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
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