I love to encourage others, especially children, to write and to believe in themselves. I would never have discovered my love of poetry, and definitely not my flair for it, without the encouragement of people who saw past the imperfections of my work as a beginner, and gave me the confidence to believe in myself as a poet, and to self-develop and improve upon my work with the benefit of time and experience. I have been fascinated when, with hindsight, I have looked back on my life and recognised so many areas of my life that involved poetry, yet I never truly discovered my real interest or talent until I was 38 years old. I am very keen to make sure that children in particular do not take as long to discover the fun in poetry that I did! Therefore, these are all of my poems of encouragement and inspiration which I have written specifically for the purpose of being read, or performed, to children to offer them encouragement and/ or inspiration to write, to be themselves, to aim for their dreams, or just simply to have some self purpose and value.
Inspirational Poem
Guard your heart always, for there you will find
That delicate feelings and thoughts are entwined.
Each must be tended and nurtured and fed
Or weeds can develop and grow there instead. [click to continue…]
This inspirational poem shares the same beginning as one of my Christian poems entitled “Who Am I?”, but “Introducing…..You!” is purpose written to make the reader think about who they are, so it makes a good introduction to a workshop on the topic. (See also “I am….”)
Today I met a stranger. That stranger asked my name.
I introduced myself to her and then she did the same.
But does my name say anything about the person… me?
Does it tell her who I was, or am, or soon will be? [click to continue…]
I very rarely write in free verse, but this poem felt too deep and expressive to be steered by anything but the emotions and memories as they flowed. As a rhyming poet I do not naturally appreciate free verse but, strangely, I found it easy to structure the verses of this particular poem according to which words felt the most important to me and what details I wanted to be stressed, so I found it a good way to learn and understand about free verse. The poem can be used in conjunction with the poem “Introducing ……You!” as part of a workshop on the topic, for each individual to consider and write about their own influences in life. [click to continue…]
An Encouragement Poem
What is a poem if no-body reads it?
What is a favour if no-body needs it?
What is a present, if no-body gives?
How painful is “sorry”, if no-one forgives?
What is a story with no-one to listen?
What is a diamond without light to glisten?
This Mother’s Day Performance poem is deliberately non-exclusive to Mums, so that it can be used even if you have some children in your class or group who are cared for by someone other than Mum. Maybe each child could draw a picture of their own Mum or carer, and the poem / song could be performed within the context of a Mothers day assembly, whilst still therefore including those children who are sadly without a Mum, or cared for by someone else.
Alternatively, this poem can be performed to music, by fitting the lyrics to the tune of ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’.
