GameplaybyKwameAlexander
onthepitch,lightningfaSt,
dribble,fake,thenmakeadash
playertriestOstealtheball
liftandstepandmakehimfall
zipandzoomtofindthespot
defensereadiesfortheshot
Chip,thenkickitintheair
takeofflikeaBelgianhare
shootitleft,butwatchitCurve
allhecandoisobserve
watchtheballbEndinmid-flight
playthisgamefaRintonight.
InTheDistancebySarahCrossan&Brian
Conaghan
Iwatch
Jess
goclack-clack
down
trainline
track.
Iseetraindisappear.
Twolights
winkatme
inlongdistance.
Everythingnowinlongdistance:
Everydreaminlongdistance.
Lifeisall
clicketyclack.
SchoolDinnerbyJosephCoelho
Asliceofgravy
Aspitofjelly
Asmearofcustard
Ahuskofsausage
Adribbleofbeans
Asicklysliverofmeat
Acoldsnottymushofveg
Ayellowedrockofsugar
Abrowningmashoffruit
Alumpofmash
Ascabofpizza.
Apackedlunchplease.
AardvarkbyJosephCoelho
Iknowanaardvark
Heworksinaprison
asaguardvark.
Hespendshiswholeday
walkingroundtheyardvark.
Thework’snoteasy,
it’sveryhardvark.
OnomatopoeiabyJosephCoelho
Awordthat’sasound!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Theboominacloud!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Thebarkofadog!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Thecreakofalog!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Thewhooshofabreeze!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Theatchooofasneeze!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Theringofabell!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Thesplashofawell!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Thetweetofabird!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
Asoundthat’saword!That’s…
Onomatopoeia!
NewBoybyGarethOwen
Outintheplayground
Facelikestone
Lookatthenewboy
Allalone.
Newschooluniform
Hairinplace
Mummy’ssweetkisses
Stillwetonhisface.
Poorlittlenewboy
Filledwithdread
Wisheshewashomeagain
Safeinbed.
LetsShakeonitbyJasonHulme
“Doyoulikefootball?”
“YesIdo.”
“Doyouwanttobefriends?”
“YesIdo.”
“Oklet’sshakeonit!”
“Makefriends,Makefriends,
Nevereverbreakfriends!”
“DoyoulikeManU?”
“NoIdon’t.”
“Doyouwanttobefriends?”
“NoIdon’t.”
“Oklet’sshakeonit!”
“Breakfriends,Breakfriends,
Neverevermakefriends!”
“Doyoustilllikeme?”
“YesIdo.”
“Oklet’sshakeonit!”
“Makefriends,Makefriends,
Nevereverbreakfriends!”
“Doyoumeanit?”
“YesIdo!”
TeacherbyRogerStevens
She’sbigandwidebutmovesjustlikeacat
Alongawall.Shesmileslikethequeen.
Herchoiceofclothesisblack.Shewearsahat.
Althoughoccasionallyshewillweargreen.
Shealwaysmarksyourbookinpencil,neverpen.
Hervoiceisquiet.Asquietasfallingsnow.
Sherarelyrages.Nowandagain
Hervoiceisraised.Butdoessheshout?Ohno.
Shefixesyouwitheyesaspaleassnake.
Shestopsyoudead.Sheseesintoyoursoul.
Youcannotmove.Yourheartbeatsandyoushake.
Youwanttoshout,I’msorry!Letmego!
Herclasswilltellyouthatshe’skindandfair.
Theynevermisbehave.Theywouldn’tdare.
ParentProblemSolvedbyJaspreBanks
MumandDaddemandrespect,
Theysaythatthey’remybetters.
ButIcanmakethemDumandMad
Bychangingroundtwoletters.
RememberbyChristinaRossetti
RemembermewhenIamgoneaway,
Gonefarawayintothesilentland;
Whenyoucannomoreholdmebythehand,
NorIhalfturntogoyetturningstay.
Remembermewhennomoredaybyday
Youtellmeofourfuturethatyouplann'd:
Onlyrememberme;youunderstand
Itwillbelatetocounselthenorpray.
Yetifyoushouldforgetmeforawhile
Andafterwardsremember,donotgrieve:
Forifthedarknessandcorruptionleave
AvestigeofthethoughtsthatonceIhad,
Betterbyfaryoushouldforgetandsmile
Thanthatyoushouldrememberandbesad.
IfbyRudyardKipling
Ifyoucankeepyourheadwhenallaboutyou
Arelosingtheirsandblamingitonyou,
Ifyoucantrustyourselfwhenallmendoubtyou,
Butmakeallowancefortheirdoubtingtoo;
Ifyoucanwaitandnotbetiredbywaiting,
Orbeingliedabout,don’tdealinlies,
Orbeinghated,don’tgivewaytohating,
Andyetdon’tlooktoogood,nortalktoowise:
Ifyoucantalkwithcrowdsandkeepyourvirtue,
OrwalkwithKings—norlosethecommontouch,
Ifneitherfoesnorlovingfriendscanhurtyou,
Ifallmencountwithyou,butnonetoomuch;
Ifyoucanfilltheunforgivingminute
Withsixtyseconds’worthofdistancerun,
YoursistheEarthandeverythingthat’sinit,
And—whichismore—you’llbeaMan,myson!
FuneralBluesbyW.H.Auden
Stopalltheclocks,cutoffthetelephone,
Preventthedogfrombarkingwithajuicybone,
Silencethepianosandwithmuffleddrum
Bringoutthecoffin,letthemournerscome.
Letaeroplanescirclemoaningoverhead
ScribblingontheskythemessageHeIsDead,
Putcrepebowsroundthewhitenecksofthepublic
doves,
Letthetrafficpolicemenwearblackcottongloves.
HewasmyNorth,mySouth,myEastandWest,
MyworkingweekandmySundayrest,
Mynoon,mymidnight,mytalk,mysong;
Ithoughtthatlovewouldlastforever:Iwaswrong.
Thestarsarenotwantednow:putouteveryone;
Packupthemoonanddismantlethesun;
Pourawaytheoceanandsweepupthewood.
Fornothingnowcanevercometoanygood.
TheRoseThatGrewFromConcretebyTupac
Didyouhearabouttherosethatgrew
fromacrackintheconcrete?
Provingnature'slawiswrongit
learnedtowalkwithouthavingfeet.
Funnyitseems,butbykeepingitsdreams,
itlearnedtobreathefreshair.
Longlivetherosethatgrewfromconcrete
whennooneelseevercared.
Friendlyadvicetoalotofyoungmenby
CharlesBukowski
GotoTibet.
Rideacamel.
ReadtheBible.
Dyeyourshoesblue.
GrowaBeard.
Circletheworldinapapercanoe.
Subscribeto“TheSaturdayEveningPost.”
Chewontheleftsideofyourmouthonly.
Brushyourteethwithgasoline.
Sleepalldayandclimbtreesatnight.
Doabellydancebeforepinkcandles.
Killyourdog.
RunforMayor.
Liveinabarrel.
Planttulipsintherain.
Butdon’twritepoetry.
WhenIAmOldbyJennyJoseph
WhenIamanoldwomanIshallwearpurple
Witharedhatthatdoesn'tgo,anddoesn'tsuitme,
AndIshallspendmypension
onbrandyandsummergloves
Andsatinsandals,
andsaywe'venomoneyforbutter.
IshallsitdownonthepavementwhenIamtired,
Andgobbleupsamplesinshopsandpressalarmbells,
Andrunmystickalongthepublicrailings,
Andlearntospit.
Butnowwemusthaveclothesthatkeepusdry,
Andpayourrentandnotswearinthestreet,
Andsetagoodexampleforthechildren.
Wewillhavefriendstodinnerandreadthepapers.
ButmaybeIoughttopractisealittlenow?
Sopeoplewhoknowme
arenottooshockedandsurprised,
WhensuddenlyIamold
andstarttowearpurple!
InFlandersFieldsbyJohnMcCrae
InFlandersfieldsthepoppiesblow
Betweenthecrosses,rowonrow,
Thatmarkourplace;andinthesky
Thelarks,stillbravelysinging,fly
Scarceheardamidthegunsbelow.
WearetheDead.Shortdaysago
Welived,feltdawn,sawsunsetglow,
Lovedandwereloved,andnowwelie
InFlandersfields.
Takeupourquarrelwiththefoe:
Toyoufromfailinghandswethrow
Thetorch;beyourstoholdithigh.
Ifyebreakfaithwithuswhodie
Weshallnotsleep,thoughpoppiesgrow
InFlandersfields.
TalkingTurkeysbyBenjaminZephaniah
Benicetoyuturkeysdischristmas
Cos'turkeysjustwannahavfun
Turkeysarecool,turkeysarewicked
AneveryturkeyhasaMum.
Benicetoyuturkeysdischristmas,
Don'teatit,keepitalive,
Itcouldbeyumate,annotonyourplate
Say,Yo!TurkeyI'monyourside.
Benicetoyuturkeydischristmas
Invitedemindoorsfesumgreens
Letdemeatcakeanletdempartake
Inaplateoforganicgrownbeans,
Benicetoyuturkeydischristmas
Ansparedemdecutofdeknife,
JoinTurkeysUnitedandey'llbedelighted
Anyuwillmeknewfriends'FORLIFE'.
CatchALittleRhymebyEveMerriam
Onceuponatime
Icaughtalittlerhyme
Isetitonthefloor
butitranrightoutthedoor
Ichaseditonmybicycle
butitmeltedtoanicicle
Iscoopeditupinmyhat
butitturnedintoacat
Icaughtitbythetail
butitstretchedintoawhale
Ifolloweditinaboat
butitchangedintoagoat
WhenIfedittinandpaper
itbecameatallskyscraper
Thenitgrewintoakite
andflewfaroutofsight...
StillIRisebyMayaAngelou
Youmaywritemedowninhistory
Withyourbitter,twistedlies,
Youmaytreadmeintheverydirt
Butstill,likedust,I'llrise.
Doesmysassinessupsetyou?
Whyareyoubesetwithgloom?
'CauseIwalklikeI'vegotoilwells
Pumpinginmylivingroom.
Youmayshootmewithyourwords,
Youmaycutmewithyoureyes,
Youmaykillmewithyourhatefulness,
Butstill,likeair,I'llrise.
AttackbyMichaelRosen
Iwasinapublictoilet
whenIwasattackedbyahair-dryer.
PHOOOOIwasinapublictoilet
whenIwasattackedbyahair-dryer.
PHOOOOOO!
Ihadwalkedpastitcalmly.
Ihadn’tsaidanythingprovocative.
Ididn’tstareatit.
Ididn’tdisrespectit
Ididn’tsay,‘Lookatyoustuckonthewall
Nowheretogo,nothingtodo
Whoareyou?JohnnyNo-mates?’
Ididnoneofthesethings.
Butstillitleaptatme
Pumpingouthotair:
PHOOOOOO!
Roaringinmyface:
PHOOOOOO!
Roughingupmyhair:
PHOOOOOO!
Isaid,ExcuseME!
Anditsaid:
PHOOOOOO!