Monday, April 22, 2013

A New Zealand poetry page for children



After a night of lashing rain and crashing thunder it was a surprise to wake up to sun and stillness. I walked along the beach and shut my eyes to hear the world (I am doing a workshop with blind students soon so I keep doing this). The sea was mild - just licking the shore. There were squawking gulls, cheeping dottorel and beeping oyster catchers. 
It is holiday time so I am keen to post poems and letters by children every day. See Friday 19th April post for some suggestions by myself and by Bill Manhire. But really -- for the next two weeks Poetry Box is like a blank canvas on which you can write. This invitation is open for students up to Year 8. Send your writing to paulajoygreen@gmail.com. Include your name, age, year and name of school.
Happy days writing poems!
Sylvia O is 12 and goes to Parnell District School in Auckland. She sent me this poem with a little note whch I have included. I have read The Hunger Games trilogy and really loved each book so it was a delight to read this poem. I think it is really inventive (and well proof read!). I love the way she has used details from the story and I love the methods in her recipe. I am sure Suzanne Collins would be tickled pink to read this! Great job Sylvia!
Here is a recipe poem. I know you finished that ages ago, but I just wanted to send it to you anyway. My name is Sylvia O. I am a Year 8, age 12. Just in case you haven't read the books I will explain a few things. Primrose and Rue were too characters Katniss loved in the books. Prim was her sister, and Katniss loved Rue like a sister. Katniss declared lamb and plum stew as her favourite thing in the Capitol which is why that's there. And there are thirteen districts which is why I have made thirteen instructions. Okay, here it is, and I will thank you in advance for examining it:

The Hunger Games
Ingredients:
MockingJay food-colouring
Three brutalities
Four cups of love
Five cups of sadness
Five cups of fighting
Six cups of stories and memories
One teaspoon of Rue
A dried primrose

1. Take the sadness and capture it by putting a cool surface near it. Take three drops of it to use for later. Then store the rest in the freezer so it condenses overnight.
2.Take one love and add three tea-spoons of water to it. Mix with a wooden spoon until it is fluffy. Add a teaspoon of Mocking-Jay food colouring.
3.Take the fighting and mix with the love until it is right through.
4. Separate the quotes from the stories and memories. Whisk the memories and stories then put into the love and fighting. We will use the quotes later.
5. Take the brutalities and crush to a very fine powder using a mortar and pestle. Put the brutalities into the Rue.
6. Take the dried primrose and crush it. Sprinkle it all over the Rue.
7.Then put it in the bowl with the love and mix.
8. Put it in the freezer and wait overnight.
9. The next morning, add the three droplets of sadness to the quotes.
10. Take out the sadness and the bowl. The hunger games inside the bowl would have turn into ice if it is ready.
11. Wash the contents of the bowl with the sadness.
12. Take out the quotes and put them in a small bowl for dips.
13. Eat. The Hunger Games tastes good with the quotes but not with every bite because then it doesn't have any effect. Please also note that the Hunger Games tastes good with lamb and plum stew.

Paula Green
PO Box 95078 Swanson Waitakere 0653

1 comment:

Juliet said...

What a wonderful idea. I like the 'Hunger Games' poem - it's very touching.