Christian Poetry and Spoken Word Media for Churches and Faith

A Poem is Not

04.04.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

A poem is not a chair, but it can make you comfortable.
A poem is not a fridge, but it can leave you cold.
A poem is not microwave, but it can heat the soul.
A poem is not a carpet, but it covers life's flaws.
A poem is not a curled cat, but it can make you feel warmth.
A poem is not a LED screen, but it entertains.
A poem is not a door, but it can open alternative thoughts.
A poem is not a pathway, but it can take you to new places.
A poem is not a gate, but it can break holes in barriers.
A poem is not a pavement, but it can crack you up.
A poem is not a flower, but it blooms ideas.
A poem is not fresh-air, but it expands mind-lungs.
A poem is not a walk, but exercises aspirations.
A poem is not a scurrying ant, but embraces curiosity.
A poem is not the dappled sun, but it powers creativity.
A poem is not the universe, but it always expands the reader.
A poem is not a bus-stop, but is an alternative beginning.

WALT: To write a poem to communicate how poetry can be fun to play with words and to entertain people with it.

Success Criteria:
* I have followed the form but shown an ability to vary with intention as needed.
* Place in the poem two thoughts about 'me'.
* Creating not just a random set of lines but using craft.
* I have correctly punctuated with complex sentences with comma/s.
* I have improved vocabulary by utilising a thesaurus.
* I can use and credit Creative Commons images.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Science research turns into children poetry

Cloud Watching

04.04.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Cloud watching,
formation fun,
Puffy domed tops,
wisp layers,
vapour floating,
condensed atmosphere,
Science whiteness
bringing ever-changing imagination,
Cloud Gallery.

This poem came from research about clouds from this website.
WALT:
To write a poem that communicates creatively my thoughts and research.

Success Criteria:

The words we pick fit together
The ideas work together line by line
To use punctuation to enhance the meaning and help the reader.
I have added my own thoughts to put in my voice.
To credit the sources that I used.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Trapped

04.04.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Mother
Three young mouths
Meagre hope
Threadbare cupboards
Shanty corrugated cage
Husband taken
Cholera's meal.

Whispered words
Propaganda hope suggested,
Cash given
Teenager traded,
Bitten by the trafficker
Real life zombie
Taken to sea.
Sweat fisherman blood.

4 hours sleep
20 hours work
4 hours sleep
20 hours work
4 hours sleep…
Fingers to bone.

No escape
No words
No life.

Fear trap,
Miles of ocean,
Netted life,
Broken arm
if you speak out.

Modern slavery
Forty-five million
cries in the wind,
cries in the Dirt,
cries in the Smoke
cries on the ocean,
Tears in the heart!

WALT:
To give voice to the voiceless.

Success Criteria:
* Use strong: new vocabulary, word images
* Protest against an injustice in our world
* Cut words not needed
* Be creative in getting my point across

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Memory Fragments

02.04.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker |Pupils |Spoken Word |Video Written by: W Grieve

Remembered instants
heartbeats of significance,
recognition and recall
memories shared,
thoughts painted in our relationship
capturing the moments:
we laughed together,
paused together,
dreamed together,
looked at life together
through time's eye.

These memories
make us
fully human,
alive to the best and worst
of who we are.

Even as we remember
do the memories change?
Elusive wisps of clouds
morphing into different colours
and shapes,
changing our thoughts
feelings of treasured minutes
or painful pasts.

Credits:
Image from:
Pixabay.com
Poetry Type
Found Poem (small ideas from text print)

Ideas from:
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/memories
http://www.human-memory.net/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-our-brains-make-memories-14466850/?no-ist

WALT:
To create a poem that captures what memories mean to people so your readers feel your emotion and thinking.

Writing with Pupils Success Criteria:
The words we pick fit together
The ideas work together line by line
To use punctuation to enhance the meaning and help the reader.
I have added my own thoughts to put in my voice.
To credit the sources that I used.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Shades of Grey

21.02.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

I live a life
Shades of grey.
Faded tumbleweed
never smoothly rolling
Unsuited,
Constantly throwing
decision dice
that lead to nowhere
corners, dark alley traps.

From the corner
of my eyes
Colour scratches
at my mind
And when I turn
refracted colour explodes
across my vision, world.

I know this colour.

I recoil
Fear of choice,
of a different voice,
of being drawn
to a different life
…too much…
so I let the street winds
city dust devils
roll me
pick me up
stuff me in
a bleached scarecrow,
now hidden
hung in grey rags
in a monochrome world.

Amazed

07.02.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

Seems...
Emotions swirling,
thought kaleidoscopes,
inward depths
but in same moments...
expanding universes.
I can only be...
as I look to You,
think about You...
Spirit rejoicing,
Mind windblowing,
Thought threads colliding
all combining to
Amazing...
A-m-a-z-e-d
at the wonder
of who You are

Prompt
The mindblowing expanding universe is just amazing.
Poem Tags
#amazed, #christian, #creation, #minds, #poem, #poetry, #published, #spokenword, #universe, #wonder, #worship

Ever been amazed at the Universe. Creation Spoken Word Poetry

Rose

10.01.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

Memories eye
develops kaleidoscope colours
See this lady
my best friend
a gorgeous woman,
A colour burst
surrounded by intertwined roses
radiating grace, closeness
my love
my Rose.

Yellow diamonds spiral
iris widening past moments of
humour, the so positive lady
yet with hard edges
amazing toughness, perseverance.

Blue circles
the eyes pool depth
I journey with,
Enjoy looking into,
enjoy skipping stones
of reaction over.
Eyes now framed, bigger,
in reading glasses
for our mutual reading,
iPad screens,
comfortable couch silence
together independence.
I watch you
laugh, scroll, like and comment
and just enjoy the social you.

Rose,
Colour mixes of
passion, faith, directness and quick smiles
Words in Wisdom’s season
Amazing Mother
Incredible daughter
Beautiful wife.

You are
my time spanning
kaleidoscope poem,
my vision of
memories colour
my heart's
loving embrace.

Starting Thoughts: A marriage of decades to a wonderful woman-wife is a celebrated in this poem to growing old together.
Poem Topic Tags: #celebration, #colours, #family, #friend, #friendship, #heart, #love, #marriage, #personal, #seeker, #time, #wife
Posting Tags: #artist, #christian, #creativewriting, #instawrite, #poems, #poetry, #poetsofinstagram, #poetryisnotdead, #poetrycommunity, #poetryinmotion, #spilledink, #spokenword, #typewriter, #videos, #wordsmith, #writing, #writinglife, #writerscommunity, #writerscorner, #writersofinstagram,

Spoken word poetry celebrating a woman, marriage and friendship

Tags: love, wife, Marriage, time, friendship

Winter Friendship

10.01.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

Eyes pulled through
partially opaque
gravity defying
droplets on glass,
to wind bent trees
slashed by fingers
of penetrating rain,
Darkness fogs
the window
that resolutely
shuts off the wintery blast,
battle sounds of
rattled metal roof rain.

Inside
time suspends,
lights dimmed to
unwind level,
music tiptoes softly
from the playlist,
heat pump gurgles
drifting new heat
into the chattering,
relaxing gathering,
one pair couch facing,
leaning towards
talking intently
a third drops cautiously near
sitting on the floor
and is accepted
with body angle changes,
men’s group standing
shoulder conversation circle
sharing laughter,
another on the window seat
temporarily withdrawn
mobile text conversation
pulling her between
the unseen and seen
the away and the now,
nibble creators
bustle in bright kitchen
chattering preparations.

Friends gathered,
a mix of memories
coalescing into the moment,
a chameleon atmosphere of
moods, talk, thoughts
intermingle, rise and fall.

I stretch my
satisfied cat soul,
in lazy camaraderie warmth.

Tags: winter, friendship, rain, clouds, party

Seagull

10.01.2016 Filed in: Poetry |Pupils |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

Freedom symbol
soaring wings

Annoying in duckpond
snatching bread from ducks

Hammerdrill screech
killing positive thought

Jaunty red beak
Clean white dress feathers

Filth grubber
mounded refuse tip

Flocks wheeling
strength in numbers

Beady eye drama
Watching opportunity

Bird
Human

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Heart Search

26.07.2015 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

Centered in the heart
of all,
Desires for love,
Of purpose.

Where are the solutions?
in a world of answers
saturation media
social connections
Somehow fragility exists.

More questions grow.

Why the desire:
to search?
to speak?
to hold?
to cause pain?
to withdraw?

Why the driven:
looking beyond,
seeking different,
the now,
the present,
the past.

Somewhere simple
we are drawn to
another rhythm.

Starter Thoughts: Why do we seek, ask questions? Why bother thinking or trying not to think about God?
Poetry Topic Tags: #answers, #christian, #love, #media, #pain, #poems, #poetry, #purpose, #questions, #seeker, #spokenword, #videos

Why do we search and desire more. Spoken word Christian poem

Finding the Spark

12.07.2015 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

At the core,
We know
sustaining our perfect
me skin
is impossible.

Building moments
Painting the flesh,
Self saturated, we try.
Hostile to outside
life and freedom,
We paint ourselves
into corners,
Pain traps.
Shattered meaning.

In being only self,
We lose self.

"But I am good,"
we cry from the corner,
Just echoes
of darkness
call back
"What is good
good, good, anyway?"
Ashes to ashes,
Dust.
In a lost world
Could there be more?

It seems there...
in a child's hug,
care of a friend,
in stars, mountain tops,
a bud drawing life
in Spring's new kiss.

Threads of a reality.

In a lost world
Could there be more?

Someone who knows me
sees me,
sees through me,
and yet loves me
holds me,
is prepared to die for me,

God sparks.

Poem Tags
#christian, #god, #good, #lost, #pain, #perfection, #poems, #poetry, #reallife, #seeker, #self, #spokenword
Prompt
How do we paint ourselves into so many self corners? Hidden pains.

Finding the Spark, finding meaning. Spoken Word Poem

Tags: perfection, facades, beauty, life, self

My Spirit

06.06.2015 Filed in: Poetry |Christian |Video |Spoken Word |Seeker Written by: W Grieve

My spirit
Extol
Ever praise
The One
Highest above,
You are
The Great I Am,
Beyond time,
Jesus
Adored Lord,
Worthy
Complete
Wholeness and Truth,
I worship You
In the hardness of the cross
In the love of the cross
In the joy of the cross
In the power of the cross
In the moment of the cross.
Here and now

I worship you
Here and now.

Starting Thoughts: The Cross is a display of the character and personality of God, a God willing to love in both the hard and gentle, in sacrifice and power.
Poem Topic Tags: #cross, #holyspirit, #iam, #joyful, #love, #power, #praise, #spirit, #timeless, #worship
Posting Tags: #artist, #christian, #creativewriting, #instawrite, #poems, #poetry, #poetsofinstagram, #poetryisnotdead, #poetrycommunity, #poetryinmotion, #spilledink, #spokenword, #typewriter, #videos, #wordsmith, #writing, #writinglife, #writerscommunity, #writerscorner, #writersofinstagram,

Spoken word poem worshipping the God of the cross - of love

Again Rain

04.06.2015 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker |Video |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Again
Soggy leaves
Firefly of colour
Torn travellers
Now tiredly water stuck
to wet tarmac
Stranded
just outside my door
Again
rain on window
skeleton gaps leaf
plastered unmoving
death fighting gravity,
Glass
cold to my nose
as I look close,
Lucky me…
twice warm inside.

Prompt
Poetry: Watching the rain window from inside... heat pump on?

Tags: autumn, leaves, seasons, rain, window

storm_tents_poetry_pupils_school_kids_rain_camping

Hail

04.04.2015 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

It started...
just a tickle of noise
transferred through tin roof,
then thundered louder
as white marbles hit,
bouncing also on tarmac.

Boys faces lit with excitement,
bodies quivered
and reading Animal Farm was lost.

Faces scrunched against windows,
Asked for
Release,
Set free
they ran into the pain
shirt soaked
wanting to experience
hailstones on heads
Crazy moments at school.

WALT:
To communicate an experience, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Others can feel they are there, remember times like this themselves.
Short simple thoughts, one per line
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Egyptian Canterbury

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Black cat god arches,
flicks her tail,
art hieroglyphics revere
felines across a thousand walls,
centuries years old now.
-----sand hourglass time trickle-----
My black cat stretches
Lazy in heated sun
A God of just one family
Scratching the door to
be let out, to be fed.

The mighty Nile
Seasonal Floods
Rich blessings for
------generations pass------
Dairy, cropping, forests, farms
Stretch patchwork across Canterbury Plains
Waimakariri scatters its braids
sprawling to the ocean.

Yellow Sand, clay walls
seared in scorching sun,
Neighbours crowded
water carried
dry the bones
----- existences come and go-----
Christchurch city wood and brick dwellings
stretched over flat plains,
meandering Avon
Artesian crystal clear water piped
toilets, drinking, cooking
Just turn the tap.

Crowned Pharaoh
supreme God of
Pyramid, Sand and Nile
Words that command life, death
------ time moves by----------
Commands wealth
Captains of industry
multinational trendrils
cut money from Canterbury.
In power
a party, a prime minister
and media bombardment of public relations.

WALT:
To communicate experiences, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Showing understanding of Ancient Egyptians and us today.
Focus on strong adjectives
Use a wide range of contrasts in the poem
Use commas to set the rhythm of the poem
Short interesting thoughts, one per line
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Same Different

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

My beard stubble is grey
your chin is young smooth
but we all look the same
to an alien.
I'm taller
You're shorter
but we're both small
in front of basketball player towers,
and never ending space.

I like touch rugby,
thinking about God,
my gorgeous wife and children,
opening my eyes to new things
and a thousand other likes,
Your thousand passions
are as different as sand grains,
but we both have tastes.

I hate graffiti
the civil war in that country
Not being able to connect with others,
Your hates are
as different to mine
as snow flake patterns.

If everyone was the same
our colour would be grey
and if nobody understood differences
our colour would be black
Can we be rainbows?

WALT:
To communicate experiences, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Others can feel they are there, remember times like this themselves
Use a wide range of contrasts in the poem
Use commas to set the rhythm of the poem
Short interesting thoughts, one per line
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

shadows_bush_dappled_sunshines_mirror_mirror_poem_poetry_pupils_school_kids

Alive in the Storm

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

It starts
with a whisper
a rustle of leaves
breathed on by wind,
Scudding clouds arrive
gusts slam
branches protest,
bending pain to grey black clouds.
Tree fingers are broken
falling slain to sodden grass.
Rain knives slash
from overloaded buckets
driving deep into my clothes.
I stand
waiting for a bus,
Cold, excited
loving the whipped movements,
the power,
the storm.

WALT:
To communicate an experience, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Others can feel they are there, remember times like this themselves.
Use commas to set the rhythm of the poem
Short interesting thoughts, one per line
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Bush Shadows

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

On inside rain-trapped days....

My eyes remember
Bush dark ferns, manuka trunks,
Sunlight strokes,
Shaping shadows,
My feet remember
dirt track, dust covered boots,
My face remembers
light breeze just stirring,
My body remembers
stationary silence- leaning to beauty,
My heart, my mind remembers
peaceful colours, tranquil contrasts.

Sunset dips,
Night bucket fills,
Painting black.

WALT:
To communicate an experience, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Others can feel they are there, remember times like this themselves.
To capture a memory using the 'feeling' sense mainly.
Short simple thoughts, one per line
To use ellipsis (can be used to indicate a pause in the flow of a sentence), fullstops and capital letters.
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Mirror, Mirror

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

You think it's funny
to poke out your tongue
and show me your tooth paste smothered tongue,
You look closely
at pale skin
and pop your zit,
Some of you - usually
the ones with longer hair,
Spend forever
Colouring in your lips,
making black lines
on eyebrows
and brushing
perming, brushing.

I hear you practice
the lie
you will tell Mum,
trying to see if,
by looking at me,
you can keep a straight face,

As I reflect on humans
I realise
sometimes your face mirrors your heart
hesitant smile, creasing frown, lip pout,
other times your face lies,
covering the feelings.

But I always tell the truth,
showing you for what you are.

WALT:
To communicate an experience, with descriptive language, so that others can feel they are there.

Success Criteria:

Others can feel they are there, remember times like this themselves.
Capture an objects point-of-view
Short simple thoughts, one per line
Unnecessary and small words cut out.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Light

04.04.2014 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Emitted and absorbed
light
obvious and mysterious,
These glimpses
create more questions.

Surface afterglows,
in evening air
Sunset,
now
gloomy place
colours removed.
City lights glow
sky masking
three thousand
hesitant pinpricks,
Cosmic energy
flung
clusters and scatters
Universe wide.

Particles float on
turbulent atmosphere,
Light is bent,
Stars twinkle.

This poem came from a search at first on light, then sunrises and finally stars.

WALT:
To write a poem that communicates creatively my thoughts and research.

Success Criteria:

The words we pick fit together
The ideas work together line by line
To use punctuation to enhance the meaning and help the reader.
I have added my own thoughts to put in my voice.
To credit the sources that I used.

Inspired by Extreme Poetry resource (131+ pages of poetry tips and ideas). Click to view and gain access to great poetry forms, lessons and activities.

Matrix Moments

Media Moments: Question, reflect, connect

Privacy Settings

A Poem is Not

Cloud Watching

Trapped

Memory Fragments

Shades of Grey

Amazed

Rose

Winter Friendship

Seagull

Heart Search

Finding the Spark

My Spirit

Again Rain

Hail

Egyptian Canterbury

Same Different

Alive in the Storm

Bush Shadows

Mirror, Mirror

Light