Christian Poetry and Spoken Word Media for Churches and Faith

Storm Tent

04.04.2017 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Scattered red, grey nylon tents,
cheerful on grass patch clearing,
surrounded by shadowy native bush,
thin five millimetre pegs
gingerly gripping stony soil.

BBQ burger eaten,
Sleeping bag ready,
Pillow ready,
Snooze ready,
And the grey sky
begins its torment.

Bare foot through puddles to outdoor sink
Teeth now toothpaste fresh ready,
Paddle back to tent,
mud flecks appearing on toes.

Carefully creep into tent,
trying to avoid dragging
rain water inside,
but drops gather
holding hands
on doorway floor entrance,
laughing at my attempt.

Cocooned in sleeping bag,
only pummelling rain can be heard,
the "haven't had rain like this
in ten years" deluge.

I smile,
snuggle deeper
mind embracing the storm,
I will survive
wind ripping at tent,
rain, ground water searching
seeking to drip inside.
Sleep envelops my thoughts,
the storm backgrounds
to dreams of mountain biking
through brown water puddles!

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.

rain_drizzle_two_word_poems_children_poetry_christian

Drizzle Soak

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

Wet cold
Rain fingers
find holes,
clothes tightened
hunched smaller
head down,
hair trickles
eyes watch
puddle captures
Winter drizzle.

WALT: To write a poem to communicate how we can summarise thoughts two words at a time.
Success Criteria:

I have followed the form but shown an ability to vary with intention as needed.
Paired words intentionally and carefully
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.

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.

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.

dapples_light_poem_poetry_children_topic

Light my Life

04.04.2013 Filed in: Poetry |Seeker | |Spoken Word Written by: W Grieve

Dapples
flicker leaf sheets
wind blown branches
dance shadows on the grass

Torch
reflecting light on words
book hidden under
the sheet with me
reading
late night
parents asleep

Darkness
stolen centimetre
by centimetre
Sunrise.

Hot sun
through Sunday afternoon window
Head nodding
eyes drooping
warm sleep.

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

Success Criteria:

Write about the topic from different points-of-view
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.

Matrix Moments

Media Moments: Question, reflect, connect

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Storm Tent

Drizzle Soak

Hail

Egyptian Canterbury

Alive in the Storm

Bush Shadows

Mirror, Mirror

Light my Life