a mini history lesson

The

British burnt

Down

Washington’s White House

Two hundred years ago

Although few people here seem

To know that it had happened –

Lost between the War of Independence

And the American Civil War

While we were busy with Napolean

And gearing up for Waterloo -

Another part of British History

To feel embarrassed by

And ashamed of

But with things to teach us

Nevertheless.

(A. N. Historian... thank you Ms/Mr/Mrs Historian for that lesson).

t and beyond

There

are things

I need to

Work on – improve, cease

To do. I heard that

The Model-T Ford was named so

Because it was Henry Ford’s twentieth attempt.

I, myself, have clearly gone beyond the alphabet.

(Anon... Thank you, whoever you are. I wonder what is beyond the alphabet? Any ideas?)

blackbird

Beat-up

Battered blackbird

With a mark

Below one eye.

Sometimes he comes

To the bird table to eat

But in the afternoon

He just stands still

(Occasionally moving his head)

For minutes on end

Like he is lost

Or has lost something

Impossible to replace

Or maybe to keep me company

Because I am lost

Or have lost something

He knows I am unable to replace.

(A. Response... to Nicola's beautiful brownbird haiku)

table tennis

as I hit the ball
to and fro
side to side I
go

as I spin the ball
left and right
I say I won't
give up without
a fight

hitting the ball hard and
hitting the ball
light

serving short and
serving long

winning or losing as I say
it will always be
table tennis

(by Sam Wearing - thanks Sam, it's nice to be reminded of things people love irrespective of whether they win or lose).

poems for prayers

perhaps god might
prefer some poems
to prayers
(once in a while at least)
something showing understanding
or an awareness of the incomprehensible
rather than the persistent asking
(even if on another's behalf)
i think i might try it
for a week and see how it
works out.

(by a. pilgrim - Thank you... yes poems are good... send us some... you know you want to!)

Book

(By Lex... Thank you for that Y10 are on poetry fire at the moment. Of course you can read when it isn't prep too? Right?)

My Poem Football Fever

(By Alex Learmond... good work Alex, thank you... would've been better had Wayne Rooney scored last night... but that's beyond your control... right?).

A Small Thought

We

See with

Our memories as

Much as our eyes

Perhaps that’s why some people

See ghosts and others do not?

(Anon... who has written a fair few poems... maybe people could use noms de plume/pen names... what would be yours?)

Prep

(As the Y10 reports (Doh) are currently being written I won't reveal the author for a week or two... but thanks I think there will be many who share your view... I also quite like the 'Hears a point'... I don't know if it was intentional... sometimes the unintentional is better than the intentional).

Rugby

An Ode to Chocolate Pudding by Jude

An Ode to Chocolate Pudding by Jude

Chocolate pudding

Yummy and delicious

At home in the fridge

Chocolate pudding

Screaming

Loudly

At home in the fridge

Yummy and delicious

Fantastic and tasty

Chocolate pudding

(Thanks Jude. Great to get another poem from the junior school... poor chocolate pudding all too aware of what will happen soon).

Always the Actress

I’m

Still hoping

That my life

Is a romantic comedy

Despite the evidence

Pointing towards

Tragedy

(Although

That’s still

Probably better than

It being a melodrama).

(Anon... Thank you for that, I would think melodramas would be quite exhausting too).

this new term

Each

New Term

Is an opportunity

To learn and grow

To put previous screw ups behind us...

Seek to understand a little more, be less quick to judge,

Be wiser, kinder, more compassionate,

A better friend, a better colleague,

Try our best to make the most of opportunities

That are offered up

(Noticing some more of them would be a start).

We must endeavour to keep a sense of wonder alive and intact

As we discover new things about ourselves,

Our subjects, the school and the wider world.

Gandhi said: Be the change you want to see in the world

Perhaps before we can do that

We must work on being the change

We’d want to see in our school...

Perhaps each term is a challenge

To show we are capable of being that.

(Otis, Laurence's teddy. Please keep your poems coming... you know you want to... oh this is Monday's poem I'm publishing late on Sunday in case I don't have time... time, now there's a topic for a poem).