A collection of inspired poetry

 Enjoy reading these beautiful poems from our year 4, year 5 and year 6 students.

Inspiration Poems published

 Our writers took up Paula Green's November challenge, to write a poem about a person who inspires them.

Paula had written a poem about Margaret Mahy, who inspired Paula. She imagined all the things that were special about Margaret being in her pockets. We loved Paula's pocket poem so much, this inspired our own poems. 

Paula said,

"This was one of the most incredible challenges ever!

I so loved getting your poems, little poem delights, little poetry wonders, little pockets of inspiration. WOW!!

I loved how being inspired means we take the next step, even if it is very tiny."

Paula picked some of our poems to publish on the Poetry Box website. Congratulations to:

Aayat B

Aoife M

Rongo

Abigail O

Sterling

Tiana R

In addition, Paula chose Rongo to send a copy of her beautiful book, Roar Squeak Purr to! She said, Rongo's poem "touched my heart". 

Congratulations once again, to Rongo and our other poets.

Well done to everyone who wrote a poem for this challenge. They were all so good and Paula wished she could have published every single one. She received so many amazing entries from schools all over Aotearoa. Paula said,

"Just remember writing poems is something many of us love to do! Sometimes we get published and sometimes we don’t."

You can read the published poems on Poetry Box at this link:

https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/poetry-box-november-challenge-some-favourite-poems/

Paula Green

Poetry by Year 5 and 6 Writers

Whirling Wind

By TayJe, age 10

The wind pulls my tortoiseshell cat’s tail tight and firm.

It throws the big, blank, blue hat across the yard and down the street

and yanks the old spruce tree’s leaves.

The Soothing Sea

By TayJe, age 10

The beautiful, stunning ocean hums in the golden sun.

It sweeps and swooshes against the solid silver rocks and stones

and hops along the edge of the yellow, sandy beach.

The wind’s whispers

By Shrisha Balaji

the wind wraps around me

as she whispers 

the secrets of the night

The wonders of the sea
By Shrisha Balaji

she sweeps along the beach
like a ballerina twirling
 across the stage on her 
first dance 

her elegance
 takes the audience’s 
breath away

The wicked wind

 wind destroys my golden sandcastle
 he yanks off the feathers
 and howls as he sprints away 

The stunning sea

the sea twirls around my feet
she sings to me like an opera singer
she dances like a ballerina 
I leap into the water 
and skip over the waves

by Harper Beckingham

The Evil Wizard Wind

by Alex

The wind quietly tickles the guards,

sprinting across a seemingly untouched fountain,

His parents watch furiously from the fluffy clouds,

The evil wind has dangerously demolished the city,

I wonder if the story’s true?

The Secret Sea

by Alex

The untouched sea whispers the secret to life,

He spends time spinning around,

A high pitched whistle enters the city,

Walking past a mossy crusty fountain,

Then returns to the sea,

I wish I could see the sea.

The wind

by Capri

The wind whistles in my ear
The wind tickles the back of my neck 
like a massage 
The wind steals my yellow sunhat 
at the beach.

The Hot Sun

by Capri

The sun makes 
me sweat 
all day long
The sun gives 
me sunburn
The sun makes
me drink lots of water


The girl who sings to me

by Capri

 
The sea swoops me
into the abyss
She sings in 
my eardrums 
She crashes 
into the 
pointy rocks 

All by Caprie Milosi age 11 year 6 

The Sassy Wind

by Emily

The wind blows and howls like a wolf. 

It huffs a layer of cold breath on me

grabs my shirt and and yanks 

me with her.

A Terrorist Called “Ocean”

by Emily

The ocean sprints into the rocks

 with salt shakers bombing salt everywhere.

 

The ocean calls me to play with her.

The Mysterious Wind

by Maia S

The wind whistles at me, 

she pulls my dress and

my towel flies away with her 

like a tornado.

The Vast Sea

by Maia S

The ocean hums and whispers,

she twirls like a graceful ballerina and

sprints like an athlete.  

Aotearoa Tree Poems

 Our latest crop of Russley Writers took up Paula Green's October Poetry Challenge... to write a poem about a native tree, inspired by Ned Barraud's wonderful book, Rākau. 

We were delighted to read this morning, that Paula picked some of our poems to post on the Poetry Box website. In addition, poet Nathaniel will be the lucky recipient of a copy of Ned's book, Rākau! You can read them on Poetry Box at this link, or scroll down to read all seven fabulous poems on our blog.

https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/poetry-box-october-challenge-favourite-native-tree-poems/

The life cycle of a kōwhai tree

the morning breeze shakes the kōwhai tree 

as zigzagging branches wiri wiri

coin-gold petals droop from sepals 

stamen sick out like porcupine's quills

crinkly brown seed pods hang down 

spreading seeds through the soil

another kōwhai tree grows 

and starts again

By Nathaniel Wade, Year 6

Gleaming Kōwhai Family 

bumby rumpy textured bark

branches reach to the sun

busy buzzing bumble bee

collects nectar with glee

tūī sings its songs of joy while

snuggling with her speckled eggs

drooping flowers, golden 

like the coins you hold so dear

careful wind sweeps seeds

across the grassy floor

at night,  

the moon shines

ruru passes

hunting for mice

glimmering raindrops

fall from the sky 

then, the crash of

lightning

the kōwhai has stood

through every single day

the tree grows tall

making homes for bugs and birds

a hazel-haired girl stands

there looking at the tree

that girl is me,

the kōwhai is like family.

 

by Libby Greenall, age 10, year 5

My Kōwhai Tree

You are the seeds that jitter across the forest floor

like little dancers in the breeze 

You are seed pods swinging like poi

slowly swaying to an invisible beat

You are the poi tassel leaves 

pale and soft in clumped leaflets

You are the petals in small clumps

of golden coins hanging downwards 

You are the gnarled branches reaching up

towards the sun, swishing happily

You are the rough bark that crumbles

to pieces in the wind 

You are the feather cloak of fallen flowers

coating the grassy ground

You are my kōwhai tree

Isabelle Holmes, Year 6 

New Zealand Beauty

tiny yellow tears scatter in the wind

knobbly seed pods gather on the ground below

little leaflets drift in the gentle breeze

every petal gleams like treasure in the sun

each sunny flower is like a pixie’s flowing skirt

spindly branches sway like dancers to a silent rhythm

long arms stretch, reaching for the clouds

rough brown bark home to moss and lichen

silky golden cloak envelops deep brown trunk

firm roots burrow deep into damp earth 

creating hidden tunnels

lemon coloured tree stands out against cerulean sky

this is my kōwhai 

Katherine Lord, Year 5

The Bright Kōwhai Tree

the kōwhai tree sways like 

a boat in the sapphire sea

silky leaves wiggle

through the wind

prickly brown seedpods dance 

through the sunlight

swaying like ballerinas

yellow flowers shine

like the ginormous sun

zig-zag branches perform tricks

like artistic sky-swimmers

Nico Meek, Year 5

Dancing Kōwhai Tree

crumpled tree skin like nana’s arms

bumpy branches twist like rattle snakes

silky smooth petals sway back and forth

crinkly brown seedpods twitch 

like dancing peanuts

they dangle and fall to the ground 

like rain drops

Evie Planicka, Year 5

The Sunny Sight of the Kōwhai Tree

sunny smooth yellow flowers

bright like shiny bow ties

tentacle-like stamen sway about

like swing chairs at the carnival

in the wind, seedpods judder  

like washing machines       

bumpy brown branches

zigzagging in the breeze

hard yellow seeds

tucked safely in their cosy pods

bright green-as tiny leaflets 

holding on tight like caterpillars

the kōwhai tree is as gold as 

the sun, it reaches up to the sky 

greeting the warm

morning

Theo Planicka, Year 5

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2025

 

Our Russley Writers took up the September Poetry Box challenge... to write a poem celebrating te reo Māori. We began with the word whanau and used it to springboard ideas and "grow a poem". Some poems use one or two te reo words and others use more. What is your favourite te reo word?

All five poems were selected for publication on Poetry Box. You can read them below, or go to the Poetry Box NZ website to read more. Paula Green said she received an astonishing amount of wonderful poems and it was very hard to pick what to post. Congratulations to Jharred, Brodie, Ila, Daisy and Sankalpa for being e-published, and special mention to Sankalpa who Paula chose to send a book to. 

Childhood Dream

To be a tamaiti:

I’d need,

two warm ringa hugging me tight,

a feed of bite sized pieces,

and baby finger kai

I’d need to

sail an imaginary moana,

in a bumpy bucket boat,

get yelled at everyday,

do your mahi!

go to school!

I’d 

use blankets as my kingdom,

crawl around my soft crib,

with blankets like fluffy clouds,

I’d need 

a harry potter pukapuka after bed,

and a softly whispered,

goodnight.

Jharred J

Year 8

If only I could go back

Soft toy panda twice the size of me

Little red balance bike

A million rākau on dad’s 10 acres backyard

Branches creaking like rusty door hinges

Eating devilled sausages like a greedy pig

Eat all of your veggies, Brodie, mum would say

– at least eat half of it

Ice cream at kura

If only I can go back

Brodie

Year 8

My Childhood In Nepal Fades Away As My Life Moves On

football at the pāka

with my cousins

festival dumplings 

with chicken and chilli fillings

 

my mum tells me to eat my kai

without looking at a screen

the rooster’s crow

wakes the neighbourhood

early morning

kite flying on the roof

Sankalpa P

Yr8

In The Past

old mā bear

is now considered childish

a fun picture pukapuka filled with laughter and happiness

is now immature

an animal duvet cover

now plain kāhurangi 

enjoying fun pāngarau sheets

now more complex with confusing letters and symbols

a bed I cried getting into 

is almost impossible to get out of

a cute dress or skirt 

is now jeans and hoodies scented with perfume

keep the heads on your lego people, mama says

a lego room full of adventure 

now has been taken apart

don’t jump from the rākau, papa says

a trampoline, rope swing, monkey bars, high climbing tree

now, the backyard is empty

kei te pehea koe? you ask

I’m missing the past

Ila R

Year 8

My moana 

My moana loves her creatures

My moana loves her stars

My moana loves her people

My moana loves me

Daisy F

Yr8

lightfast, pair, hold, justice, endure

Here are our entries for the 2025 Given Word Poetry Competition. All our poems had to include the five given words: lightfast, pair, hold, justice, endure. See if you can spot them!

 

She Left

We were a perfect pair
We held hands to withstand our despair
She sought justice for our
            friendship
Walked in sync to endure
            our hardship
We were like lightfast fabric
            a bond that never fades
Tears fell under the shade
She was like a sister to me
            we skipped around carefree
On my own now, she found
            a new friend
I guess its just me now
            until the very end…

Ila Rutherfurd

The Pain Experience

I endure this pain
and cry out for justice.
I lost to a game,
holding my lightfast ball.
As I suffer from losing,
sitting alone with my hope
strip off my pair of shoes
and start to give up,
tears well up in my eyes.

Jharred Jacinto

22 February 2011 12:59pm

as I hold time between my palms 

I take a look around

these houses were built to endure centuries

but now they're torn to the ground

a pair of tears rolls down my cheek

I thought I was lightfast, indestructible

but now,

I’m lost

justice slips off of me like a stick of butter

Daisy Forster

Grandad, listen 

Grandad, hold your breath 

Grandad, pair your shoes 

Grandad, endure your justice 

Grandad, listen to me from the heavens

Lightfast hair never fades in the sun

Brodie Morris

The fear of losing

The laughter echoes, a lightfast melody,

in the chambers of my heart, eternally.

As I endure the hardship of grief, 

as I hold onto your ashes

I walk in the ripples of the ocean

thinking of your favourite spot to sit.

A pair of seagulls dive into the shining water

the birds fight for justice 

just like you.

 

Sankalpa Poudel 

 

Given Words Poetry Competition | Results

Our Term 3 senior group of Russley Writers took up the challenge to write poems for the Given Words Poetry Competition.  Our poems had to include the words  justice, endure, pair, lightfast, hold.

It was super exciting to send our poems to Spain, where Charles Olsen, director of Given Words (and one of the judges) is based.

Our Russley Writers' poems were up against some very stiff competition, in the Under 16 category. It was great to have a line from one of our writers' poems quoted in the judge's comments:

Lamenting that we don’t publish all the poems that we receive, Sophia highlighted some gorgeous lines from poems that did not make it in this time, such as: . . . 'justice slips off of me like a stick of butter' (Daisy Forster, 12)

Whilst we had no prize-winners this time, we are thrilled to see two of this term's Russley Writers' Club poets had their poems selected by the judges to be published on the Given Words website! 

Congratulations to Ila R and Jharred!

You can read the judge's selection of favourites here.

Well done to everyone who took the leap and entered. Share your poems, they are brilliant and deserve an audience! Keep your beautiful poems somewhere safe . . . you might find another opportunity to submit them elsewhere in the future. Finally, KEEP on WRITING! I can't wait to read more of your brilliant creations!