Poetry 1 comes online

The Poetry 1 class, under Rob's excellent guidance, have been writing a few group poems, and here's one they wrote in the beginning of April. 

(Sorry about the double spacing -- the original wasn't spaced like this, and I don't have hours to pull the individual codes out of every line, which seems to be the only way to fix it!)

Tracey

A is for Alphabet

Announcing an archive

arriving ahead

an articulate attempt

at asking and answering

an awesome amount

about anything:

 

Art and artifice

abstract arguments

agreeable antics accepted

at any age

as anonymous authors

anxiously anticipate

automatic applause.

           

B is for Birthday

Birthdays come and go,

born a baby one day,

with child-like anticipation,

birthdays bring surprises,

presents,

an excuse for celebration

with long lost friends and family.

A flag to mark the milestones.

Reassurance.

You’ve not been forgotten.

  

C is for Congratulations       

Congratulations on your achievement.

On your engagement, wedding

even your divorce,

because I’ll always be there with you.

  

D is for Diversity

Domineering, demonstrating, dominating

Dear diary, dear me

How do I decide what to do?

Do I dare to care? Do I dare to dream?

Do I decide independently?

Or do I seek deliverance?

Diabolical as the devil

I draw a diagram

Dedicated to destruction and depression

My destiny is to destroy

Destroy this ‘D’ poem.

           

E is for Elope

She thought she was happy with him

and he loved her more than anyone could.

 

It was just that

no one approved of their love.

 

They were going to elope

become two souls as one.

 

And that day she left him

standing at the altar.

 

He was left devastated

and uncertain.

 

She was not in love with him

anymore.        

 

F is for fantasy

Fantasise what’s inside

fear no boundary

face reality

focus closely

forbid rejection

fly up high.

Fantasise what’s inside.

 

G is for Genius

Accomplishments I have many

Brain power times a million

Creativity is my middle name

Expertise in every field

Flair I do it all in style

Imagination beyond belief

Inventiveness I am original

Mature beyond my age

Reach, I won’t stop until it’s done

Talent you can’t bury

Wisdom of all ages

           

Genius is I.

 

H

H is for high

so high you couldn’t say

two poles held by a single rung

to ensure that they won’t sway.

           

Upside down or right side up

it makes sense either way

helping us ascend to a better place

a ladder to the sky.

                       

I

I cry

I smile

I laugh

I pant

I sing when I’m alone

I talk

I yell

I whisper

I whistle

I speak when no one’s home

I run

I point

I stare

I walk

I sleep when I am tired

I forget

I eat

I drink

I love

I flip when I am wired.

 

J is for Joker       

The joker jiggles jolly bells

he makes the children laugh

balloons and horns, he squeaks

so loud,

above the big giraffe.

  

K

 KooKoo klutzy kimbas

kestle in kirth’s koreen

keesing and kasing into kove

the keenest kapoke of kanoodle.

  

L

L is for lonesome

looking for hope

lying alone every night

living alone.

 

L is for life

leaving, returning

learning to find ourselves

longing for meaning.

 

L is for love

laughter overload

lying beside the one you love

lonesome no more.

 

M

Machines are making money

Money makes man mad

No majesty in drudgery

A magnet for the had.

 

N is for North      

You are in the Northern hemisphere

I am in the South

how far we are

how many mountains, forests

oceans are between us

but we have the same moon

to look at

and think of each other.

 

O

O is the shape of a ring, there is no end.

 

O is the halo that hovers above

pretending to be on your head.

 

O is the shape of the sun and planet Earth

the universe moves in circles.

 

It is hard to fathom the end of a circle.

Can a mind comprehend eternity?

 

P

P is for podium

a place to stand and speak

high above the crowd

(and rounded at the front)

just don’t forget

your words are not that great

because if you don’t watch out

you’ll fall off.

 

Q         

Q is for questions

which can never be answered

questing for the truth

in a queue too long to see

the end of

where secrets lie in quiet rooms

in the dark, to quicken pulse

Fears to be quelled

if truth is desired to quench

thirst of desire.

The need to know

calm quivering lip, still

heart, rest quill

remove the quilt of unknowing

from your quaking self

enter untreaded speeches

and seek, query all things,

Until all is yours

Do not

Quit.

  

R is for Red 

Rich red soil in outback Australia.

Red sunset decorates the evening sky.

           

Red massive rock, Uluru.

Dust from the desert carried on the hot winds

lays like a carpet, covers the roads.

           

Bottle brush, Waratah, wild flowers vibrant in bloom.

Red, the colour of country, the colour of love.

           

S is for Sammy Snake

Sammy Snake sat snugly

beneath the sizzling summer sun.

Somehow, silly Sammy left his sun hat

somewhere on Sunday.

So while Sammy slept so soundly

snoring somewhat softly

poor Sammy became sunburnt

and slid home, sulking sadly.

 

T         

T is for triangle

Any triangle has three corners

Sun, moon and star

Ocean, mountain and river

Or you, I and something

We are close on one side

Or far on another.

  

U 

United we stand, united we make a front

you are either with us or

against us.

Detach yourself from this, break

the umbilical cord.

Recognise Utopia.

            

V for Voice 

Shout out loud

What you believe

Voice your opinion

Verse your opposition

Visualise the future

Validate your views

Shout out loud!

  

W 

W is for the watcher

Who waits beneath my window

Wishing for more

Wanting more

 

Willing to wade through

To get to the waves

Wishing for more

Wanting more

 

Wandering beside my shadow

Weak to my every whim

Wishing for more

Wanting more

 

Will you ever walk up

And welcome me with your warm embrace?

Wishing for more

Wanting more.

  

X is for Xperiment 

Xtra Xtra! Read all about it!

Xtraordinary circumstances

Xponential discovery:

 

“Xpanding woman Xplodes unXpectedly”

 

Xilirating read

Xciting stuff

Xtra Xtra! Read all about it!

  

Y is for Yesterday

Yesterday, I loved you

and wanted you to know.

 

Today, I said ‘I love you’

and there was silence after.

 

Tomorrow, I’ll know better

than to give my heart again.

 

Z

Unappreciated and misunderstood

Z stands alone

Z means completion, the final lightning strike

direct and sharp

the sound of sleep

completes our day.

Tommy, Tarryn, Stephanie, Rhys, Melissa, Meady, Judith, John B, Elyse, Christine, Austin, Antonia, Antonette, Huda, Melita, Sarah C, Tomas V