Nature Activity Poems Published

 

Congratulations to these talented Russley writers, who have had their poems published on Poetry Box. 

Blake W | Wind

Sam L | Ginko Walk

James DW | Ginko

Anabelle K | extreme ginko walk

Mostafa | I Wonder Why

Esme | Scribbles

Paula Green's Poetry Box challenge was to write a nature poem, inspired by some of the activities in The Nature Activity Book, by Rachel Haydon and Pippa Keel. Paula invited students to explore nature, to listen and look, use their imagination, and take their time writing a poem.

She received hundreds of poems from all over NZ and said it was an exceptionally hard job choosing just a few. 

Paula said, "I loved reading your poems and I can tell you loved writing them. I especially loved the way you went outside and you listened and looked. What a terrific time the students at Russley School had slowing down in the world to look and listen."

"I loved the way some words stayed with me all day. I loved the way Esme ended her poem with a pencil scribbling!"

Paula Green chose Blake's poem, Wind, as one of her favourites and he will receive his own copy of the The Nature Activity Book. Congratulations, Blake!

I Wonder Why

 

In front of the library filled with books 

mysteries and adventures

a warning 

COVID-19 poster

the bare oak tree stretches its branches to reach the sky

soft breeze cools me down 

a flock of house sparrows chirp gracefully  

delicate flowers shine in the sun

and I wonder

why the sky 

is such a very bright blue?

- Mostafa Elnahas | 9 years old | year 5

Scribbles

Wind so shivering cold

I pull down my sleeves

until they cover my hands

The NZ flag flies awkwardly 

grasps the pole like a sail on a boat

A small rock in my shoe

pokes my foot hurting my heel 

A  fabulous fragile yellow nemesia

drops its petals

My red, sharp WARWICK pencil scribbles

adjectives and verbs

- Esme Stalker/10yrs/year 5

extreme ginko walk

rough white bricks on room 10

staying still like a statue in a museum

birds chirping like mad scientists

planning world domination

 

small brown twig  

tiny as a chopped grass root

puffy clouds swishing, swaying, 

moulding into indomitable dragons, chunky pigs,

silvery elephants prancing like circus pachyderms

- Annabelle Kang, age 8yrs

Ginko

Twig  nest crumbling

Greenfinch with ivory beak 

Soaring through the sky

Lonely gray stone not moving an inch

What is that yellow flower?

Fingertips skimming over the hopscotch

Tahi 

Rua

Toru

A white candyfloss palace

and whipped cream 

floating round the sky

Wha Rima

Ono

Whitu Waru 

 

I Listen to the Beach Boys booming from the hall

this is the best place ever

- James De Wit | Year 4

Ginko walk 

The airplane rumbles in the distance

like a teenager crunching into piles of pringles 

Grass sways in the wind 

like an old man waving at his best friend

Silky clouds reflect off my shirt 

like big blobs of paint beaming at me

Dead tickly shade leaves sunbathe 

under the burning hot sun

- Sam Li | age 8 | Year 4

Wind

I am the wind

I can blow your sandcastle down

I make the flag slither

like a snake

I can get your kite stuck

in a tree

I can make your hair go crazy

I can flip the pages of your book

I make sailboats bolt across the sea

In Autumn, I make leaf tornadoes

I sound like a stampede of elephants

I also sound like the waves

at the beach

I am a brachiosaurus burp

I am a peregrine falcon diving

but I can also be gentle

like a mouse

- Blake Weir | Year 3 | age 7yrs