Category Archives: Forms of Poetry

Specific poem formats

RIVER (Acrostic) Poems

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River, River by James Aitchison

River, river, I don’t know

River, river, where you flow

Your course varies north to south

Where’s your source?  Where’s your mouth?

You’re a winding watery snake!

(Now read it again, starting from the bottom)

James Aitchison

 

The River Goes to Sleep by Alys Jackson

Ripples leave their

Imprints on a soft and sandy rise,

Vines are dipping fingers while the

Evening winks her eyes;

Resting crimson ribbons round the river’s dusty sides.

Alys Jackson

 

RIVER by Margaret Pearce

Running to school one cold wet day

Into dreams of escape and running away

Visiting islands full of sea and sun

Enjoying swimming and lots of fun

Returned to reality dark and grey.

 

Required homework not done yet

Idiot me never a teacher’s pet

Very hard to get past this disaster

Explaining why I can’t work faster

Rewriting forever the homework set.

Margaret Pearce

 

River by Virginia Lowe

Resting river, a rill rocks our raft

Icy depths of ink immersing ivy

Vacillation, veering with veritable vigour,

Exploration of each elemental eddy is exciting

Run raft run, rejoicing round the rapids

Virginia Lowe

 

 

 

Purple Project by Monty Edwards

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Purple Project

 

Pick a piece of purple paper

And a purple pencil too,

Do not wait until you’re prodded,

For you have a job to do.

Draw yourself a purple pumpkin:

Purple platypus as well,

Then you’ll have a purple picture,

That you’ll never ever sell!

 

Monty Edwards

Monty says: I took the prompt as an invitation to alliterate.

Portrait of a Puddle by Pat Simmons

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Portrait of a Puddle

I can tell you about the weather.

Am I growing or shrinking?

 

I can show you how a paper boat floats,

and be a mirror for your smiling face.

 

I can be a drink for a thirsty bird,

or a short slurp for a cat on the prowl.

 

I can annoy new shoes,

but splashing gum boots love me.

 

I can be a short stay hostel

for tadpoles or mozzie larvae.

 

I can be temporary and tempting.  

I have possibilities and potential.

I am a puddle.

 

Pat Simmons

I’d Rather Be a Birtle Than a Turd

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I’d rather be a Birtle than a Turd!

 

With four furry feathered flippers and a sharp and pointy beak

I’m a mixture of a turtle and a bird

I’ve a shell so sleek and shiny and some talons on my feet

But I’d rather be a Birtle than a Turd!

 

With some prickly tickly whiskers and a web to call my own

I’m a mixture of a spider and a shrew

I’ve a soft and furry tummy and eight legs without a bone

But I’d rather be a Shrider than a Spew!

 

With the body of a rodent and a long and slimy tail

I’m a mixture of a Gerbil and a worm

I’ve a squirmy wormy belly and my ears are very pale

But I’d rather be a Worbil than a Germ!

 

With a really bendy body and a home beside the shore

I’m a mixture of a starfish and a mink

I’ve a coat so soft and glossy and five legs that I adore

But I’d rather be a Marfish than a Stink!

 

With two long and fine antenna and a wavy wagging tail

I’m a mixture of a Beetle and a Mutt

I’ve a mouth of sloppy slobber and six legs that never fail

But I’d rather be a Meetle than a Butt!

 

With a round and spikey body and a long and bristly beard

I’m a mixture of a blowfish and a goat

I have skin like slimy rubber and a temper to be feared

But I’d rather be a glowfish than a bloat!

 

With two sharp and pointy pincers and some gorgeous golden down

I’m a mixture of a Yabbie and a duck

I have eyeballs on my feelers and fine feathers on my crown

But I’d rather be a Dabbie than a Yuck!

 

With a scaly silver tailfin and a noisy croaking song

I’m a mixture of a snapper and a frog

I’ve a sharp and toothy grimace and my legs are long and strong

But I’d rather be a Frapper than a Snog!

 

With some snipping snapping fingers and a soft and furry coat

I’m a mixture of a lobster and a mouse

I’ve a love of cheesy cheddar and I live beneath a boat

But I’d rather be a Mobster than a Louse!

 

With a tail so curly wurly and with furry golden fluff

I’m a mixture of a seahorse and a chick

I’m a cheeky chirpy cheeper who is into horsey stuff

But I’d rather be a Cheahorse than a Sick!

 

When it comes to any creature that is made up on the spot

One you’ve never ever seen or smelt or heard

There are many names to call them that are pretty or are not

Still I’d rather be a Birtle than a Turd!

David Rudkin

Limerick by Sioban Timmer

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There once was a postie called Progge

Who had a most wonderful dog

It could carry more letters

Than fifteen red setters

And he never got lost in the fog!

Sioban Timmer

Sioban says: I wrote this in primary school after we learnt about limericks – and for some reason I have always remembered it!