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!

 

 

  

Poems Inspired by 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.

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...)

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