a million poems

the beginning

Te Kikorangi I said  it’s Thursday

and the kids at Belmont are waiting for us

digging into their bags to find kites and strings

opening the yummy lunches they made

with the best stuff in the fridge because

it’s poetry day and poets need all the fuel

they can get when they’re aiming at

A MILLION POEMS FOR MATARIKI

Te Kikorangi    I hear they’ve got big plans

kumara vines tangled up with stars

words that will go to the edge of the universe

words that will go running out the door

words that sneak into your heart

like an equalising goal in the last minute of play

rainbow words curling words whisper words

words that want to get under our feet

out in the street up on the web onto a phone   

words that will make us proud to start

ANOTHER MIILLION POEMS FOR MATARIKI

it’s nine o’clock on Thursday morning at Belmont

time to hand out posters and chalk

time to see where the kids will take us

with their star-tripping honey-dipping miracle poems

are you ready Te Kikorangi    are you ready

to roll with the Belmont kids today?

there were four pavlovas when we got to the hall

a postcard on legs and a buzzy bee    come in said the kids

it’s TAONGA WEEK    we like blue sticks and poems about us

we’ve made rustling kites that swoop and fly

all the way up to the misty sisters    we’ve got their names

like music in our poems    we’ve got parties and feasts

we’ve got kiwi chicks in downy jackets    pohutukawa

painted on our cheeks, an all black and a cottonball sheep

we’re writing homework excuses that rhyme and reason

wriggle and split because we’d rather be dancing with the stars

singing with the taewa    making a splash for Matariki

we’ve got Gabby and Tamarau in charge of the stick

and we’re asking Evie for a bite of her fabulous hat

jaffas jellybeans pineapple lumps    milkbottles eskimos

chocolate fish    our smart boards are full of flashing

twinkling gleaming sequins on a black dress

Te Kikorangi did you ever see anything so beautiful

a mother and her six daughters stepping over

the dawn horizon and into the world of light

Michele Leggott
17 June 2010                 This page was done by Ben, Year 5