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!'
