Pupils published by Penguin!

 

Congratulations to Liam B and Eliza S who have had their poetry published by Penguin Random House New Zealand in Roar Squeak Purr - a New Zealand Treasury of Animal Poems! This beautiful hardback book was edited by Paula Green and includes glorious illustrations by Jenny Cooper. 

Along with ex-Russley pupils Benson L, Eabha D and Jade H, Liam and Eliza were among 28 clever young poets from primary schools across Aotearoa whose poems were selected by Paula Green for inclusion in this anthology. The book has been 2 years in the making and we are very excited and proud to finally see it! 

To be published in such a quality book alongside authors such as Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Gavin Bishop, Katherine Mansfield and Janet Frame is quite extraordinary! 

Roar Squeak Purr

 We are eagerly awaiting the release of Paula Green's 'Roar Squeak Purr', an anthology of animal poems by New Zealand writers, including some of our very own students!

Current students Liam B and Eliza S along with ex-pupils Jade, Eabha and Benson all have poems published in this stunning book! Exciting stuff!

Newly published authors | Toitoi 27

Congratulations to our newest published authors; James De Wit and past pupil Eabha Dalton, who have both had their writing published in Toitoi 27.

Eabha's beautiful piece about her Irish grandad can be found on page 21. James wrote a very entertaining poem titled 'How to Get Out of Doing a Maths Test' which you can read on page 81.

 

 

Form Poetry

 

Some of our Writing Club students explored various forms of poetry and wrote some for Paula Green's Poetry Box challenge. We had summery acrostic poems, instructional poems and plenty of odes- including odes to Mrs Ussher and Mr Walker. 

Congratulations to these students, who had their poems picked to be published on the Poetry Box website.

Special congratulations to Eabha and James, who Paula has selected among her favourites. She is sending them each a book of poetry; Skinny Dip: Poetry, eds Susan Paris & Kate De Goldi (for Eabha) and Groovy Fish by Paula Green (for James).

Here are the poems, and you can read them on the Poetry Box site also.

Summer Sun (acrostic)

Sun shining
Umbrellas shading
Mums lathering on thick sunscreen
Mum sunbathing on the chair
Eating sticky ice creams
Racing on the hot sand to the water

Summer waves tickle the sand
Unusual blue crabs scurrying away from sandy little hands
Nice cool waves glistening like a diamond

Amelia Y, Y8, Russley School

Here's a beautiful ode written by Sophia, to her Mum:

Mum (ode)

Oh, your hair is as brown
as sweet melted chocolate

Your eyes are pools
of glistening blue water

Your cooking would make 1000 people
want to stay for dinner

You have humour that would only
make a dad laugh

Sophia E, Year 4, Russley School

Eabha has written an instructional two-breath poem, inspired by the one-breath poem by Christchurch author Greg O'Connell ('How to Swim a Length Underwater'):

Push ups, an instructional poem

Read in two breaths.

Move into a planking position making sure your hands are parallel to your shoulders and the small of your back is not arched then you must squeeze your core tight and hold your breath before beginning to bend your elbows which is when your body should start to get closer to the ground and after repeating this a few times you may breathe again. But you must hold your breath immediately afterwards and your upper arms and core will begin to feel like it’s about to implode but if you do too many push ups you will collapse to the ground in a heaping mess.

Eabha D, Year 8, Age 13

James DW has written an ode about a sport he is passionate about:

Ode to the Best Ball

You fly through the air like a hawk with a back wind
You are as bouncy as a trampoline
as grippy as newly bought shoes
as orange as a freshly grown carrot
When you swish it makes me feel like Steph Curry

Some people find your continuous bouncing annoying
Some people think your game has too many rules
Some people think mouth guards are uncomfortable
Some people don’t like you

but you appeal to me

James D, Age 10, Year 5, Russley School

 

We love the ode Moaz wrote to Mr Walker! (We hope Mr Walker does too!):

Ode to Mr Walker

Oh, your hair is as dark as a log.
Your tie is fastened like a seat belt.
You run the classroom like a
world-wide famous comedian.
You teach the whole class properly
but still you add a lot of
silliness into learning.
When you come up to the
microphone at assembly, you fill up with joy
like a hot air balloon ready to take off.
You are simply the one and only
Mr Walker.

Moaz A, Yr 5, Age 10, Russley School

Eabha and Micheala worked together to write this acrostic summer poem:

Summer (acrostic)

Sun shining on the yellow bay.

Umbrellas are wasted in this heat.

My legs burn from the scorching temperature.

Magazines escape the hands of sunbathers and fly into the sun.

Energetic children splash in the low tide.

Rat-bag seagulls steal my hot chip lunch and gleefully glide away.

Micheala E, Eabha D, Year 8, age 13, Russley School

Sara's ode is to her cat, Isla:

Ode to Isla

Your fur is as dark as the midnight sky
Your eyes shine like the stars at night
Your nose is as dark as a blackberry
Your howl sounds like a balloon deflating
Your tail wags like leaves blowing in the wind

You are as playful as a pixie with fairy dust
In the car you are as calm as the sun setting
On walks you bounce around like a basketball
You’re always hungry, like a panther who hasn’t eaten for days

When you are excited, you zoom around the house
like a ferrari on a race track
It is summer every day with you here
You are cunning, cute and courageous
I couldn’t imagine life without you

Sara T, Age 10, Y6, Russley School

Another ode to Summer, this one is from Lucas Y:

Ode to Summer

Your ice block melting weather
makes me want to be outside
Oh, you make the crops and flowers grow
to the peak of perfection

You make the tennis stars come out to play
You let the gardeners snip away
at their bushes and trees
You let the school fields be open

You are my saviour from the freezing cold
Your heat waves make the parents
give in to the mr whippy ice cream
Oh, summer what would I do without you?

Lucas Y, Age 10, Year 5, Russley School

Our Awa Nui writing team put their heads together to create this ode to our wonderful librarian, Mrs Ussher. She has this poem pinned to the wall by her desk. Go and check it out!

Ode to Our Librarian

Oh, Mrs Ussher,
hair as bright as a sunflower,
glasses perched on your nose

You run the library
like the queen
of a castle

issuing books
faster than the speed of light

Your book fairs are magnificent
like a room full of treasure

You’re simply the best
librarian ever

Moaz A, Lucas Y, James DW, Sophia E, Sara T, Chloe S
Y5 and Y6, Awa Nui Writing Club, Russley School

Lockdown Poems Published

Congratulations to Alexia, Amelia G, Eabha, Jasmin M and Michaela... who have all had poetry selected and published by Paula Green on the Poetry Box website.

Paula has picked Alexia to send a book prize to. 

AWESOME!

Object Poem

Here's a fabulous poem written by Eabha D, for the Poetry Box Object Poem Challenge. Can you work out which object Eabha has written about?

Untitled | Object Poem

Hard backed, and thick spined

Stories hidden beneath the surface

A world created by one, and shared with many

tale of joy and strife

layers of crisp white paper hold knowledge 

beyond my years

I open up the book and 

run my index finger across the page, 

taking in every word

I'm ready to begin my adventure.

by Eabha Dalton, Year 8

Given Word Poems

Here are some more poems written by some talented Russley poets for the Given Word Challenge for National Poetry Day.

The poems had to include five given words (in either English, te reo Māori or a mix of both):

pō / dusk

hau / breath

tūpuna / ancestors

hiki / raise

karoro / black-backed gull

Here's my pick of the best entries from our Russley Writers:

* * *

Whakangā

Dusk fell 

but still she carried on

A misty cloud of breath escaping her rosy lips

Stories of her tūpuna filled her mind

Raising her head

she gazed at the golden specks

that filled the dark sky 

Jolting back into reality she turned to leave

Halting to survey the beach,

noticing a large, flaxen legged karoro

stepping tentatively through the damp, taupe sand

Oblivious to everything but this moment

- by Ruby Jones Johnston, Year 8

* * *

Papatūānuku

The black-backed gulls glide in the creamy blue rangi, 

back to the nests at pō.

We wander at the seaside, 

listening to the sound of crashing waves,

hide my feet in the dark blue water,

take a breath of fresh air, 

go back home when we are tired. 

We share the land of Papatūānuku.

She raised everybody,

our beloved tūpuna.

- by Patricia Chen

Year 3

* * *

Karoro

as the sky turned

from blue to amber

at dusk

the karoro soared

through the sunset

gracefully

with the breath

of its tūpuna

on its wings.

hiki tall

karoro,

raise up.

- by Max Jones Johnston

Year 4

* * *

Te mutunga of their dreams

From dusk 

and into the long lonely nights 

our brave tūpuna conquer 

the endless ocean.

Drawing their first hau 

of the early morning, 

they slowly hiki their sleepy sails, 

and know triumph. 

As they see the glorious karoro 

coat as smoky grey as the glistening ocean 

soaring above them 

and the land they dreamed of.

- by Ila Rutherfurd

Year: 4

And here is Eabha's beautiful poem again, in case you missed it:

Manu

at dusk

he stands proudly by the dock 

just like the nights before,

his cold eyes watch the sea 

thinking of his ancestors and loved ones

I see the black-backed gull

raise his wings 

the colour of night 

and take flight 

chasing the fading sun

I'll hold my breath 

till he returns here tomorrow 

at dusk

- by Eabha Dalton

Year 8

Manu | by Eabha D

Manu

at dusk

he stands proudly by the dock 

just like the nights before,

his cold eyes watch the sea 

thinking of his ancestors and loved ones

I see the black-backed gull

raise his wings 

the colour of night 

and take flight 

chasing the fading sun

I'll hold my breath 

till he returns here tomorrow 

at dusk

by Eabha D. (Year 8)

Published on Poetry Box

More of our Russley Writers have had their work published on Paula Green's website, Poetry Box. Congratulations to:

Ella-Rose - Daisy
Eabha D - Cat
Liam Bond - Mingles, my Pet Cat
Reuben Veenstra - Millie
James de Wit - Explaining a Cat to an Alien | Ocean
Oliver Peters - The Prowler of Night
Lillia Poh - Greygrizzledog
Henry P - Things that Wake Me in the Night
Willow Rentoul - Going to the Sea

These students have been picked by Paula to win a copy of her book, Groovy Fish: Liam, Reuben, Lillia, Henry and James.

Congratulations!

Cat Poems

This is Enzo,
who goes on adventures and finds himself in unusual places.

Here are some clever cat poems, written by our awesome Russley Writers, and some photos of our family cats.


My cat
has a friend

She's called Luna
and my cat Millie
admires her

They play a lot
climbing  menacing trees
darting between scruffy bushes
catching unsuspecting birds
together
forever

Until
we moved

I know Millie misses Luna
maybe we’ll visit sometime
But for now
Millie will just have to make some more friends

by Reuben V (Year 8)


Creeping down the hall,
Out of sight
Making a lot of noise,
In the night
Dancing on the roof,
Hold on tight
It’s your little kitten,
THAT CAN BITE!

by Eabha D (Year 8)


Greygrizzledog

She howls like the wind,
As grey as an hb pencil,
She purrs like a train engine,
She's as still as a statue
As wiggly as a worm
Her eyes are like cameras capturing everything we do
But she is my cat and I love her to bits!

by Lillia P (10yrs)


Explaining a Cat to an Alien

Welcome to earth
this is a cute cat
A cat is a tiny skeleton wrapped in fur
They have triangle ears like illuminati symbols

There is a long bone that sticks out of their behind,
when they walk past it tickles
They have eighteen keen claws to scratch a couch
Cats have tiny white teeth for crushing mouse skulls

Their glowing eyes can cut through the dark
No matter what height they fall from
they always settle on four landing pads
They sound lethal but they are only awake
for 37 minutes everyday

 by James dW (8yrs)


Mingles, my Pet Cat 

His feet are as white as snow
He has radar ears that flicker to any sound
Slithery tail like a snake
His eyes are as green as freshly grown grass
which light up when I rattle his food

by Liam B (11yrs)


The Prowler Of Night

She prowls around like a burglar
and slips through fences like a bar of soap

With pointy ears and a long smooth tail
her Midnight coat makes her invisible to human eyes

Long whiskers illuminate her face
her tail curls around branches

Her teeth shine in the moonlight,
as sharp as a gorse bush

The icy wind brushes against her coat of warm fur
she stalks her prey like a jaguar

Her yellow eyes sparkle like a sapphire
she leaps high like a pogo-stick

When the sun begins to rise from the east,
she sneaks back through her cat-flap

and snuggles up to sleep on the soft cushions on Mum’s chair

by Oliver P (9yrs)

Introducing Ziggy:
you could not find a more relaxed cat.

Mischief and Ziggy:
snuggled up on a cold, Autumn day.

Ziggy again:
My cat likes to sleep in egg cartons. Seriously.

Poetry Box Poets

These clever poets have had their poems published on Paula Green's Poetry Box website. You can read them below, or find them on her blog: https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2020/05/09/poetry-box-bubble-time-friday-8th-childrens-mahi/


Sophie Elkins - My Favourite Tree (Sophie has won a book for her poem!)

My Favourite Tree

My birch is as rough as a Rhinos horn
And as calm as peace and quiet
It's as beautiful as a mystical starry night
It’s looked over me when I was young
and will look over further on

It's not exactly straight
But it's like only a little crooked like a crooked house
Its graceful leaves luxuriously sway
side to side in the ferocious wind
It will always be with me no matter where I am
I will always think of it as beautiful

even when dad grumbles like a gorilla over the leaves
When I look and think about it
I will always remember the wonderful time
I took my first step up on the trunk
looking out, over the street like an eagle

James de Wit - Death of an Autumn Leaf, The Wiggly Squiggly Hose, The Peaceful Night


Death of an  Autumn  Leaf

Autumn leaves glide like flying squirrels in North America
They cascade like lemmings migrating off a cliff
they sail like shipwrecks

leaves pile-up like toys on the floor
They die on the ground
like lemmings at the bottom of the cliff
 Leaves accumulate like money in the bank

leaves rot like an apple
in the bottom of my school bag
They decompose like dinosaurs
when the mighty meteor hit
Leaves corrode
like rust on the bottom of a shabby Corolla

The Wiggly Squiggly Hose

The hose is like a tapeworm tangled up in my stomach
It loops around itself like an elephant’s trunk
It is coiled and knotted like my shoelaces

Our hose drips water like a broken toilet.
It leaks water onto the ground like a sewer pipe
It sprays water like a skunk defending itself.

My hose is as long and green as Jack’s beanstalk
It is as long and green as five Kermits tied together
It is as long and green as a vine of sour grapes


The Peaceful Night

My bed is luxurious with the softest pillow in the world
the blankets are toasty and snug,
the room is dark and cozy,
just perfect for sleeping in

As my eyes start to shut
a loud snore comes from my brother’s room,
the house creaks 7 times every 7 seconds,
my crazy dog begins to bark
to get outside and hunt hedgehogs

After that long and interrupted sleep,
I think I might need a coffee today,
possibly a cappuccino


Lillia Poh - Lockdown List

Lockdown List

leaves, leaves, leaves crunching
mailboxes, moths no one’s bunching
Dogs, dogs, dogs barking
creeks, cats, cars are parking
Sparrows, Sparrows, Sparrows tweeting
Felicias, friends no one's meeting
Wind, wind, wind whistling
bears, bikes, sausages sizzling.

Lucas Yee - Lockdown Walk, Bean Bag

A Lockdown Walk

White fluffy clouds roamed the sky.

The streets were deserted like the basement of an abandoned house.

Brown, crunchy leaves crackled with every step.

Leafless Birch trees lined the streets.

The occasional car interrupted the surreal silence.

Suddenly a big gust of wind blew me over and I came tumbling down SPLAT!!!!


Bean Bag
The surface is like the colour of a snow lynx’s coat.
It’s as oval as an egg.
Puffy as a cloud dancing in the sky.
Soft as a bed of marshmallows.
Furry as a Maine Coon cat.
Warm as an overheated computer.


Ella-Rose - Beans

Beans

foil crinkling as I
dip my hand
into the packet

what do I
wish for
dinner?

popcorn and
apple pie
maybe a dash
of
coconut

cantaloupe
and coffee
blueberries
and bubblegum

doctor pepper
or island punch
creaming soda
or root beer

my mouth watering
as I dip my hand
into the
rainbow

into the world
of
sugar

into the
land of
sweets

into...
jellybeans

Reuben Veenstra - Mondial Rose

The Mondial Rose

The rose bush is like Medusa's hair
Twisting and creeping towards the sky

It is a brave warrior
Fighting with long, vicious thorns

It is a forest
Calm, relaxing and beautiful

It is a hotel
Welcoming small guests

The flowers are women
wearing soft, white dresses

The buds are young children
Running with the breeze

The wilting flowers are elders
Waving their relatives goodbye


Liam Bond - Nibbles My Pet

NIBBLES My Pet 

Nibbles is as hot as an erupting volcano
He is as fast as Lightning McQueen
His feet are as small as a lego figure
His whiskers twitch like he is about to sneeze
He is just a bit bigger than a block of butter
He looks like an oreo biscuit with a splash of Caramel on the side

Did you guess what I was writing about ???

It is a guinea pig


Liam Clark - Autumn

Autumn

Leaves blowing
trees flowing
the lemons
are growing.

My brother’s
birthday’s
coming up.

Eabha Dalton - String Lights, Things That Wake Me Up in the Night

Pitter pitter patter
The footsteps of a beast
I am too cold yet heavily  fleeced,
my rumbling stomach’s churning after my midnight feast

Swish swish swoosh
The branches of the trees
I hold my breath and hug my knees,
              my heart takes a few seconds to unfreeze

Flick flick flock
The flickering of the lightswitch
I hide under my quilt from the witch,
And my fingers go bonkers for a giant itch

Tweet tweet beep
The sound of the morning
I climb out of bed lazily to spread my warning
And nobody seems to be conforming!


String lights

Rain droplets hanging on a thread of silver
A thousand shooting stars
stuck on a moonbeam
Tiny fairies dancing around a cherry tree
A glittery snake slithering
around my bedroom
Eyes of an owl looking at me as I sleep
Long and twisted jungle vines
Miniscule marbles pink and blue
My little string lights.

Aaliyah Rentoul - Weedeater

The Weedeater

Oh no there it is again
the one
the hungry
weedeater machine

It gobbles the garden like baboon
It roars and hisses like a car engine starting
It gnaws the grass, the weeds
like a mouse nibbling on cheese

Me and my sister like a lovely stroll
and then ahh!
There it is again at this place
at that place
all over the show
like a monkey dancing to jazz music

here and there
everyone’s got them
Where do we go?

I know we can hide like a turtle in its shell
as it rushes and gushes and strikes but misses,
I think it’s full- no more weeds
but we’ll see you again, beasty machine!


Ila Rutherfurd - Things That Wake Me in the Night

Things that Wake Me Up at Night 

I listen to the cars drift past my driveway in the dark night.
Wind whirling in the night sky.
No one can hear or see me.
So I am desperate to be safe.
Snug in a rug in my warm cosy bed.
I hear the birds singing bedtime songs to the chicks.
The bedtime stories are making me sleepy
so I go to bed and say my prayers.

Good night, New Zealand

Russley Students to be Published by Penguin Random House!

This is indeed very exciting news...

The following Russley writers have had their work chosen to be included in a poetry anthology by Paula Green. The book will be published by Penguin Random House, and released next year. MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to these very talented students.

You can read their poems below. They were written in 2019, in poetry workshops with Russley Writers' Club.

Spiky Moon

by Jade Holmes, (age 11)

The moon is a grey dog

playing with a white shiny bone

The moon is a black computer

doing tiring homework

The moon is a white piece of paper

ripping in the dark spooky night

The moon is a glowing tooth

under my pillow

 

PĪWAKAWAKA

- by Eabha Dalton (age 11)

My fluttery tail and swishy wings help me fly

I can snatch little bugs straight out of the bright, blue sky

My brother is charcoal and I am chocolate

and when people whistle, I will come right away

My nest isn’t made of hay,

I am piwakawaka, every single day

THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT

- by Benson Lee (age 10)

I ruffled my feathers

in the rough stormy weather

dim-lit sky withered

evening smells slithered

puddle water glimmered 

as last light shimmered

Kiwi's Features

- by Liam Bond (age 9)

long beak scavenging for grubs

tiny wings to tuck his beak in

when he goes to sleep

fast legs bolting from predators

a kiwi's shrill call

like my brother's shriek

PARTY IN THE SHED

- by Eliza Sellier (age 10)

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The humans will be sleeping

the fantail will be tweeting

the cicada will never stop screeching.

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The kea is coming

the kaka is coming

even the kiwi will make its way.

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The little blue’s bringing the fish

the Kererū is bringing berries

even the bellbird is bringing the worms.

As the sun rises

we know we must leave

for now the world is waking.

Poetry Box Poets

The following Russley writers have had their poems published on Paula Green's Poetry Box website. Sophie Elkins was chosen as an overall favourite, and wins a copy of Paula's book, Groovy Fish. Congratulations, Sophie!

I also want to make special mention of prolific poet James de Wit, who had THREE poems published. Awesome!


Sophie Elkins - My Favourite Tree

James de Wit - Death of an Autumn Leaf, The Wiggly Squiggly Hose, The Peaceful Night
Lillia Poh - Lockdown List
Lucas Yee - Lockdown Walk, Bean Bag
Ella-Rose - Beans
Reuben Veenstra - Mondial Rose
Liam Bond - Nibbles My Pet
Liam Clark - Autumn
Eabha Dalton - String Lights, Things That Wake Me Up in the Night
Aaliyah Rentoul - Weedeater
Ila Rutherfurd - Things That Wake Me in the Night


Paula also published two of our Pass the Poem pieces...

Team Roto Writers (Mrs K, James, Lucas Y, Emilia, Henry, Oliver, Amber & Sam)
Pass the Poem - Ninja Cat

Team Awa Nui Writers (Mrs K, Lillia, Aaliyah, Sophie, Lily T, Therese)
Pass the Poem - Button Moon

Wildlife Poems Published on Poetry Box

Congratulations to the following students, who have had their NZ Wildlife poems published on Poetry Box.

Ava M, Fairy Tern
Benson L, The Brightest Night
Eabha D, PĪWAKAWAKA
Eliza S, PARTY IN THE SHED
Kimberly C, New Zealand Forest
Liam Bond, A Kiwi's Feature

Paula Green is sending Ava a copy of Gavin Bishop’s Wildlife in Aoteaoa thanks to Penguin Random House. 

NEW ZEALAND FAIRY TERN

by Ava Mackay

small, white, grey and black

feathers flutter wildly

twisting over the ocean

looking for a fishy prey

feet and beak shine

like newly minted coins

as they dive towards

the shimmering ocean

their ovoid eggs lie waiting

like hidden treasure

in a sandy dip

by the shore

THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT

- by Benson Lee

I ruffled my feathers

in the rough stormy weather

dim-lit sky withered

evening smells slithered

puddle water glimmered 

as last light shimmered

PĪWAKAWAKA

- by Eabha Dalton

My fluttery tail and swishy wings help me fly

I can snatch little bugs straight out of the bright, blue sky

My brother is charcoal and I am chocolate

and when people whistle, I will come right away

My nest isn’t made of hay,

I am piwakawaka, every single day

PARTY IN THE SHED

- by Eliza Sellier

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The humans will be sleeping

the fantail will be tweeting

the cicada will never stop screeching.

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The kea is coming

the kaka is coming

even the kiwi will make its way.

There’s a party in the shed!

There’s a party in the shed!

The little blue’s bringing the fish

the Kererū is bringing berries

even the bellbird is bringing the worms.

As the sun rises

we know we must leave

for now the world is waking.

A Kiwi's Features

- by Liam Bond

long beak scavenging for grubs

tiny wings to tuck his beak in

when he goes to sleep

fast legs bolting from predators

a kiwi's shrill call

like my brother's shriek

Paula Green commented on Liam's poem:

'I really enjoyed the fascinating detail... and bringing your brother's shriek in at the end was genius!'

New Zealand Forest

- by Kimberly Currie

The fantail glides around, circling the trees. My footsteps crackle against the golden leaves and old twigs. The fantail is distracted by every step I take. He lands, ruffling his feathers against a nearby tree. He picks himself up and flies against the light breeze. I snap a twig off a kowhai and put it out to the left of me. He cautiously flies down and lands on the twig. I take a closer look and scan the details. He has fluffy ombre feathers like Rapunzel’s long thick hair and three toes on each side of his petite feet. I whistle a short rhythm and a whole war party of fantails float around me like miniature ships on the light blue sea.

Paula Green had this to say about Kimberly's poem: 'I love Kimberly's prose poem so much - such great detail and a vivid picture. I was entranced by the scene she built with such carefully chosen words. Wonderful!'