tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25130609086429595062024-03-05T04:08:35.703+00:00The Secret Lives of PoetsWelcome to the Poetry Zone's sister site featuring poems by famous children's poets as well as photos, videos, news and a chance to comment and discuss poets' work.Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-88152679874554712482012-04-22T21:44:00.006+01:002012-04-22T21:44:49.268+01:00Casting the Net<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This blog is having a rest while we try to figure out how to improve it! meanwhile - some final words from Sue.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Try this write down everything that comes into your head for a few minutes. When you’ve finished underline any words you’ve written that really interest you or make a clear picture in your head. Add words the first words made you think of.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes I get caught in a rhythm or find two unlikely words to cobble together and make a really unusual image. Try arranging your words in short sentences. What you will have now is a first draft. It may or may not turn into something wonderful don’t worry about it. Do this several times. Play with them then put them away until you can’t remember exactly what you wrote. Then read them again and somehow magically you will see. Most poems are better looked at a few days or even months later.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Very occasionally poems almost write themselves. Mostly they’ve been bouncing around in a secret place my head others appear after a strong feeling like a sort of brain volcano. I have at least one poem, the snake one as it happens, that I only changed a couple of words from first to final draft. But mostly it’s a bit like casting a net into the sea and seeing what it pulls in. And just like the net there’ll be the odd fish or if I’m really lucky there’ll be something unusual, beautiful even, along with a dearth of pebbles, driftwood, bits of sandy glass and maybe an odd shoe. </span></div>Sue hardy-Dawsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09303253173299793670noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-59404715375296535982012-02-07T07:00:00.000+00:002012-02-07T07:00:01.868+00:00The Other Wayne Rooney<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Jan Dean</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think of a famous person – alive now, or someone from history.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hmm… shall I choose Julius Caesar or Wayne Rooney? What about Cleopatra, Boudicca, or maybe Lady </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gaga…?</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Let's choose Wayne Rooney.</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Now think about why Rooney is famous. What great things has he done? What do you imagine his life </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to be like? Think about the differences between your life and Rooney’s life. Write some of them down.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Other Wayne Rooney</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I cannot run for 90 minutes</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can’t weave through the opposition</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">like a needle through cloth</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">when I kick a ball</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it doesn’t cannon</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">into any net</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">may hit the target</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">may not</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don’t have any fans</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my Mum likes me</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">does that count?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don’t think my brothers too keen</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can’t dribble</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can’t head</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can’t mark or tackle</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am the other Wayne Rooney</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the one who fed fish fingers</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the penguins in the zoo</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Hmmm. .. Not sure about the last two lines. It might be better to end with ‘I am the other Wayne </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rooney’. What do you think?</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
I quite like this ‘other’ idea. If I write one about someone from history I might have to do a bit of </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">research to find stuff out about them to use in the poem.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Are you one of 5 Jacks in your class, or one of 3 </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jessicas down your street? Why not write a poem about which one you are?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">…I am not the Jack who threw the brick</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or the one who can wiggle his ears.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am the Jack with the small black cat…</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Or I might invent a person – or several people:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am the other Frank Mulligan.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I did not eat a motor bike,</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or wrestle an alligator.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am the Frank who trained for years</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To be a gladiator.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
See - there’s no need for the ‘other one’ to always be less interesting.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am not the Evie White who goes to Blackdown Primary School</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am the famous Evie White who synchros in the swimming pool.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am amazing Evie White, Olympic Champion. Supercool.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Have a go. You could write a rhyming poem like the one above, or a non-rhymer like the Rooney poem. And you might share the results here.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy.</span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-90571073388456476442012-02-01T18:25:00.002+00:002012-02-01T18:25:47.401+00:00New Book Reviews<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See our book review (above) for new books by Roger Stevens and Brian Moses as well as Ian Bland and Philip Waddell</span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-52747679453800507602012-01-29T12:19:00.000+00:002012-01-29T12:19:31.893+00:00The Song of Winter<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cold weather is coming! So, h</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ere's an idea for teachers. (Or you might try your own version.) Wrap up warm. Take children outside to record their impressions of all they see, hear, feel etc... Back inside write down as many winter-related words, ideas, phrases that they can. Give them just five minutes to do this! Work fast. Then write the first draft from winter's point of view. Each line starts... I am... Finally shape the lines, and order them, into a poem. My example is below. (My poem rhymes - but theirs/yours doesn't have to.) Good luck. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: 20pt;">I Am the Song of Winter</span><br />
<i>Roger Stevens</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the beard of icicles<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That hang beneath the eaves<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the rock-hard mud<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The frosty crunch of frozen leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the chilly wind that searches out <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cracks around the door<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the wet scarf on the radiator<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The puddle on the floor<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the bustling of the birds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The seeds thrown in the snow<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m the blue tit on the bacon rind<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The patience of the crow<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am trees drawn with a fine black nib<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Against a troubled sky<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a pensioner. All alone<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As another day creeps by<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m the awesome silence<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the final snowflake’s fallen<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the halo round the moon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dark the day has stolen<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I’m the gloomy afternoon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The leeching of the light<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the growling, howling song<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wind sings in the night<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I’m hot buttered toast<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the snowstorm roars outside<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But sometimes I’m untimely death<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the feeling hope has died</span><o:p></o:p></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-44818984687065894172012-01-23T12:27:00.003+00:002012-01-23T12:30:48.541+00:00A Metaphor Speaks for Itself<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><i>by Celia Warren</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Well, a metaphor doesn't literally speak for itself, as it has no voice. To say a metaphor speaks for itself is personification, a particular type of metaphor, where an inanimate object displays human characteristics; in this case the power of speech.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Power is the operative word. It is why we so often use figurative language: it makes what we have to say more powerful. The image becomes stronger, more memorable and has greater impact on the reader. For example, I could say that I put my hands in my pockets. I could say that I clenched my fists inside my pockets. Or I could say (as I did in my popular poem, Left Out) “My hands are rocks in my pocket”. The metaphor adds weight to the image I'm creating.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Sometimes, when you are writing a poem, it is fun to experiment with an extended metaphor. That is where the imagery continues along a theme. Let's have a go at creating a short descriptive poem using an extended metaphor. We'll start with something simple:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The moon is a round cheese.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /></b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Now we'll explore that cheesy image further. Where is the moon? (in the night sky) Where is the cheese? (on a plate). Okay, let's try:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The moon is a round cheese</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">on a deep blue plate.</span></b><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Can we say a bit more about the moon?</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The moon is a round cheese</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">on a deep blue plate</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">that twinkles with grated crumbs.</span></b><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Hmm. Well, it's not a great poem (more a grated one), but it's a start. Why don't you create your own metaphor for the moon and play around with developing an extended metaphor? Share your poems with us, if you like.</span></span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-50338652966360743722011-12-31T12:54:00.004+00:002011-12-31T13:22:57.716+00:00Swimming With Trout<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">New Year Resolutions 2012</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i>Hi there! Well, this blog has been going over a year now – and we’re all still here, although the rate of new entries has slowed down a bit! I’m intending a bit of a shake up soon. (Watch this space.)<br />
<br />
Have a wonderful 2012. May you swim with trout. Meantime - here are a few of our new year resolutions. Have you made any this year? – </i>Roger Stevens</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">My New Year Resolution Number 1: Not to make New Year's Resolutions. Only disappointment and a sense of failure comes with them. Number 2: To follow my own good advice re not making Resolutions. <i>- Michaela Morgan<br />
</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1: To be dafter – daft and wonky both make good poems. (Don’t let my family see this – they already think my daft and wonky are off the scale.) 2: To be more awake when I’m doing ordinary things. Then I’ll squeeze all the juice out of everyday experiences, enjoy them more and have more material for writing. That’s a double whammy!</span><i style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> - Jan Dean<br />
</i><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I never remember to carry out my resolutions. This year I made a resolution</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to carry out my resolution when I made a resolution. And decided NOT to make a resolution so I didn’t have to carry it out. Then I remembered - I wanted to carry a notebook at all times to write all the ideas I forget when I don’t have a notebook<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to note them down in. So I've made a resolution to carry out my resolution to carry out my notebook, and thus carry out my resolution and carry out a notebook for the first time ever, after all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">If I remember. <i>- Liz Brownlee<br />
</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I resolve not to complain at the drop of a hat.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I resolve not to drop my hat. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Bernard Young<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1: To spend more time searching for the ends of rainbows.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2: To swim with trout so they're not as jealous of dolphins. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3: To get rid of some of my old books so the house doesn't explode<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>- Sue Hardy-Dawson</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"> 1: To write a poem in tiny words on each finger nail.<br />
2: To buy a magnifying glass.<br />
3: To learn each poem by heart.<br />
4: To cut my nails.<br />
5: To see how many finger-nail poems I can remember.<br />
6: To stop being so silly.<br />
The End. <i>- Celia Warren</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><i> This Year… </i><u>Be Kind to Animals<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Agree with aardvarks<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be nice to bees<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cook for caterpillars<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dance with dolphins<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Entertain elephants<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Frolic with frogs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Giggle with gorillas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><st1:place>Holiday</st1:place> with hippos<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inspire iguanas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joke with jackals<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kiss koalas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch with llamas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Motivate moose<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Natter to numbats<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Organise owls<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Play with platypi<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Queue with quail<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read to rabbits<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snuggle with snakes<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tickle terrapins<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Understand unicorns<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Value vultures<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wave at whales<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eXercise with oXen<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yodel with yaks<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and let zizzing zebras zzzzzzzzzz<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>-Jane Clarke</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And finally, for the grown-ups...</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not get drunk<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not be rude<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not eat chocolate<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or other nice food<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cut down on drugs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fags and caffeine<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But wait until<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2013<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">- Andrea Shavick.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-30807791652361595222011-12-19T17:52:00.000+00:002011-12-19T17:52:43.995+00:00A Poem Is Not Just For Christmas<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A poem is not just for Christmas</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A poem is for life <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s for a child, a mum or dad<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A husband or a wife<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s for the changing seasons<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the many, for the few<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But this poem <i>is </i>for Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This poem is just for you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roger Stevens</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. And a happy new year. From all the secret poets.</span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-14625203459132143142011-12-05T12:15:00.002+00:002011-12-05T12:17:48.642+00:00That Poetry Time of Year<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Roger Stevens</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why not give poetry books for Christmas this year? There have been some great poetry books for children published in the last twelve months. Here are a few of my favourites. Why not share yours? Let’s spread the word!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Hear Here <i>(Hands Up Books</i>) by Trevor Parsons.</b> It’s his first collection of poems and great fun. (See the review by the Undercover Poet). Also from Hands Up Books I’d recommend <b>Ian Bland and Philip Waddell</b>s’ new collection <b>Go to the Head</b>. Laughs a plenty here – as in Philip’s…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A mischievous phantom called Clarence<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Loved making a sudden appearance<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He thought the trick cool<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Till a humourless ghoul<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reported him to his transparents<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When there’s so much doom and gloom in the publishing world – wonderful small presses like Hands Up Books need all our support. Check it out here - <a href="http://www.handsupbooks.co.uk/">www.handsupbooks.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other poetry books published this year included <b>The Language of Cat <i>(Frances Lincoln)</i> by Rachel Rooney</b>, a stand out collection that should be on everyone’s shelves, as should <b>Pie Corbett</b>s’ beautifully written <b>Evidence of Dragons <i>(Macmillan)</i></b>. I’d also recommend <b>Best of Enemies, Best of Friends (Wayland) </b>– <b>Brian Moses</b>’ anthology for older children and teenagers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For younger readers I'd recommend <b>Hey Little Bug <i>(Frances Lincoln)</i> </b>by <b>James Carter</b>. A lovely book, and great for reading aloud.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And finally – for poetry lovers everywhere, for children, for grandma and grandad, or for the bird lovers in your life – <b>Celia Warren</b>’s magnificent <b>RSBP Anthology of Wildlife Poetry <i>(A&C Black)</i>. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, and I nearly forgot. You could also give that very special person one of my books as a present. <b>A Million Billion Poems (Part One)<i> (A&C Black)</i></b><i> </i>– an anthology of all my favourite poets – <b>Does Your Face Fit <i>(A&C Black)</i></b> – an anthology for teenagers – or my latest solo collection <b>Beware! Low Flying Rabbits </b><i><b>(Macmillan)</b>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So – what poetry books will you be buying for friends, brothers, sisters, children, parents or grandparents this Christmas? Do let us know.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-85770653976391954142011-10-24T14:31:00.000+01:002011-10-24T14:31:11.567+01:00Through a Letterbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWn2p2almmil-3_4mI1r35SI5x_F2TJpCd1OXJyFzA31OzgaLT4yth9S6nCxXhN2ZzHwLXV0VgcRPcFIr1KF-m4GVZ7DPJTigZvcD0zTgyZ3ugu4nCHQxZpH_FhiwYHtzATRCLKnH9Npc/s1600/LetterboxButterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWn2p2almmil-3_4mI1r35SI5x_F2TJpCd1OXJyFzA31OzgaLT4yth9S6nCxXhN2ZzHwLXV0VgcRPcFIr1KF-m4GVZ7DPJTigZvcD0zTgyZ3ugu4nCHQxZpH_FhiwYHtzATRCLKnH9Npc/s320/LetterboxButterfly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like taking photographs and sometimes the pictures inspire a poem. What I select from the photo - how I frame it - can influence my poem. I recently photographed a butterfly with a torn</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">wing. It's late in the year to see Red Admirals still flying around and, in strong winds, no wonder s/he was a little the worse for wear. When I trimmed my picture it was the shape of a letter</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">box. So then that shape became my 'virtual letter box' through which I imagined looking at the world - and the butterfly - going by. Here's my poem - followed by a writing challenge for you.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span">I'm looking at life through a letterbox.</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">It's safe behind closed doors:</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">No wasp to sting, no sudden shocks,</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">No threats, no debts, no broken laws.</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">No fears, no foes, no trampled toes,</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">No gossipers who mutter by,</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">But, look! – one lonely butterfly,</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Still pretty with a wing that tore.</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Poor thing. It has no letterbox.</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Poor thing. It has no door.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I'd like you to try is writing your own poem 'Through a ...' whatever it is you are looking through. It might be a letterbox, too. Or it might be through your fingers, through a telescope; binoculars - held back-to-front; a toilet roll; sunglasses; a glass tank (perhaps you are a goldfish?) Have a go!<i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Celia Warren</i></span><i><br />
</i> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Poem © Celia Warren 2011</span></span></span> <!--[endif]--></span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-52240537499194353662011-09-14T12:52:00.013+01:002011-09-14T12:52:00.142+01:00There Was An Old Writer of Limericks<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Philip Waddell</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Humour can and does appear in many forms of poetry but one form of poem that must have been invented for humour and for which I have a very soft spot is the limerick. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is an early example by the 19th century artist and poet Edward Lear who famously helped to popularise the form:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>There was an Old Man with a beard,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Who said, 'It is just as I feared!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Two Owls and a Hen,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Four Larks and a Wren,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Have all built their nests in my beard!'</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whilst the form looks easy, writing an even mildly amusing limerick presents a sizeable challenge.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll often start my attempt by picking a name (a person’s or a place’s) with which to end the first line of my limerick. Having thought of one I’ll try to think of as many words that rhyme with it as I can to see if any combination of the name with two of its rhymes suggests anything funny. Picking Hyde, for example, I came up with this:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mad Hatter</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A whacky teenager from Hyde</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A hat with a bell on once tried.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>‘Does this hat,’ he asked, ‘Mum,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Make me look sort of dumb?’</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>‘Of course not!’ she said, but she lied.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as the limerick by Edward Lear shows your first line doesn’t have to end </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with a name. You can choose any word that has enough rhymes. I make a list of the rhymes as they occur to me and if the list begins to look long I’ll save thinking time – and maybe discover a few words I wouldn’t otherwise have thought of – by getting out my rhyming dictionary. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Words ending in ean, een or ine gave a good long list that led me to this:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Fetching Appearance</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>There’s a shy insect, leggy and lean,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Hides in foliage not to be seen,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It pretends it’s a stick,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>So convincing a trick</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It’s been fetched by a dog on the green.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I’ll think of a pun* that might make a good ending to a limerick:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unhappy Customer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>From Frankenstein’s clinic he barged</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And shambled, grotesque and enlarged</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Raging, ‘Man, am I mad</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>At the treatment I’ve had</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And worse, now I’ve been overcharged!’</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I’ll just write something extremely silly:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Monster Of Sponge</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The monster of sponge has been cursed,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>By a witch, with a terrible thirst –</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Now it drinks and it drinks</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And it drinks and it drinks</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And it drinks till it thinks it will burst!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll even make up a word to end a limerick:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Creative Writing</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A writer of rhyming verse said,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When stuck for a rhyme go to bed,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>If still stuck when you wake,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>For your sanity’s sake,</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Just make up the word that you ned!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes a limerick that amuses me will just pop into my head but mostly I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">find the finished poem will only come after lots of rewrites. If I have managed to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">write a limerick that I like I’ll next try to give it an appropriate and if possible, punning title. But that’s just me and the title of your limerick can be just its first line.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, don’t be surprised if most of your limericks end up in the bin. Most of mine do. But the pleasure you’ll feel when you write one that makes you smile or better still giggle will, I promise, make all the effort worthwhile.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hmmm… smile and worthwhile… I wonder…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*My dictionary defines a pun as a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word.</span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-55584556717199886852011-09-07T12:45:00.000+01:002011-09-07T12:45:05.096+01:00What We Didn't Do On Our Holiday<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was at school (when schools were still in black and white), at the beginning of a new term, we would always have to write a poem or an essay entitled What I Did On My Holidays. At the time I quite enjoyed it, but I realised when I became a teacher myself that it wasn’t such an inspiring idea. So, how about writing a poem about what you <i>didn’t</i> do – or wished you <i>had</i> done – on your holiday?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First make a list of all the things you would like to have done. These can be regular activities, like going to the beach, painting, playing tennis, visiting the zoo – or maybe you could use your imagination a little. For example how about water ski-ing in the Mediterranean, white water rafting in Peru, swimming with sharks, having tea with The Queen, winning a million pounds, travelling to Mars, going back in time…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then use the list to write a poem. (See Jan’s List Poems below for more ideas.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s a poem I wrote on a similar theme.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Travelling by car is much more fun<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Than flying in an aeroplane<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, Mum gets airsick<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And there’s nothing to see when you’re up in the clouds<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I’m glad we didn’t go to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Italy</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because I can’t speak Italian<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And </span><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Blackpool</span></st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> beach is underrated<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When it rains the glistening sands are beautiful<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">In </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Italy</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">, Alex says, the sound of the surf<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keeps you awake<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we’re not far from the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s only a ten-minute walk, if you run<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">You don’t see many dolphins from </span><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Blackpool</span></st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> beach<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, even better, we swam with the jellyfish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We much prefer fish and chips<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who wants to eat boring old Spaghetti Bolognese, anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I’m glad we went to </span><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Blackpool</span></st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Not to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Italy</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">, like my best mate Alex<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mum said we mustn’t tell him what a great time we had<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He’ll only be jealous<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Send your poems to us and we’ll publish them here or on The Poetry Zone.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-63709614367211321122011-08-23T12:48:00.000+01:002011-08-23T12:48:09.149+01:00List Poems<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Jan Dean</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
List poems can be good fun. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First choose a big idea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Things to take on holiday/ things to take to the beach/ the caravan/ camping<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• To-do list for Friday/ before turning off the light / planning the party<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Shopping list / Christmas presents to buy list<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Top days out list / worst days out list<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">… any list will do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now begin with some real things that make sense on the list you chose.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example - Animals I’d like to be – in order:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some kind of lion. A dolphin. A bird (such as Gibson’s Wandering Albatross – because it’s a great name and I've actually seen one).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Irish Wolfhound<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dragon (who says it has to be a ‘real’ animal?)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next play with the ideas that you’ve come up with. It can be really simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Animals I’d like to be – in order.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lion – no-one would mess with me then.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dolphin – best swimmer ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">A bird – lots of birds - I’ll try out sparrowing and parroting,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eagling and puffin-ing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Irish Wolfhound – big as a donkey.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dragon, a dragon, a dragon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Red as fire and fierce as a volcano.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or write a picture of each creature you chose<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll be…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll be a lion. Some kind of lion,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a black lion that roars like the night<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or a silver lion with claws like crescent moons.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe a mountain lion<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">high over a golden canyon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">yellow eyes watching<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lizards skitter in the sand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll be a dolphin<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">not a bottle-nose or a porpoise<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">something bluer and more beautiful<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the sea become skin and muscle<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">waves leaping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll be a dragon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and carve the air into winds,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ride the light.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now play again. keep working, changing and rearranging your list and your ideas until you're really pleased with the result.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to be a bird<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve heard<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">it’s good to be a bird<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">word on the street<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">says being a bird’s sweet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You could tweet that….<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And again:</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d be a lion, but I couldn’t eat raw meat<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d be a dolphin, but I’m seasick<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gibson’s Wandering Albatross could be good<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but would I stray too far?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- fly too far south, past icebergs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">over white Antarctic frost -<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would I get lost?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d be a wolfhound – wild and lairy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">kind of smelly, kind of hairy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d have to wear a lead and collar with a tag on…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t fancy that<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll be a dragon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a go. See what you come up with. And send us your poem!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-87505058360624287722011-08-05T10:15:00.001+01:002011-08-05T10:16:20.876+01:00La Fuite du Stegosaurus<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Immobile</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dans le musée<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Je prépare<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">En secret<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ma fuite<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A midi<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pour faire diversion<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pterodactyl<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Va s’envoler au plafond du musée<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Et plonger sur les gardiens<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pendant ce temps<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Je vais me glisser tranquillement<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Par la sortie secours<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Et me fondre<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dans la foule Parisienne<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roger Stevens<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Translated Yveline Bady</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-34211020813541876392011-07-27T00:21:00.000+01:002011-07-27T00:21:00.759+01:00Fun on the Tube<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Roger Stevens</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
It was a special day in the poet’s calendar, National Poetry Day. I was on my way to visit a school near Regent’s Park, in <st1:city><st1:place>London</st1:place></st1:city>. The train from <st1:place>Brighton</st1:place> to <st1:city><st1:place>London</st1:place></st1:city> was late and I was worried that I wouldn’t get to the school on time. Then I had a most peculiar and action-packed tube journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I boarded the tube at <st1:state><st1:place>Victoria</st1:place></st1:state> underground station. It was only a few stops to Regent’s Park and so I thought I would just about make it on time. But the tube train sat in the station for ages. Eventually, the driver announced that the delay was due to a man hitting a train further down the line.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought this was very odd. Usually, I thought, a train would (usually tragically) hit a person, not the other way round. I imagined a train going past and a man leaning over and slapping it. “Take that,” he’d say. “You naughty, naughty train!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually we started up and I glanced at my watch. I might still get to the school on time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we hadn’t gone much further when the train stopped – in a tunnel. The driver announced that as it was National Poetry Day, every passenger had to share a poem with everyone else in their carriage. I recited a haiku because, as you know, they are very short. A couple of passengers didn’t know any poems (hard to believe I know) and I thought we would soon be moving again. But then a tall guy with long dreadlocks stood up and began reciting a rap poem. He was very good. We all kept the beat by stamping on the floor and clapping. But the poem went on for ages and ages and I knew now that I would surely be late.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We finally got moving again and we were nearly there – when the train stopped once more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I’m really very sorry for the delay,” the driver said, “but there has been an incident. A zebra has escaped from its enclosure at London Zoo and run into the tube station. It scrambled down the escalator and is running around in the tunnel somewhere, but we don’t know exactly where.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, that was it. Now I knew I would be late for sure. We waited for about five minutes until the driver announced, “I’m sorry, we’ll be here just a little longer, but we hope to have the situation under control soon. We’ve sent a lion into the underground tunnel to catch the zebra.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally reached the school about half an hour late. Before I gave my poetry performance I apologised and told everyone why I was late. They all clapped. They thought I’d made it up! Especially the bit about a man hitting a train. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span dir="LTR">Have you had any exciting or just strange journeys that you could turn into a poem or a story. If you have, let us know.</span></i></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-22707754903616297922011-07-21T13:19:00.000+01:002011-07-21T13:19:00.438+01:00Nursery Rhymes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Gerard Benson</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My lifelong love of poetry began with nursery rhymes. And I still love them. I’ve read many great poems by many great poets. Also thousands of poems by more humble contenders ─ profound poems, funny poems, sad, happy, love poems, hate poems and probably a thousand or more about living creatures, from William Blake’s “Tyger” to Christopher Isherwood’s “Common Cormorant”. But I always return to those</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">marvellous little rhymes of childhood. Little Miss Muffet (what’s a tuffet? by the way) Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill, that Black Sheep, and Bo Peep, and Mary Mary and Baby Bunting and that unfortunate baby whose cradle was put at the top of the tree. I love them all. There’s a Grand Old Duke, and Old King Cole the music lover, and that Queen who ate bread and honey while the Maid was having her nose pecked off. What a cast! They all seemed quite real to me ─ as real as my teacher or the nurse on a bike who used to</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">come round. Or my parents. Or even me!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve been wondering why I so took to them. Partly it was the rhythm; they’re all highly rhythmic though mostly not metric. The simple patterns of sound. The powerful alliteration. The strong rhymes. The nonsense words. The marvellous sprinkling of capital letters. But all these elements served the strange little stories they</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">told.. If you sit on a wall you might fall off and shatter; or the lessons they taught ─ if you have no penny you can’t buy a pie; or the characters they introduced ─ that upper class thief the Knave of Hearts, the incorruptible Milkmaid, the vicious but no doubt put-upon Old Woman who lived in a shoe, the Piper’s Son who stole a pig.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of them have a deeper meaning ─historical, satirical, religious, anciently topical ─ available to the scholar. I once attended a lecture where a distinguished scholar/poet explained that Jack and Jill introduced children to “the terrible story of the Fall of Man” ─also dealt with, though at greater length by Milton in “Paradise Lost”. Ring-a-ring-of-roses is about the plague, Contrary Mary is probably Mary Tudor. But do we care? It’s for their pared down simplicity that I love them. And for their strange surrealism. Children have no problem with this, but what are we to make of a violin-playing cat and a spring-heeled cow? I think that was my absolute favourite. And I once took the liberty of rewriting it in style of of Robert Browning, one of my favourite poets:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hey Diddle Diddle, t’employ a childish phrase</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And thus begins my tale (tale of a cat),</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And where else, tell me masters, to begin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This rigmarole of puss and violin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Than here at top o’ the page? Then Diddle I says</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A feline fiddlist and a leaping cow,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You catch my drift? I thought not. Hold I trow,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hold hard. A cat (hold on to that!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A fiddle, and a cow i’ th’ sky</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the moon! milk for the green cheese,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(A fancy but I set it down) and these</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Occurrences watched by a Pekingese,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A pooch who laughs, though none knows how or why,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At plate and spoon eloping. Zooks! The moon’s adaze!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I’d almost finished writing this article I opened my falling to pieces copy of Mother Goose Treasury and came across dreadful news. London Bridge is falling down. What should I do? I know, build it up with silver and gold. Trouble is I've got none.</span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-74725845085074840682011-07-15T00:01:00.005+01:002011-07-15T00:01:03.348+01:00Reversible Poems<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>by Liz Brownlee</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMeN2IJMG4pb_0qjdtB0dTTq-IImUjOL8v_02gT1C2YXyCr6joXNxY9A-hVa-SHbUq-ShPgfNYQ7pS6L8TWI28_Qcmq60iid9VcOIFsT5qs4NJtac3v34_rd-cWWMHbEWEHLRaYBNphub/s1600/mobile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMeN2IJMG4pb_0qjdtB0dTTq-IImUjOL8v_02gT1C2YXyCr6joXNxY9A-hVa-SHbUq-ShPgfNYQ7pS6L8TWI28_Qcmq60iid9VcOIFsT5qs4NJtac3v34_rd-cWWMHbEWEHLRaYBNphub/s320/mobile1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2009 I was organising a family poetry exhibition for Bristol Poetry Festival. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wanted some short poems to hang from mobiles to decorate the exhibition </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">room. Rachel Rooney sent me the first poem - and it could be read both ways </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- forwards and backwards. I thought what fantastic fun it would be if all the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mobiles could be read both ways, from the top, and from the bottom, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">asked the poets who were helping to write some for me. This Rachel’s poem:<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />
clouds</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>hanging</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>like</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>unspoken</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>words<br />
<br />
</b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I printed the words out on a series of clouds, a white one at the top, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">getting gradually greyer as they went down, until the bottom one was black </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with lightning running through it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The mobiles were a great success and everyone enjoyed them. But not all </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the poets could write them, it’s surprisingly hard to make it make sense both </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ways! Sometimes they said the same thing in a different way, sometimes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">they said something slightly different. Here is one of mine:<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>butterflies</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>alighting</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>by</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>brightly</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>lit</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>buddleias<br />
<br />
</b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each word was written on a buddleia flower, which had butterflies perched</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> upon it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is another:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>me</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>catching</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>bees</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>buzz</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>buzz</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>buzz</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>slap</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>ow!<br />
<br />
</b></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkV8CXbMTgejqmmAs1R8yWJ1896M1uJqFqgnPEmMyooFJg7HrKQ5z2-eO5yJBpgNzPspUCpCUDcwHuOR-uNVGBmrn8ys0QJKRHl9QfBCRQdidwHDV5s5QV_YpQxG4kuR6z1YZloBYuBE1/s1600/mobile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkV8CXbMTgejqmmAs1R8yWJ1896M1uJqFqgnPEmMyooFJg7HrKQ5z2-eO5yJBpgNzPspUCpCUDcwHuOR-uNVGBmrn8ys0QJKRHl9QfBCRQdidwHDV5s5QV_YpQxG4kuR6z1YZloBYuBE1/s320/mobile2.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The words were hung in a swarm of bees. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you would like to try writing a reversible poem, it helps if you use the words ‘like’ ‘as’ ‘for’ ‘by’ in the middle and lots of naming and describing words </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">either side. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A very simple but beautiful one by Jane Clarke:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>tears</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>falling</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>like</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>rain<br />
<br />
</b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a go!! If you want to make a mobile, I printed the words on card, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">laminated them, cut them out, and made a hole in the middle of the bottom of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the top word, the top and bottom of the middle words, and the top of the last </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">word. Then I bought some fishing swivels - each word had a tiny metal trigger </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hook through its holes attached to a swivel and then attached to the next </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">word with another trigger hook. The swivel helps the letters to turn.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Send us your reversible poems! We’ll put them up.</i></span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-65136267769364902472011-07-08T13:15:00.000+01:002011-07-08T13:15:27.728+01:00Rhymes with a Reason<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8t9g8r3LnaMeToHAH7kRNmkcOOx_a-x0zohbmjCf7_XOJn4uK6C8w2gIbnbXEFnMiaoHyUrgbQMtVWc-r37pTWLG9ctMBm3I-MqXGpWx0Aj0Y28NQbz7vwNCX11sEsDpBbazKc3Qmikr/s1600/celia+weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8t9g8r3LnaMeToHAH7kRNmkcOOx_a-x0zohbmjCf7_XOJn4uK6C8w2gIbnbXEFnMiaoHyUrgbQMtVWc-r37pTWLG9ctMBm3I-MqXGpWx0Aj0Y28NQbz7vwNCX11sEsDpBbazKc3Qmikr/s1600/celia+weather.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><i>by Celia Warren</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Why rhyme? (Apart from the fact that rhymes are pleasing to the ear, and it's always good to keep your ears happy!) Well, for years and years, people – not just poets, but lesser mortals, too – have used rhyme because it's memorable. It makes ditties easier to remember and repeat to others. Here are a few memory rhymes that, most likely, you already know. The first is a short-term weather forecast, by looking at the sky at sunset and sunrise; the second a long-term weather forecast, by observing which trees come into leaf first in the spring:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Red sky at night: shepherd's delight.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Red sky in the morning: shepherd's warning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Oak before ash, in for a splash;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Ash before oak, in for a soak.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Then there are historical rhymes, that help keep significant dates in our heads:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Remember, remember the fifth November,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The gunpowder, treason and plot,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">And I see no reason why gunpowder treason</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Should ever be forgot.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">In fourteen hundred and ninety-two,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Columbus sailed the ocean blue.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Sometimes people write witty ditties that comment on the politics of the day – what parliament does that affects our everyday lives or, often, our means of making a living – being able to put a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, and bread on the table (the three main things we actually need in life)!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I was recently reminded of this ditty that summed up people's anger and frustration at no longer being able to let their livestock feed on 'common land' following a 17th century 'enclosures act'. Stealing was punishable by death or flogging (depending on whether you were a man or a woman, would you believe!), but the government could 'steal' from the poor quite legally:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">They hang the man and flog the woman</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Who steals the goose from off the common</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">But leave the greater villain loose</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Who steals the common from the goose.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Making up poems like this, to share the pain, may have made people feel better, even if it didn't change anything. Just as now, awake very early this morning, and looking out at a red sky, I can't change the weather. It just tells me that the TV weatherman got it right last night, when he said it would rain today.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Why not write a verse yourself to commemorate a special date in your family life, or to make a satirical point or comment on some aspect of life that annoys you? It may not change anything, but it's fun. And if it rhymes, you may remember it for the rest of your life.</span><br clear="all" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span></span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-47994583238969054342011-06-29T13:05:00.000+01:002011-06-29T13:05:15.399+01:00Things That Can Happen On A Train<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writers do not hide themselves away in corners or secret rooms working on their novels and poems all the time. They sometimes go places. In fact, I’ve found that being a writer involves a lot of travel – and it’s not always possible to fly in my private jet, so I travel a lot on the train. I've had lots of train adventures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once, travelling from <st1:place><st1:city>London</st1:city> <st1:state>Victoria</st1:state></st1:place> to <st1:place>Brighton</st1:place>, as we approached the first stop, a lot of people stood up ready to get out. They got their coats on, hauled their bags down from the rack, shuffled about… but the train just kept on going.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually the train pulled to a halt, but it had gone too far. The driver announced over the intercom that he was sorry he’d overshot the station but not to worry, he’d reverse back. We found out later that the train was being driven by a learner driver.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the train started to go backwards. We were soon at the station again, but again the train didn’t stop. Instead it reversed, very slowly, straight past the playform. Eventually it stopped, the driver apologised again and we went forwards – and missed the station.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We went backwards and forwards for about half an hour until the driver got it right. When we finally came to a halt alongside the platform, all the passengers applauded and cheered.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same thing happened at the next station, and the next. The journey took about three hours. It usually takes fifty minutes. But at each stop the learner train driver took fewer goes to get it right. By the time we reached <st1:place>Brighton</st1:place>, he had finally mastered the art of stopping a train in the right place. Which was just as well, as <st1:place>Brighton</st1:place> is at the end of the line. If the train had kept going there, it would have ended up in the ticket office.</span><o:p></o:p></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-2794704788174161252011-06-14T00:00:00.028+01:002011-06-14T10:04:37.563+01:00The Process of the Process<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>by Sue Hardy-Dawson</em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was seven or eight I was friendly with a girl who lived a couple of houses down </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">from ours. All of the gardens ended where the railway embankment began and so a few </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of us used to congregate there to play, build dens, things like that. It was rarer to actually </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">be invited into a house to play back then or at least it seemed so to me. That’s why we </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">dreaded the kind of rain that confined you to the house and the company, if you were </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">unlucky enough to have them, of irritating younger brothers.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, on this occasion I’d been invited to the house of my friend and she had the thing </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I most coverted in the world - a dressing up box! What’s more it contained wonderful </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">beaded shoes and silver and gold ball gowns. In the days of black and white TV </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had never even seen such things outside of a fairytale book. However my friend would not let me even touch them, never mind try them on. I, of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Course, just sat there meekly, turning darker shades of green in my envy.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently, whilst participating in one of Roger Stevens’ workshops this memory came back to me and with it a poem. Initially it was just as I’ve told the story above. But then I began to think - what if the clothes really had come from a fairytale? And so, as in fairytales, I got my revenge.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The poem I wrote I’m still tweaking - but this is where I’ve got to. It started out as “Dressing Up” and changed to “The Box” because I thought it would be more mysterious. See what you think:</span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Box</strong></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She has a box full</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of taffeta and ermine</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shoes made from petals</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">those of a rose. Satin ones</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">worn to a husk dancing</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">under copper trees. A</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">princess’s quilt, a bag</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of dry peas, precious</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stones, a gift from the</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">trolls, a diamond tiara</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and a giant’s cold gold.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The queen of <country-region><place>Persia</place></country-region>’s</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">red, purplish robes</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scarves made of spider</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">silk, a witch’s warm</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cloak. These things</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">she showed me. Her box</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the tales that she told.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forbidden to touch them</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">one day I stole, it’s ebony key</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and some beans which I sold</span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-87326149203630529302011-06-07T13:40:00.000+01:002011-06-07T13:40:18.484+01:00Let’s Write a Poem<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Here’s what you do. There are eight lines.</span></span></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 1 - Write down something that happened this morning. But make it an out and out downright lie. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 2 – In the spirit of 1 – write a sentence with a sound in it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 3 – Write a sentence with a colour in it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 4 – Write a sentence with a number in it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 5 – Write a sentence with a character from a book in it</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 6 – Write a sentence<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with an animal in it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 7 – Write a sentence with an emotion in it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Line 8 – Write a sentence to do with the past, present or future.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Write quickly! Go for the first things that come into your head. (But by all means do a little work on the finished result.) The result may not be great poetry - but hey, it should be fun. Here’s my attempt. Children, students, adults, fellow poets - why not send us yours?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I looked in the mirror and saw a slice of toast peering over my shoulder.</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I heard the crack of thunder and the laugh of angels</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I picked up my pen and realised, for the first time, it was red</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I drank 5 coffees, ate 4 muffins, rang 3 friends, tried to connect to the internet<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>twice and had one regret</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning dawned yellow. The yellow turned to green. The green to blue. The blue to despair.</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning a balrog landed on the roof. It got bored. It went away.</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning Judy, our dog, told me a very good joke.</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I woke up with the Blues. That’s right. The whole of Birmingham Football Club were in bed with me.</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-small;"><strong>This morning I saw the future. And there were more laughs in it than I had any right to expect.</strong></span></span></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-32647034920486065902011-05-31T10:40:00.000+01:002011-05-31T10:40:17.347+01:009 More Random Facts About Jan Dean<span style="font-family: Arial;">I can't do joined-up dancing. I went to tap-dancing lesson and could do all the steps, but I couldn't move from one sort of step to the other without stopping completely first. This kind of ruined any dance routine the teacher had planned. I was a waste of space.<br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My favourite game is Scrabble (or anything scrabble-ish). I like 'in the manner of the word' too and charades. When I was a teacher (millions of years ago) we used to play these on the train coming back from our annual pilgrimage to Stratford-on-Avon.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Favourite song? Today I am mostly singing 'Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes'. Tomorrow it'll be something else.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My favourite place in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Britain</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> is </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sanna</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Bay</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. It's remote and wild, and the sand is white and the sea is turquoise. My favourite holiday destination is Acharacle (</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Western Highlands</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">) - it's by the banks of Loch Shiel and sometimes eagles fly over it.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My favourite insect is the damsel fly. It has all the oomph of dragonflies without the clunkiness of looking like a helicopter.<br />
<br />
My favourite comedian is Eric Morecambe. Brilliant even in black and white. He didn't even have to do anything. Just standing there was enough to make us all feel happy.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Favourite saying or proverb: Fret not lest ye be fretted upon. (Worrying is just <em><span style="font-family: Arial;">no </span></em>fun.)<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My favourite flower or plant is Lilium longiflorum.... as good to say as to look at. Favourite tree? That one with the tree house in it.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you know that the colour 'magenta' (a sort of purplish red) was named after the Battle of Magenta (1859) which was famously horrible and bloody. How yukky is that?</span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-63708116204036240752011-05-28T14:13:00.000+01:002011-05-28T14:13:54.660+01:00Children's Competition<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out the competitions page for news of how to win Rachel Rooney's The Language of Cat. And please pass this on to children, friends, teachers and anyone else you feel may be interested. Thanks.</span>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-58773970432444164172011-05-19T10:34:00.000+01:002011-05-19T10:34:12.887+01:00Two New ReviewsClick on The Undercover Critic (above and to the left) for reviews of new books by Rachel Rooney and Andrew Fusek Peters.Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-78983737453514456272011-05-17T00:46:00.003+01:002011-05-17T11:30:04.595+01:00A Child's Garden of Verses<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>by Trevor Millum</em><br />
Robert Louis Stevenson is best known for writing <place>Treasure Island</place>, Kidnapped and the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>famous horror story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. (<place>Treasure Island</place> is still, in my view, one of the best adventure yarns ever written.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, he was also a poet and wrote many poems for children. Being a sickly child and spending lots of time in bed, he sympathised with children and the thoughts and dreams and adventures you could have in your mind while stuck indoors.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'A Child's <place><placetype>Garden</placetype> of <placename>Verses</placename></place>' contains 64 of his poems for younger readers. Some of them will seem very quaint now or rather 'posh'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But among this <place><placetype>Garden</placetype> of <placename>Verses</placename></place> are all sorts of little treasures. For example, 'Windy Nights' has an air of mystery which could be compared with the famous 'The Listeners'.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever the moon and stars are set,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever the wind is high,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All night long in the dark and wet,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A man goes riding by.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Late in the night when the fires are out,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why does he gallop and gallop about?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever the trees are crying aloud</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And ships are tossed at sea,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By, on the highway, low and loud,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By at the gallop, goes he;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By at the gallop he goes, and then</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By he comes back at the gallop again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like 'trees are crying aloud' and the way he uses repetition in the last four lines. The lines themselves pause at 'and then' before galloping back again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stevenson is fascinated by the weather - especially wind and rain - and night time. 'The Moon' begins:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She shines on thieves on the garden wall,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On streets and fields and harbour quays,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">and goes on to list other creatures that are out at night in a way that young writers could well imitate in their own poems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of his main themes is Bed and Sleep, familiar topics to young readers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially, the complaint that 'I have to go to bed while it's still light' and, of course, the classic ‘Land of Counterpane’ describing how, ill in bed, the young Stevenson plays with his toys on the bed around him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last poem is a poignant reminder that we all grow up and move away. Stevenson went as far as the South Pacific, dying at the age of 44 on the <place><placetype>island</placetype> of <placename>Samoa</placename></place>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As from the house your mother sees</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You playing round the garden trees,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you may see, if you will look </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Through the windows of this book,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another child, far, far away,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in another garden, play.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But do not think you can at all,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By knocking on the window, call</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That child to hear you. He intent</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is all on his play-business bent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He does not hear, he will not look,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nor yet be lured out of this book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For, long ago, the truth to say,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He has grown up and gone away,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And is but a child of air</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That lingers in the garden there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 27pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The edition I have is illustrated with the beautiful line drawings of Charles Robinson. There are many other editions of the book, with illustrations by artists as varied as Eve Garnett, Brian Wildsmith, Michael Foreman and Gyo Fujikawa. It would make an interesting project to compare the various artists’ pictures and see how they interpret the different poems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Trevor is a writer of all sorts of poetry and short stories for young readers. Most recently 'Double Talk', with Bernard Young, described by Ian McMillan as 'Children's poetry as it should be written - going inside the child's world and returning tired but happy'. Trevor also runs the 'Poetry Place' for Teachit, providing creative ideas for teachers. For more info, see </em></span><a href="http://www.trevormillum.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>www.trevormillum.co.uk</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em> </em></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513060908642959506.post-89846648391559453572011-05-03T00:38:00.002+01:002011-05-03T00:38:00.173+01:00Moon, The and a Classic Poem<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:ApplyBreakingRules/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>by Catherine Benson</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I was very young I saw a picture of the moon in a book. Underneath it said The Moon. I recognised the picture because I often saw the real moon. But the <i>words</i> were an excitement. <i>Moon</i> – yes, with two full moons inside. I asked what the other word was. I was told it was – <i>the</i>.<br />
<br />
When I looked at a newspaper I found that word everywhere on the page. I was very excited because here was something I said, a word that I <i>said</i> but hadn’t <i>seen</i> until now – the. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Moon was easy but a word that I said, a word in mid-air was amazing. And here was a picture of that word.<br />
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I soon noticed other words that were like that – a, and, I, you, but, if… There were lots to find. And that’s how I began to read. Now reading is one of my favourite things to do. I also write poetry and draw pictures.<br />
<br />
By the way, my favourite poem when I was young was Silver by Walter de la Mare. And guess what? It’s about the moon.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="il"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Silver</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><i><br />
Walter de la Mare</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">Slowly, silently, now the <span class="il">moon</span></div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">Walks the night in her <span class="il">silver</span> shoon;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">This way, and that, she peers, and sees</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;"><span class="il">Silver</span> fruit upon <span class="il">silver</span> trees;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">One by one the casements catch</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">Couched in his kennel, like a log,</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">With paws of <span class="il">silver</span> sleeps the dog;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">Of doves in a <span class="il">silver</span>-feathered sleep;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">A harvest mouse goes scampering by,</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">With <span class="il">silver</span> claws and a <span class="il">silver</span> eye;</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">And moveless fish in the water gleam,</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;">By <span class="il">silver</span> reeds in a <span class="il">silver</span> stream.</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.25pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For more of Walter de la Mare’s wonderful words why not try the </i><b>Selected Poems of Walter de la Mare (Poet to Poet: An Essential Choice of Classic Verse)<span class="bxgy-binding-byline">.</span></b><i><span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> Edited by Matthew Sweeney. (Faber and Faber 2006) Available from Amazon.co.uk</span></i></span></div>Roger Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393920954647379508noreply@blogger.com3