Primary Schools
[The following poems all came from the work with Archbishop Ilsley Pupils visiting
St Ambrose Barlow School, Holy Souls School, Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadettes School. All are written by Year 5-6 pupils, working with the Year 7 boys and the key writers.]
TV Questions
Do you like Eastenders?
No, I like Northenders
Do you like Corrie?
No, I like a balti
Do you like Changing Rooms?
No, I like it the way it is.
Do you like David Seaman?
No I like David Landman
Do you like CITV?
No, I like to see BBC
Do you like Sky?
No, I like the sun.
Do you like Milkshake?
No, I like Coke.
Do you like A Date in Hell?
No, I Like A Date in Heaven
Do you enjoy friends?
Yes, but I prefer enemies.
Growing Poem
HIGH
GIRAFFE
EATING LEAVES
SATURDAY NIGHT
DISCOED ALL NIGHT LONG
The Snake
Gentle Crusher
As the adder goes to his victim.
Slowly he wraps himself around the body
Silent Killer
Silent as he gently crushes the rabbits skull.
As the rabbit cries for help
The adder's jaw
Swallows his victim.
UNHAPPY MILLENNIUM
The year two thousand
Hearing arguments every night
Every night, I have to go to my bedroom
My Mum and dad don't get along
I hear plates being smashed
Living in this house is a nightmare
Lots of noises
Everywhere
Nowhere in the house is happy
No-one in the house is happy
I hope my Mum and dad stop fighting soon
Useless to hope
My millennium is a nightmare
HAPPY MILLENNIUM
This millennium is the best experience ever
Happy times I remember
Evening parties, Grrrreeeeeaaaatttt!
My Mum is laughing
I can hear dad slurping loudly at his drink
Lauren my sister is playing with me
Laughing is all I can hear
Everywhere far and near
Nobody is sad
No-one is speaking - the bells are going to go
I can hear the bells chiming
United together with my family
Millenniummmmmm!
Harry the Homeless Man
Harry is a homeless man
And carries his bag everywhere
Runs around the streets
Really hungry
Yes, he is a homeless man
The saddest man I’ve ever seen
He’s brainy
Even though he sleeps with rats
He uses them for company
On the canal side
Many people pass
Every single day
Leaving him alone at night
Eating scraps they’ve thrown away
Scraps small and
Scraps Big
Maybe not at all
After dark he’s all alone lying on the floor
No one wants to help, no one seems to care. Harry is that homeless man sleeping over
there.
DOES ANYBODY CARE?
The Cat
Fluffy cat.
Velvet fur tickling my leg.
Playful kitten.
Twisting and turning chasing the toy mouse. |
Sleepy fluffball
In the bed she lies asleep and purring.
The day my Nan died
The day my Nan died
My frown curved like a swimming stream
My heart was as deserted as a black cave
My tears dripped like a sobbing waterfall without a pool to stop them
A house of tears went out of the windows of my eyes
My heart broke down shimmering mirrors
My soul wanted to escape from the prison of sadness
I ran out of tears like an empty kettle
The day my Nan died.
Night-time
Tired, I slumped sleeping on the bed
Sighing out the day,
Yawning out the troubles of the day.
By my face, the warm cat curls and sleeps, tickling,
The shadows dance on the curtains,
And silent sleep tiptoes to my pillow.
Relaxing drifting noises fill the room,
Peaceful owls tu-whit tu-whoo at distant stars
As I slip finally peaceful to snoring sleep.
Midnight explodes with evil nightmares,
Crashing through the window, disturbing, petrifying,
Screaming vampires, blood-sucking eys of sickening dead people
Dark evil mind-blasting monsters screeching
As squeaky geeky bats, hovering,
Laugh at the howling foxes.
I desperate twisting dreams
Creepy pyjamas sweat on the bed of squashed spiders wriggling
I leap into waking,
Scream at the scary shadows
Look for the deadly witches at the window
But no-one comes.
Silence.
The moon shimmers,
The stars shiver.
In the garden a spiky hedgehog shuffles.
In the distance nightclub music blasts.
And silent sleep tiptoes back and carries me off
Once more, to the warm relaxing wonderland
That holds me safe until morning.
Year 5 at St Ambrose Barlow with Peter Wynne-Willson [This poem was made up of lines written by pupils]
Sad Poem
Some happy times I won't forget
When Granny died I was very upset
I used to see her every day
But now I can't, 'cause she's gone away
I see her picture in my hand
My perfect grandma
That picture has faded now away
That picture from my head
The vision has faded away
But her heart will always stay
Stay in my soul
I remember the times she came for tea
And when she brought sweets for me
The frame of heart she had was
Too dear and
Too kind
The Gran I had, died for me
Her candle burned out
Her legend will live
Bye bye Granny
From your
Grandson
The Bad Cat
Alarmed hunter
Eyes are wide when hunting.
Sneaky killer
Turning and twisting he spots the pray.
Fierce killer
As he eats the prey.
Dudley Zoo
I went to Dudley Zoo and saw:
1 pink pot-bellied pig
2 slimy slithery scaly snakes
3 giggly googly goats
4 hippy hoppy hedgehogs
5 dirty disgusting ducks
6 tiny tiddling tickling tigers
7 busy bellowing bears
8 kicking kanging kangaroos
9 clever clinging clumping crocodiles
10 enormous eating elephants
That was my trip to Dudley Zoo
I hope next time you will join me too.
The Postman
As I got on the train, I knew the journey would be the same.
Passing all the people, Even a big tall steeple.
Seeing a big woolly ball it was a flock of sheep.
I listened to the sounds of their tiny bleep.
As I'm looking out of the window,
The reflection is of people playing bingo.
Looking up at the clouds, I hear the birds singing loud.
The trains going fast, And too quick to see the things we past.
The train has stopped puff, puff, puff, I have to go and get my stuff.
Two big bags and a sack full of toys, All deliveries for girls and boys.
As I get off I begin my round, The postman has reached town.
School
The bell goes
The cock crows
The pigs line up with the pigs.
The sheepdogs march barking to the matching dogs.
Farmers strut out proudly
Round up the noisy animals totheir paddocks
The school farm goes quiet.
The Rich Man Talks to Harry
Q. Why are you under the bridge?
A. Cause I got no home.
Q. Got any money, mate?
A. I’ve got a few quid, but I want to save it.
Q. Have you got a family?
A. Yes, but my wife threw me out.
Q. Do you want some dosh?
A. Yes, please.
Q. How much?
A. As much to get a job and my family together.
Harry
First day. No hope
Second day. I can’t cope. Still no hope.
Third day. Job centre.
No luck. No love.
Fourth day scorching, gleaming bright
Above me on the bridge.
A rattle snake hiss as the bus breaks down.
Children barge and roll, a herd of animals, to throw stones
I huddle in my coat.
Hello o o o o
Listen to the
echo o o o o
No stones.
They approach me on tiptoe like snails.
Whisper to each other.
Point and poke.
"Don’t hurt me, please, too weak."
"Do you need any help?
Any food? Any money?
We can give you some.
We are your friends."
The Accident
The lanky building fell on the midget people
It squashed a fat policeman in his cop-car
Brainless surgeons couldn't help
Long-haired hippies meditated around his flat body, and pealed him off the floor
They stuck him into a bus-shelter for kids to throw darts at
He's been there ever since.
Ghost Story
Mum, are ghosts real?
Yes they are real.
Mum are there ghosts in this house?
Yes there is one in the loft
Mum, what do ghosts eat?
They eat little boys called John
Mum, when do ghosts come out?
When you're in bed
To gobble off your head.
Mum, will the ghost eat my head.
YES!