Transcript

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Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids’ Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m heading into the Club to help Queenie and Chicken wrap up filing all of the poems from the Summer competition, and to think through what topic we should use for the Autumn/Fall competition. It’s always such a strange time for us – to be putting all the Summer poems into their protective sheets, and to say goodbye to them … at the same time as being happy that a new competition is about to be announced. Today’s the day for deciding the topic, so all three of us will need our thinking caps on. Well, I’ve arrived at the Club – let’s head in and see what everyone is up to.

SOUND (Door)

Hi Queenie.

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts!

My gosh, you’ve made so much progress with the poems. There were 9 or 10 piles in here with I left the other day, and now look… you’re just down to a handful of poems.

Queenie: We have been rocking and rolling! Chicken was here until a minute or two ago – she’s gone to water the vegetable patch … but she’ll be back in a mo. You know – we take this all very seriously. We never rush our poetry filing because every poem deserves special attention. Look … here’s what we do. We pick up a poem … then we read it … then we thank the poet .. and also thank the poem … then we slide it into its own special protective plastic sheet … next, we say our special pledge, and then we put it into the filing cabinet.

And what’s the special pledge?

Queenie: It goes … “We pledge to never forget you, to visit you again some day, and to tell our friends what a wonderful poem you are. That is our pledge to you!”

Oh, I definitely like your pledge. And you do that for every poem?

Queenie: Of course! Every poem … no exceptions.

How wonderful. Oh, before I forget … I have one more Home poem for you to file. It’s one that I wrote just before the awards ceremony, and it would be so nice if it lived with all of the competition poems. It’s called My Home. I’ll read it for you now, before you file it away.

I feel at home

sat next to you.

It sounds kind of corny:

it’s both corny and true.

We could sit on a bus,

or sit on a plane.

Wherever we sit,

the results are the same.

I’m a bit like a snail

who carries their home,

except it’s just not my home

if I’m sat all alone.

I find a couch is a couch:

just somewhere to be,

but it transforms the moment

you sit beside me.

So, let’s travel the world,

and wherever we roam,

we’ll sit down together,

and call that place “home”.

Here’s the poem so that you can file it  … which reminds me  … on my way in … I noticed that this envelope was attached to the door. It has your name on it, and Chicken’s too.

Queenie: Oh, that’s interesting. I wonder what’s inside. Do you think I’m being called to jury duty?

I’m sure you’re not. I really don’t think that jury duty notices are left taped to doors … and I just don’t see them sending a jury notice in an envelope labeled “Queenie & Chicken” with a little paw print alongside of the names.

Queenie: I’m sure you’re right. Okay – here goes … let’s see what’s inside.

SOUND

Queenie: Oh – it’s a THANK YOU note to me and Chicken. It says … to my dearest friends …. Well, that’s a nice start, don’t you think?

It is.

Queenie: The note continues … this is just a little note of appreciation to say just how grateful I am that the two of you welcome me into your garden each night, keep a safe place for me to eat, and grow wild flowers that attract yummy grubs that I enjoy. You also made me feel like a member of your wonderful Club when you camped in the garden the other week and I popped by your tent. I feel so lucky that I came across you on my travels. I’m full of gratitude. Love, Hedgehog.

Oh wow – what a beautiful note.

….

Queenie?

Queenie: I’m sorry, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m just a little sniffly and teary. That is just such a lovely note from Hedgehog. You know what – I find that the people who most deserve praise themselves are often the ones who praise everyone else. So, Hedgehog wrote us a nice note, but totally deserves to be thanked too. Our garden benefits so much from Hedgehog’s bug control efforts … plus, anyone with a friend like Hedgehog is really lucky.

You’re right, Queenie. Let’s make sure that we show the note to Chicken when she comes in. Oh, here she comes now.

SOUND (Door)

Hi Chicken!

Queenie: Hi Chicken. Come take a look at this note that Hedgehog left for us.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: I know, it made me teary too. It’s so lovely – and I always appreciate it when people think about what they’re grateful for. I know that we all have a lot to be grateful for, don’t we?

We do, Queenie …. You know what … we have some poems here about gratitude, thanks, and appreciation. Let’s dig them out and listen to them – I think we’re in the mood for some great poems on the topic. Here’s one, for example – it comes from Cali in England, and it’s called “The reason for our smiles, the amazing NHS”. I’ll play the recording for you now:

Cali:

To all our heroes helping out during this mess,

Your bravery and selflessness deserves our respect,

For all you have done and all you will do,

We have been brought together and that’s thanks to you.

The stars are shining brighter with every waking hour,

You’re saving lives, risking your own and for that you have the power,

Words can’t express the gratitude we feel,

You’re the sun in our eyes and you make our sadness heal.

We all await the day for our lives to go back to how they were,

But for now let’s appreciate each other and be grateful for what we share,

Soon enough this will be a faded memory and the hard ships will be less and less,

One thing that will never be forgotten is our unsung heroes, the NHS!

Queenie: Oh, I do like that poem, Little Dazzy Donuts. We always have a lot to be grateful for, and it feels like we have even more than normal during the current challenges.

I agree, Queenie. Cali really did a great job of shining an important light on unsung heroes … and she also read the poem wonderfully.

Queenie: Listening to Cali’s poem helps me to realize that I have a lot to be grateful for – and one of those things is poetry. I like reading it … listening to it … and writing it. Being a part of this Club is something I never take for granted. There’s something special about receiving poems from kids all around the world – to know that somebody thousands of miles away sat down and wrote a poem that meant something important to them, and then sent it to us to read. Well, I’m really grateful for poetry, that’s for sure.

Me too, Queenie. For the Summer competition, we received poems from 14 countries, and our 8 winners all came from different countries. So, I agree with you completely that we should all be grateful for poetry. Okay, let’s find another poem to listen to. Here’s one – it’s from Amilah in the United Kingdom called “I can’t wait to get home”. I’ll play it for you now:

Amilah:

i can't wait to get back home,

to feel the soft linen of my bed,

to undo my tight higab,

take each mask of one by one,

to embrace the soft air,

and the smell of my mothers chicken curry,

to know theirs a book one i can delve into,

with much wonder and happiness,

to feel the relieve on the sole of my foot,

to rip of the barries of freedom,

to the messy bed,

a sight much to much to see,

and to savour a ice lolly,

one a day only,

the relive to hear my mother on the phone,

know she'll be engaged,

to eat my soul out,

to feel the heat of the water,

to let my head fall back,

for just one second ,

to the packing of the school bag,

to folding of my uniform to the last minute homework,

and finally to the bed I know to well.

Thank you, Amilah, for your poem. You’ve included so many things to be grateful for, all in one poem. For me, the idea of ice lollies and your mother’s curry feel like they should be near the top of the list! Thank you so much for recording your poem so nicely, and sending it in.

While we’re on the topic of things we’re grateful for, why don’t we also listen to this poem from Amogh in the United States. It’s called Wind. I’ll play it for you now:

Amogh:

You can try to catch it

But it catches you with joy and happiness

You can either long for it

Or run away from it a times

It can be the welcome morning breeze

Or the Halloween night chill

It can be the guider of freedom to anything

No matter negative or positive,

We thank It in all ways

Wind!

Queenie: Oooohhhh – I like Amogh’s poem. In thinking about all of the many things we should be grateful for, I really hadn’t thought of the weather! Things would be very different without the wind, and the same goes for the sun and for rain. Nothing would grow, and we’d have nothing to eat. Thank you so much, Amogh, for pointing that out to us, and recording your poem so nicely.

SOUND (Chicken).

Queenie: Oh, you’re right Chicken. Your gardening is really dependent on the wind, rain, and sun!

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: You’re right again! You have a lovely home, and a wonderful vegetable garden too. Those are two big things to be grateful for.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: What a good idea!  Little Dazzy Donuts – Chicken was just saying that she could spread her gratitude to others by sharing her wonderful vegetables. We have far more ripening right now than we could ever eat ourselves.

What a fantastic idea!

Queenie: I know – how about we get some baskets, and fill each basket with yummy vegetables, and leave them on doorsteps with a little note that just says … “thank you for being our friends – these are for you!”

Well, I’m sure that people would really appreciate that. I know that you have lots of lovely tomatoes and kale and carrots and onions. Wouldn’t it be amazing to open your door in the morning and find a basket of home-grown vegetables there waiting for you. What a wonderful idea!!!! Okay, before you head off to do that, why don’t we listen to a final poem. This last one is from Bavneet in Malaysia, and is called “Mom, you are you”. I’ll play it for you now!

Bavneet:

Every smile,

Of yours,

Make me smile,

Even more brighter.

Being with you,

Around you,

Makes me feel,

Secured.

The day I born,

You held,

My finger,

All the time.

You hug me,

When I need it,

You advice me,

When I need it.

During every up and down,

You guide me,

You make me face it,

Which makes me stronger.

No matter,

How old I get,

I am still,

Your cute young child.

Thank you,

For being for me,

With me,

I love you mom.

Queenie: Oh my gosh – Bavneet’s poem makes me a little teary again. How wonderful! It’s so special to have relatives who love us, and who we love, and Bavneet’s mom definitely sounds like someone to be grateful for. Thank you so much, Bavneet, for sending us your locely poem. So, Little Dazzy Donuts – what are you grateful for?

Well, I’ve been thinking about that while we’ve been chatting and listening to poems, and there is so much that I could pick … but, if I have t just pick one thing, I’m going to say that I’m really grateful for the Friends of the Club. So, that’s the two of you, of course, … and all of our wonderful friends like Sammy Showers, Donna Worry, Chef Katie, Postie Dale, Bill Ding, and Rhyming Rita … and then all of the friends of ours who send in poems and art to our competitions. Those amazing friends make all of this such fun.

Queenie: Ummm …. I have an idea. We’ve had such a good time thinking about what we’re grateful for – why don’t we use that as the topic for our Autumn/Fall competition? Imagine how wonderful it would be to read poems and see art that kids send in about what they are grateful for. It gives them a lot of scope to write and draw … and it will feel so good to see what they send us.

It will. I love your idea … let’s do it. So, now we’ve made that decision, why don’t I make the official announcement to everyone, and then the three of us can head off into the garden to pick vegetables for your baskets?

So, now the decision has been made … the Kids’ Poetry Club Autumn/Fall competition is officially open, on the topic of Gratitude. So, whatever you’re thankful for, grateful for, appreciative of.  We’ll put full details on the competition page of our website, including how to send us your poetry and art. So you can start sending in your poems and art straight away … and all the way up to October 30th. We’ll be so excited to see it!!!!!

Well, before we go, I want to say a special thank you to everyone for joining us today … and a big THANK YOU to our poets Cali, Amilah, Amogh, and Bavneet. Don’t forget, we’ll be back on Monday with a normal episode and new poems.

Let’s finish with our short goodbye poem:

We’ve had some fun

With things that rhyme,

Goodbye kids,

Until next time.

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying … keep rhyming!

Queenie: Okay then, let’s head off into the garden and fill these baskets with some yummy vegetables. We’ll then take them around the neighborhood. What a lovely way to end our day!

SOUND (Door)

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