side dish
of dirty nappy.

His fingers don’t look
nearly as nice
as fish fingers,
and his ears
aren’t as sweet
as ears of corn.

I’d rather eat
a chocolate button
than his bellybutton,
and his legs
can’t compete
with chicken drumsticks.
 

My mum says
that my baby brother
is so cute
that she just wants
to eat him all up.

I don’t understand that.
But I suppose, if I had to,
that I’d eat the cat.  








There are some very weird turns of phrase in the English language. Can you make a list of them? Some possible example are: cute enough to eat; raining cats and dogs; a different kettle of fish; cat got your tongue. Write a poem reimagining these idioms as literal truths. What would that kind of world be like? What problems would arise? You could also try to think up brand new idioms, and make a poem using these. Have fun!







 




 


  Image result for raining cats and dogs

Thursday 12 November 2015

Poems Inspired by Langston Hughes

Image result for langston hughes

At my weekly poetry lunch club I recently looked at Langston Hughes' poem 'Daybreak in Alabama' with a group of Year 10 and 11 students. The poem tackles Hughes' experience of racism in the Deep South, and details some of the ways in which he dreams it might be overcome. Using his poem as inspiration, I asked students to think about what they might create were they called upon to be the architects of some kind of new world or state of affairs. What follows is a couple of fantastic poems produced by the students, as well as my own piece which I shared with them.


When I Get To Be an Architect by Eman

When I get to be an architect
I’m going to delete one of the 7 wonders of the world
I’ll create my own
A brick jungle of its own
The tallest most gigantic building of them all
Looking down on inferior copper towers built
On the crushed dreams of the poor
I’ll create my own
Built to give hopes to the young
And the happiness of mum
When I get to be an architect
I’m going to delete one of the 7 wonders of the world
I’ll create my own

Daybreak by Sahana

When I get to be a vampire
I’m going to meet my favourite character
I’m going to take many hearts
Leaving nothing for the world
I’m going to fall in love
Get betrayed
And fall in my grave
I am going to be the darkest
Sinner the world has ever seen
I am going to wish I never changed
As I look back and see
I am going to show the world
What evil really is
When I get to be a vampire
I am going to realise my mistake
I am going to save the world
By sinning my soul.

Daybreak by Joshua Seigal

When I get to be an artist
I’m going to paint a picture
of a family eating
breakfast together.
I’m going to put cereal in it,
and coffee, and toast,
and big wide well-rested smiles.
I’m going to paint speech bubbles
filled with easy conversation,
and I’ll use the finest brush
for those subtle hints of love.
I’m going to paint the sun
knocking lightly on the pane,
and the trees shaking hands
with the morning.
When I get to be an artist
I’m going to rise from the bunk.
I’ll use the brightest colours
to paint over
the night.

Sunday 8 November 2015

Two Poems for Fleetville Infant School

I am lucky enough to undertake regular work at Fleetville Infant School in St Albans. I have visited the school on quite a number of occasions now, and am met with a fantastic welcome from children and staff every time. This week I am working with their Nursery and Reception classes, who have been looking at 'love' and 'rainbows' respectively. I have written new poems especially for them, and am looking forward to sharing them during my visit!


I’ll Love You

I’ll love you if you’re big
I’ll love you if you’re small
I’ll love you if you’re short
I’ll love you if you’re tall
I’ll love you if you’re happy
I’ll love you if you’re sad
I’ll love you if you’re sensible
I’ll love you if you’re mad
I’ll love you if you’re quiet
I’ll love you if you’re loud
I’ll love you if you’re shy
I’ll love you if you’re proud
I’ll love you if you’re naughty
No matter what you do
I’ll love you every single day
I’ll love you ‘cos you’re you


At the End of the Rainbow

At the end of the rainbow
are TEN shining stars

At the end of the rainbow
are NINE chocolate bars

At the end of the rainbow
are EIGHT fluffy bunnies

At the end of the rainbow
are SEVEN pots of money

At the end of the rainbow
are SIX little cats

At the end of the rainbow
are FIVE acrobats

At the end of the rainbow
are FOUR diamond rings

At the end of the rainbow
are THREE pigs with wings

At the end of the rainbow
are TWO golden eggs

At the end of the rainbow

There’s a doughnut from Greggs

(I might change the ending for this one, as the anticlimactic comedy might be lost on four-year-olds...)

Image result for rainbow

Monday 2 November 2015

Wonderful Poem by early stage EAL student.

I am Poet in Residence at a girls' secondary school in Newham, East London. The school has a very high population of EAL students. This morning I discovered a wonderful poem in my pigeonhole, written by one such student. I should confess that I was not directly involved with the composition of the piece, although I have used similar ideas in my work around refugees. I think the poem highlights some ideas that are important for people getting to grips with a new language: its use of repetition, clear scaffolding and sense-data are all interesting. Here is the fantastic poem:


Poem by Sarjitha

I will need my food
People around me are tired and hungry
Babies are crying for milk and water
I will need my food

I will need my clothes
People around me are dripping wet
Shaking, cold and in dirty clothes
I will need my clothes

I will need my book
People around me want to learn
I learn how to read and write
I will need my book

I will need my water
People around me are thirsty
Babies are thirsty
I will need my water

I will need my money
People around me are poor and sad
They need their money so they can
Feed their babies
I will need my money