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Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

06 February 2024

Posted by By tabby Hayward

HOME

This week, we were exploring the Orwell Youth Prize 2024 theme of Home - looking at some pictures of unusual homes, such as a hole in a tree, a barge, and a castle!The young writers picked one and thought about who might live there, why they would live there, what they could see, hear, touch and smell around them, and what would happen if their home came under threat! 

Here's Gene's brilliant poem:

The elf is a simple little creature, he just wants peace and quiet,
His tree house is neat and tidy and acorns his only diet.
Cooking is acorn stew, this meal would be very common,
His mattress a leaf and pillows made of cotton.
It's warm and homely like someone gave you a hug,
Every item of furniture is placed with care and his home is snug.
But then one day, a woodpecker had come,
It shook his house like an earthquake with a repetitive loud drum.
The elf being irritated, his face pink and eyes bloodshot
He said "The bird is probably hungry, an acorn he must want!"

Leo's poem:

One day,

a quiet peaceful day,

there was an ‘X’ marked in red chalk

just above jack’s door

and he exclaimed:

“What’s that for?”

 

He had heard stories,

rumours perhaps,

that there would come three big burly boys,

they would chop down their trees

and with the wood make boring beige children’s toys.

 

They came a day before

and marked all the places

the blades of axes would hit

and chop the wood; chop their homes.

 

That could not happen,

no he would not let it happen

to his humble abode

(if you could call it so)

and he must be rid of the curse

of the red chalk ‘X’

just above his lovely little front door.


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