Waiting for the Thunder to Stop

I'm waiting for the thunder to stop,

I'm waiting for the skies to clear,

I'm waiting for the flashes to cease,

I'm waiting to taste the air.

I'm waiting to be able to go outside,

I'm waiting to raise my head,

I'm waiting to feel no pressure on my face,

I'm waiting for the storm to leave no trace.

Life Bucks

Nervous anticipation,
The Horse backs into the box.
A flickering eye and a glance,
The rider checks the rigging,
Only my own breath of which i'm aware.
Bareback he is sat and ready. 
A sickening of the stomach. 
Then the gate opens -
Time doesn't work in this moment,
A sideways jerk to the right.
Not quite ready for this feeling.
Roughstock rear riding high in the air,
Just trying to hold on.
Each buck a kick of the legs,
Just trying to hold on. 
Spurs with dulled rowels tight to the sides,
Just trying to hold on.
Exhausted he's finally covered. 
Exhausted I reach the end. 

Falling on Bricks (Influenced by Shane Koyczan)

After having watched Shane Koyczan, I celebrated my father's birthday with this:

Shane can be seen at http://www.shanekoyczan.com/ or at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShaneKoyczan.

The Plonky Monk Stonk

In the last half term holiday, I had a couple of days where I wound down and made myself write. One result would only be translated by video.

I didn't say the translation would make sense!

The Plonky Monk Stonk

It was my thinking I was doing,
I was brainily using my conk.
But as I was walking along,
This is what caused the stonk.
See coming int he other direction
Sauntering along, came a monk.
As I wasn't paying no attention,
My senses went a-wonk.
I wandered into his path
And we collided with a bonk
He started spitting feathers,
Got angry and acted a plonk.
But his behaviour went too far
And he crazily called me a gonk.
I took matters in my own hands
And gave him a good left tonk.
So I reflect upon my actions,
How to avoid acting a right donk,
When I'm wandering aimlessly,
I'll remember to give a honk.

The Continuing Case for Keats

An excellent article about the importance of John Keats

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-continuing-case-keats-11305434.html?cat=10

The Jeannette Winterson quote at the end is particularly good.

The Dancer and The Felon

The dolphin wore tights,
Pelican held a melon,
They were caught in the act,
The dancer and the felon.

They'd met under moonlight
Many lifetimes ago
She was dancing on stage,
Whilst his crimes had hit a low.

He was upset they'd argued
At who's turn is was to pay,
"I'm a pelican not a tern.
No matter what they say!"

Angry he cried out,
"I don't understand your purpose."
She leapt on the line,
"I'm a dolphin not a porpoise."

They'd left without paying,
And he took with him the melon.
That's when the police caught up
with the dancer and the felon.

Infamy for the picture
That flashed across news stands,
Tights pulled over dolphins head
And a melon in pelican's hands.

Madder than a hatter (Why are hatters mad?)

Ideas for use in class at the bottom

Miss Lotte

That Miss Lotte who was nuts;

I mean completely round the bend.

She’d wear socks on her hands

And wave them at her friends.

She’d put her dress on backwards

And odd shoes on each foot.

It was definitely more than loose,

A screw was missing from her nut.

That Miss Lotte who was loopy;

I mean completely round the twist.

She said she new double dutch

And could converse with the fish.

She ate her dinner in the bath

And drank the water from the loo.

While all around her said, she was

Completely crackers and cuckoo.

That Miss Lotte who was balmy;

I mean gaga, crazy and mad.

Told the children they could riot

In the lessons that they had.

Said they should dance on the table,

Shout out and have a laugh.

But they stood open mouthed and knowing

She was noodle brained and daft.

That Miss Lotte who is bog-eyed

Is jam-headed and mungo-jerried,

Over the rainbow, out of her mind,

Tap-doo-lally and wholly wellied.

She is actually very kind.

Although not her only feature:

That Miss Lotte who is bananas,

Is the world’s greatest teacher.


Ideas for Teaching 

1. Identify the words that rhyme. use them to look at phonemes with the same sounds but different spellings e.g. foot and nut
2. Draw a picture for each verse (have children work in pairs or threes to do this.
3. Make a list of the words for mad/crazy
4. Make up your own words for crazy. Try finishing these phrases. (if you get stuck add food types in the spaces)

• Mad as a ...
• ... - headed
• ... - brained