Last week Emma and Charlie attended the School for Young Writers Seaweek Poetry Workshop. Here is what they have written about their day.

On Friday the 1st of March Charlie Godfrey and myself (Emma Rogers) went to a poetry class at Kaiapoi library where we were taught how to write a poem. First we got to know some of the other people there. Our teachers were called Gail and Helen then we introduced ourselves, what our names were and what school we went to.

Then we got to writing. First we wrote about our favourite sea animal. Mine was a skate which is like a stingray but without the poisonous barbs and we had to pretend that we were the animal so I wrote:

As I glide through the pristine water my majestic wings gently flapping at my side, I can feel the water rushing past as I race through the delicate blue sea, then I see the shore is near I don’t want to get out, for the world is quiet here.

Then we were told to share them with the group, I was a bit nervous because I thought people wouldn’t like it but they clapped for me and that made me feel a bit better.

After that we had a quick snack and then a lady from Tuhitara trust came to talk to us about the stuff that should be on the beach like sand, drift wood, seaweed and other things that shouldn’t be on the beach like fishing line, plastic and single use plastic like plastic straws and cutlery.

Then we were allowed to do a fun sea piece of writing but we had to include a metaphor, and because my favourite hobby is cooking I incorporated that in to my poem.

Mr Seagull is cooking oysters as though he is a chef,
Mrs Whales baking krill pot pie, there’s no chicken in this dish,
And Mr Sealion’s making roasted penguin with a pinch of salt and sand
In this underwater bake off no dish will go to waste,
Congratulations Mr Seagull your dish has the best taste.
Mr Seagull has won the prize of this grand ocean comp his prize is a pot of seafood chowder.

Then we went down the the river and had lunch then we went back and started to publish our favourite poem.

As my summary I think it was a great learning experience for Charlie and I and we got lots out of it.

By Emma Rogers 

On Friday the 1st of March, Charlie Godfrey and Emma Rogers, went to a lesson out of school. This lesson was about poetry. We learned all sorts of things like how to find ideas to write about and how to write interesting and descriptive poems. Our two teachers were Gail and Heather. They were very nice. The poems that we wrote were themed about the Sea for Sea Week. We did many activities on sea week poems including writing about a sea animal that are like us. 

By Charlie Godfrey

Here is my poem:

Little Crabby

Hey little crabby there

You’re getting a lil bit near.

I don’t want to squish you

But you are an issue.

If you keep pinching my toes

I’ll have to squish in your nose.

Stop going in your holes

‘Cause I have big hands you know.

I’ll dig you out without a doubt.

So little crabby

Don’t have any fear

As long as you don’t make me go down there.

I’m bigger than you

And that is true.

So little crabby

Without a doubt

You better always be watchin’ out.

by Charlie Godfrey