We had a great time writing messages poems for National Poetry Day at St Paul’s Primary in Worsley today. Well done everyone and keep it up! Here is an example from Amy and Hadley.
Dear Mr Poet
I’m out of ideas,
And don’t I know it,
If I don’t get started,
I’ll be here all night,
And that’s just not right!
Dear Mr Poet
Thanks for the lesson,
To you I owe it,
My ideas were great,
I picked up a pen,
And I wrote it down,
Miss gave it a ten!
Dear Mr Poet
Thanks again
National Poetry Day takes place the first Thursday in October every year in the UK. Each year there is a theme and this year it is MESSAGES. Here is another poem of mine on that theme to give you some inspiration.
Message From A Miserable Tortoise
To whom it may concern,
Don’t expect
to see me today.
I’m fed up.
Depressed.
Withdrawn.
You can knock as hard as you like.
I’m not coming out.
Not even for a lettuce leaf.
I’m a hard nut to crack.
An unsociable bone.
Leave me alone.
I’m already booked for the actual day of National Poetry Day, but still have some slots that week, if you want to have me come to your school to kick off the creativity, or any other time of year is good too. Just contact me for availability and price.
I hope all the teachers out there are having a lovely time still on holiday, sipping ice cold drinks, basking in the sunshine. But for those already thinking about returning back to school and lesson planning, there are some FREE LESSON PLANS and other resources for National Poetry Day on the NPD website.
Maybe a competition will provide some motivation. Here are some to look into:
National Poetry Day takes place the first Thursday in October every year in the UK. Each year there is a theme and this year it is MESSAGES. Here is a poem of mine on that theme to give you some inspiration.
A Reassuring Message
Anything that’s broken
I will mend
Anything that needs to go
I will send
Anytime you call me
I shall attend
You can ask me anything
I am your friend
I’m already booked for the actual day of National Poetry Day, but still have some slots that week, if you want to have me come to your school to kick off the creativity, or any other time of year is good too. Just contact me for availability and price.
National Poetry Day takes place the first Thursday in October every year in the UK. Each year there is a theme and this year it is MESSAGES. Here is a poem of mine on that theme to give you some inspiration.
To The Great Provider
Dear Great Provider,
This is to thank you
for the delicious cheese
you so thoughtfully provide.
Thank you.
However,
(and I do hope this doesn’t seem ungrateful)
would it be possible to place it
by the side of our hole
and not on the spikes
of the thing that snaps
when we take a bite?
That would be most helpful.
It’s just that,
as you may or may not know,
a member of my family
(my precious daughter to be precise)
has not returned from dining out
and we fear her disappearance
may have something to do
with the fierce snappy thing.
It doesn’t like mice!
(This is not a criticism.
We would sooner pull out our own whiskers
than question your unquestionable wisdom.
We know you move in mysterious ways.)
Once again, Great Provider,
thank you for the wonderful cheese.
It’s irresistible.
Yours humbly and appreciatively,
Montague Mouse
This poem appears in my book Wanted Alive, copies are available to buy from this site. More information about National Poetry Day is available on the Forward Arts Foundation website.
National Poetry Day is one of the two busiest times of the year for me, the other being World Book Day. I’m just giving you advanced notice of the date since it doesn’t allow for much planning time after you return from summer holidays.
If you are interested in having a poet visit your school, please have a look at the sort of things I do in the schools visits section. If that interests you, please contact me to check availability and price.
Open the lid
and out jumps
The Lightsaber Kid.
I want to call
the piece of tubing he uses
a Light Saver.
He calls it a Light Chamber.
He deflects bullets with it.
Exhausting!
I made a vid
of him in action.
He liked it.
OK kid,
I said,
get back in your box.
So he did
‘nt.
This poem previously appeared on PolaroidBlipfoto.
A Light Verse
This hefty is a light verse
to substantial celebrate National Poetry Day.
I’ve massive included a few weighty words
cumbersome so that it doesn’t millstone float away.
Light Rain
Around 4 a.m.,
lamp-light lit,
heavy rain. I am
not the only one
awake. Un
less my neighbour, a
cross the road, has left
a light on
by mistake. I start
to fret
about his electricity
being wasted.
Maybe I should knock
on his door,
ring his bell? Get wet!
Ah, the rain the rain
I’m drifting off again
imagining myself
as keeper of the light,
a lighthouse keeper.
light sleeper.
UK’s National Poetry Day, the annual mass celebration of poetry and all things poetical, will mark its 21st birthday on Thursday 8 October 2015.
This year’s theme is LIGHT. Lesson plans and resources can be found on the National Poetry Day website here: http://www.forwardartsfoundation.org/national-poetry-day/resources/lesson-plans/
Here is one from me on that theme.
you’re bright
white hot
turned on
tuned in
it’s a moment
of wonderment
and fulfilment
your filament
alive with electricity
you tingle
and something
goes ping
in your brain
I am very pleased to be visiting a school in East Yorkshire on World Book Day and some Manchester schools for the rest of the week, but I had so many enquiries for World Book Day week that I had to turn bookings down. Frustrating for me and the schools concerned.
It made me think to write a blog post to say that poetry is not just for World Book Day (March 5th) nor just for World Poetry Day (March 21st), not even just for National Poetry Day (October 8th). I’d be more than happy to visit your school any day of the year (during term time, of course!).
Consider the benefits:
It’s not just me that thinks poetry should have a place in schools all year round. Elena Aquilar makes a good case in this blog post: “Five Reasons Why we Need Poetry in Schools”. She says “Poetry promotes literacy, builds community, and fosters emotional resilience. It can cross boundaries that little else can.” Read more
And the following benefits of reading poetry for older students are given in a blog post on synonym.com:
So if you are a teacher looking for ideas for World Book Day, I hope you come away with the idea you could do the same kinds of activities on other days too.
Bernard Young Poet 