Fantastic poems from Ellacombe CE Academy, Devon

 A lovely teacher recently got in touch with me to say the following:

"Inspired by you, before the children broke up for the summer holidays, we spent some time as a whole school exploring your poetry and read many of the poems on your website. The children, from year 1 to year 6, then wrote their own poems, using yours as a guide. We were blown away by the creativity shown by our children and wanted to share some of our favourites with you. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!"

 In the light of this, I am delighted to share a selection of fabulous poems from the children at Ellacombe Academy, inspired by my poems. I hope you love their efforts as much as I do!

Be Kind

“When I was young, I admired clever people.

Now that I am old, I admire kind people” - Abraham Joshua Heschel

Some of the worst people I’ve ever met

have also been the smartest. 

They say Eichmann had an IQ of 138.

Clever people build bridges

but they also wage wars. 

Without kindness what’s it all for?

What need would he have

for bridges, or cures for diseases?

We may as well die. 

Nothing else in the world would be worth a damn 

without a genuine smile and a gentle hand;

the feeling of skin on skin. Love. 

Love knows no measurement or test. 

It can’t be captured in a number. 

Fancy scientists say intelligence matters 

because it correlates with wealth. 

However, the truly wise people

know that the kindest people

are also the richest.

Be wise. Be kind. 

Joshua Seigal

A Dance

Every marriage

is a unique combination

of two unique people.

Doubly unique.

.

In a dance to music

which has never been played before,

we have to find our steps

with nothing to guide us.

So let’s follow our feet

where the melody takes us,

knowing we may step

time to time

on each other’s toes.

Joshua Seigal

The Moon is Made of Cheese

Mars is made of marzipan

and Mercury from peas. 

Venus is pure candyfloss,

and the Moon is made of cheese. 

Saturn’s made of soft-boiled egg

and Jupiter from fleas. 

Neptune is a ball of wool, 

and the Moon is made of cheese.

Uranus is a giant splash

of lemon, freshly squeezed. 

Pluto is a pickled plum, 

and the Moon is made of cheese. 

The Solar System’s super strange

and everyone agrees

the Earth is made of crackers, 

and the Moon is made of cheese.

Joshua Seigal