Karen Classroom ideas, Poem

Valentine’s Day is coming: quotes, thoughts and poetry about LOVE

Heart shape by shadow of ring binder
CC-BY Alex https://flic.kr/p/FLPq

It’s that time of year when a poet is called to write about Love.

“Now no discourse, except it be of Love”
– Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona

“Love’s language starts, stops starts;
the right words flowing or clotting in the heart.”
– from Syntax by Carol Ann Duffy

“All You Need Is Love”
– The Beatles

“My room, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever:
I was wrong”
– from Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden

Ooh! I Think You’re Wonderful by Bernard Young

You’re the wings on my aeroplane
You’re the strings on my guitar
You’re the star in my night-sky
You’re the garage for my car

You’re the answer to my question
You’re the pen that writes my line
You’re the spring in my onion
You’re the tingle down my spine

You’re the zipper on my jacket
You’re the ketchup on my chips
You’re the method in my madness
You’re the promise on my lips

You’re the headline in my paper
You’re all my favourite smells
You’re the last piece in my jigsaw
Oops! Sorry, I thought you were someone else

Karen Poem

What did you get for Christmas? I didn’t get a bike

Poem and pictures from the book Brilliant by Bernard Young
Copyright Bernard Young

This poem is from my book ‘Brilliant’.

Extract:

I got a massive box of chocolates
but I didn’t get a bike

I got some extra-special roller-skates
but I didn’t get a bike

I got a mind-blowing computer game
but I didn’t get a bike.

Karen Poem

You can’t fool me, there’s something going on!

Image of pair of glasses with the word genius across each lens
Copyright Bernard Young

There’s Something Going On

When there’s a big cake in the kitchen
When there’s holly in the hall
When there’s tinsel round the telly
And presents wall to wall

When there’s mistletoe and ivy
And a decorated tree
I know something’s going on
You can’t fool me

Karen Poem

What happens when Santa spends Christmas at his in-laws?

Cuddly toys in snow Santa and raindeer
Image copyright Bernard Young

Santa’s Christmas

(i)

This year,
though not by choice,
Santa Claus is spending Christmas
with his in-laws.

Ask him why
and he’ll just sigh
and say
‘Because…’

(ii)

Indoors

grim as a blizzard
prickly as holly
charming as a burst pipe

Mrs Santa…claws!

(iii)

Outdoors

the reindeer have downed sleigh
and are moaning
about the increased work-load
and the frozen pay.

Led by hard-nosed Rudolf the Red
(who, contrary to popular belief, is not nice)
they are imposing a work to rule
– a no slide rule on the ice
– a go slow on the snow.

Most folk, thinks Santa, just don’t realise,
being the boss is not all mince pies
and Ho! Ho! Ho!

(iv)

After much negotiation
and hard snowballing
Santa and the reindeer
have reached an agreement.

The Christmas delivery is safe.

Unlike Santa, who,
hurrying to and fro,
slips on the fast freezing snow.

Oh! Oh! Ow!

(v)

Christmas Day.
Work done.

Santa watches his mother-in-law
(a tough old bird)
wrestling with the turkey.

Boxing Day!
The fight goes on.

Two falls and a submission.
It’s over.

The turkey’s won.

(vi)

Sometimes
(don’t you know, know, know)
Santa, too, wrestles;
has a bout with self-doubt,
and loses.

At times
(don’t you know, know, know)
he even finds it hard
to believe in himself
himself.

This year,
to get him through this crisis,
to save him from distress,
I’m conducting a little survey
to discover, more or less,
who still believes in Father Christmas.

So if you do, shout YES!

Image of santa with words 'Yes? ? No?'
Image copyright Bernard Young

Bernard Young is an experienced performance poet who is available for workshops in schools, particularly primary age (KS1/KS2). He’s based in Manchester, but happy to travel further afield. Over the years he’s also worked successfully in partnership with Road Safety officers combining the road safety message with creative writing. To book Bernard for a workshop in your school, see Contact page.

Karen Poem

Santa Claus ain’t coming, Junior has taken over

Poem and image
Copyright Bernard Young and Tod Leedale 2000

This Poem is from “Brilliant” and is available as a card from Redbubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/youngpoet/works/9459104-santa-claus-aint-coming

Karen Poem

A poem to get you in the Christmas mood, with mistletoe

A face in the snow
Image copyright Bernard Young
I hope everyone out there is looking forward to Christmas and hoping it will be a white one. Some folk have already seen the first snow fall. When I think of Christmas, I think of mistletoe.

Snow and Mistletoe

My heart is beating
fast, not slow,
as I stand beneath
the mistletoe.

My face is red.
My ears aglow.
I’ve just been snogged
by Rachel Snow*.

It was GREAT!
Not so-so.
She’s a terrific kisser.
Now you know.

* This is made up. Miss Snow is no-one I know.

Bernard Young is an experienced performance poet who is available for workshops, in schools particularly primary age. He’s based in Manchester, but happy to travel further afield. Over the years he’s also worked successfully in partnership with Road Safety officers combining the road safety message with creative writing. To book Bernard for a workshop in your school, see Contact page.

Karen Poem, School visit

Time to Wrap up and Rap

Cat wrapped in a blanket
Image Copyright Karen Cropper
Since the season of cold weather is upon us, here’s a poem for you to rap as you go about your business. Might warm you up. Particularly if you perform a little dance at the same time.

Wrap Up Rap

When the wind is blowing
And snow is on the way
Get your woolly hat on
Wrap up warm today

And sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up rap

Find a scarf and good thick gloves
Don’t forget your coat
Be prepared for the attack
When Jack Frost grabs your throat

And sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up rap

Here comes thunder
Here comes hail
Hear the thunder
Dodge the hail

And sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up rap

Hat for head
Socks for toes
In your scarf
Bury your nose

And sing the wrap up
Sing the wrap up
Sing that wrap up rap

Bernard Young is an experienced performance poet who is available for workshops in schools, particularly primary age. He is based in Manchester, but will travel further afield. Over the years he has also worked successfully in partnership with Road Safety officers, combining the road safety message with creative writing. For more info, see the Contact page.

Karen Poem

Winter Weather Warning – It’s going to be seasonally cold!

I’ve seen some posts on facebook about the fact that cold weather in winter is no surprise, it happens every year. It reminded me to share a poem about it.

A Cold Spell

Take a misty morning
A foggy night

A snuffly nose
A snowball fight

An icy road
Warm woolly tights

Add chilblain pain
A wind that bites

Then summon sleet
Think thoughts of white

Now look outside
It’s winter. Right?

Church just visible through fog
Image copyright Bernard Young

Bernard Young is an experienced performance poet who is available for workshops in schools, particularly primary age. He is based in Manchester, but will travel further afield. Over the years he has also worked successfully in partnership with Road Safety officers, combining the road safety message with creative writing. For more information, see the Contact page.

Poet Bernard Young Classroom ideas, Poem

Bonfire night: fireworks, sparklers, toffee and poems

All the fireworks popping in the sky where I live makes me think what a stimulating time to be creating poems. So I’ve written a new poem for children for bonfire night that doesn’t appear in any of my books (since I wrote it today).

Choosing Fireworks

I bet
you’d like
a Confetti Canon
and a Crackling Comet.

I’m sure
you’d go for
a Jumping Jack
and a Flying Saucer.

I guess
you could handle a Sparkler
and get a thrill
from a Roman Candle.

And you’d feel
fine watching a Catherine Wheel
go round and round and round
wouldn’t you?

But what you don’t want,
you really don’t want,
because it’s definitely no good,
is a…

DUD!

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Some other bonfire night poetry resources

And a Video about the origins

Karen Poem, Video

A Watery Poem for National Poetry Day (3 October 2013)

In preparation for National Poetry Day, my friend, Karen, has recorded me reading one of my poems, Puddles in the Playground from Double Talk, and turned it into a video, and here it is.