Memoir poetry

Last week we were learning to describe a place and a moment in time, using as our inspiration this poem by James K Baxter:

The town was usual enough; it had

A creek, a bridge, a beach, a sky

Over it, and even a small tin church

I never went to. My brother, my cousins and I

Did what boys do - dozed in the hot

Schoolroom, made bows and arrows, dodged the mad

Boatbuilder, crept like rabbits through the black

Under-runners with a weak torch,

Burnt dry rushes, wrestled or swam

Doing nothing important.

Check out some of our great versions!

Owairaka Park was awesome enough 

It had a playground, a field with goal posts at both ends 

and a basket ball court.  

It also had skate board ramps, 

a vege garden and best of all, a lake at the bottom. 

My friends and I did what kids do 

Balancing on the pole across the lake, sliding in the slippery mud,  

running around playing tag on the playground, basket ball 

and riding our scooters and bikes on the path ways…..  

Doing nothing naughty.

By Berlin 

Omokoroa was usual enough

It had a beach, a lawn, Big soft beds

And even a swing that hung on a tree outside.

My sister and I did what girls do

Built sand castles on the beach,

Read side by side,

Swung high on the swing,

Dressed up in dresses and wigs,

Danced across the lawn in the twilight

Following no one's rules but ours.

By Mahalia

The farm was usual enough

It had a creek, trees, sheds, paddocks, big hills 

and an old house

My family and I did what families do

building a birdhouse,

shooting the slug gun,

playing in the creek,

climbing trees,

playing with the lego

Doing nothing special at all.

By Darrien Cossey 

Titirangi is usual enough

It has my house, a creek in a forest that I always go to,

A dairy that we walk to in summer,

And some ducks which do not leave us alone.

My siblings and I do what kids do,

Paddle in the creek, bounce on our trampoline,

Play hide and seek

In the long grass that dad does not cut,

Following no one rules but ours.

                                             

Alexis Greenfield

Owairaka was usual enough.

It had a park,school,dairy,skate park and a playground.

It even had a rugby goal attached to a soccer goal.

My friends and I did what boys do

Played soccer in the muddy puddles,

Laid down on the two coloured rocks,

Rode our scooters and bikes on the skate park,

Played on the playground and

Sped down on the flying fox.

Doing nothing important at all.

By Hammaam

Grandad’s garden was usual enough.

It had peas, carrots, potatoes, strawberries and even parsnips.

Grandad and I did what people with lush gardens did.

Heaved potato plants out of the garden,

picked and ate sweet, fresh peas,

eating strawberries straight from the bush,

stuffed an overlarge pumpkin plant back in the right place,

sowed capsicum seeds in yoghurt pots,

fashioned bird nets over the blueberries,

Collected the fresh produce.

Doing nothing important.

By Natalia