World Poetry Day
As part of our Get Writing poetry workshop on the Education Hub we asked you to send us your poems for World Poetry Day on Sun 21 Mar.
A big thank you to everyone who submitted a poem. We’ve chosen a small selection that are around the theme of kindness and the environment – two themes of our upcoming globally live streamed production, Dr Seuss’s The Lorax. We hope you enjoy reading them.
Terra Gaia by Anja Summermatter
What a treasure if you just open your eyes
Smiling Flowers
Flowing rivers
Telling mountains
What a privilege if you just open your ears
Humming bees
Rustling leaves
Singing wind
What a miracle if you just open your heart
Vibrating higher and higher
You can reach the sky
Touch the clouds
Warm up in the sunrays
Read in the stars
And dream with the moon
We take it all for granted
Swallowing our thankyous
Disrespecting her
Who is like a mother to us
Wanting always more
A greed that drains her
She gives us oxygen
While we cut down her lungs
She nourishes our bodies
While we dry out her veins
She lets us walk on her skin
While we poison her fields
She gives and gives and gives
Till her resources are depleted
And she fades away more and more
Crumbles under our stomping feet
She begs us to stop
Warning us time and again
The choice is ours
Do we want to tear her down?
Burn, pollute, kill
Our Mama
Or do we plant new seeds?
Let them grow, unfold, bloom
Giving back what she has given us all along
It’s our turn, now it’s in our hands…
A Recipe For Kindness by June Russell (OV Pen Pal)
As much love as you want,
It has to be lots.
A big measure of kindness,
At least seven pots!
Big cups for sharing,
Add three spoons of goodwill.
A bag full of smiles,
Forgiveness, one big pill.
A barrel of laughter,
Gratitude is a must.
Positivity and patience plus a whole load of trust.
Spread this over a lifetime
With everyone you meet.
Then your recipe for kindness is truly complete.
Branching Out by Ash Riddell (aged sixty and three quarters)
Hello tree, you’ve been there all my life
You are the first of the day’s walk.
Morning Mr. Magpie, how’s your wife?
This is lockdown action, no need to talk.
All’s been said, all’s been debated,
Squish, crunch, slip and slide.
Perhaps all we know is we are fated,
After that fall, it’s just about the pride.
That tree knows it all, sees it all,
Has wisdom to match its years
Saves us, saves our planet.
Branches unique with wonder and awe
Gives us a wave, showering its dew,
Tall and strong without any fears.
Freedom will come in better days
When less becomes the normal more.
Stand up tall, see it all,
Cascade your leaves, tell us what you know.
You know we need to know it all, no more tears,
Set us on our ways; ready, steady, go.
Kindness by Wesley
Kindness, a virtue
Not a feeling, no matter
how fuzzy it is
Not a smile and not
Euphemisms no matter
How easy or nice
It is not yellow
No matter how simply bright
Nor in a heart shape
Kindness, a heart that’s
Anatomically correct
And always beats fast
Aware of risks and
Aware of destruction that
Hangs over others
Yes, the kind ones are
Always afraid for others
Aware of dangers
Because kindness is
Not about their hearts it’s
About their brother’s
And every other’s
All they see they ache for and
They will still take more
They will care enough
To push back all that impends
On you and your friends
Acting as constant,
Brazen, and resilient
As their fears combined
Kindness is the most
Dangerous kind of virtue
But it will be mine
Kindness by Ella M
I don’t have time for all that.
Can’t impress anyone with how often
I lend my brother my coat,
Not like anyone cares if I picked up
That strangers paper.
After all, I’m going places,
The sound of boots on cement
Heel toe, heel toe, heel toe
Echoing around the street like it’s a stadium.
A concert hall. A stage.
People speak in muffled tannoy voices,
Mind the gap, have a safe journey,
No time to stop. Spilt coffee
Makes a moat for me to cross
Fallen papers turned projectiles for me to dodge.
Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.
Must be getting on.
No time for useless kindnesses,
Muttered platitudes all you’ll get,
Downcast eyes and hands firm in pockets.
The sigh of the train
Leaving the station.
(Image at the top of the page was sent by one of our OV Pen Pal school’s Canyon Creek Elementary School in Utah)
Have a go at writing your own poetry with our free Get Writing workshop.
Get Writing workshop
