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 on my way into the Club. It’s just a few days before the big awards ceremony where we’ll announce the winners of the poetry and art competition on the topic of Gratitude. We’ve received lots of amazing entries, and so we want to make sure that the awards ceremony is equally as amazing. Queenie’s in charge of planning the event again, and I’m sure she’ll have had her thinking cap on to come up with great ideas for making it magical. She asked me to pop into the Club today for a dress rehearsal, and so I’m sure we’ll get to learn all about what she has planned. I just made it to the Club, and so let’s head in to see what’s happening.    

SOUND (Door)

SOUND (Chicken)

SOUND (Sheep)

Queenie: Okay, folks … perhaps we should take a short break and then try that again. Come have a drink of water and rest those tired feet.

Hi, Queenie.

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts. How great to see you here at our dress rehearsal.

I’ve brought everything I need to rehearse. Do you want me up on stage ready to practice my lines?

Queenie: You? On stage? Ummm … I don’t think we’re quite ready for that yet. We’re still working on the opening number.

The opening number?

Queenie: Sure. To prepare for today, I watched a lot of awards ceremonies on television. I don’t remember their names … I think one was called the Oprahs … and then I also watched a recording of the Emmas … and the Toe Knees too. Anyway, I noticed that they all started with an opening number. You know, a traditional dance and song routine – something to set the scene and add a certain razzamatazz!

Well, I know that you were looking to make our awards ceremony even more amazing this time around, and adding an opening number would certainly do that. So, what sort of opening number are you thinking of?

Queenie:  It all started when the sheep came to me with an idea. You remember the sheep – they had an important role in the Summer awards ceremony when they escorted you up to the stage to read each winning poem.

Sure, I remember them. They did a grand job.

Queenie: They did! This time around, they approached me about having an even bigger role. They liked being escorts of course, but they felt like it didn’t tap into their deep well of skills.

Their deep well of skills to do what?

Queenie: Strangely enough, Chicken had exactly the same question. It turns out that the sheep have always fancied themselves as a dance troup, and so their suggestion was they did a dance routine to kick-off the awards ceremony.

Okay. I’m struggling a little to picture it, but keep going.

Queenie: Well, Chicken and I have designed a dance routine for them – and that’s what we’ve been practicing for the last two hours.

So, how many sheep dancers do you have?

Queenie: It turns out that we have… none. We have eight sheep – but I’m not sure that I’d describe any of them as sheep dancers. Still, we’re seeing signs of improvement.

That’s good news. What sort of improvements are you seeing?

Queenie: Well, back when we started, the sheeps’ tutus wouldn’t stay up. They kept sliding down mid-routine, and we had sheep tripping up all over the place. Eventually, we solved that with specially designed suspenders or braces. Look – aren’t they cute!

They are! I like that they’re covered in little happy faces. So, that’s your sign of improvement?

Queenie: Yes – we’ve been practicing for two hours now, and the improvement we’ve seen is that the sheeps’ tutus are now staying up for the whole routine. I know that doesn’t sound like a great improvement, but we’re learning to celebrate even small victories…. Oh, hang on, it looks like they’re heading back on stage for another attempt. I better get up there with Chicken to help her out. Someone has to guard against the possibility that yet another sheep over-pirouhettes and spins dangerously towards the edge of the stage. When that happens, it’s my job is to spin them back towards the center.

Okay – what shall I do while I’m waiting to rehearse my part?

Queenie: Ummm …. Do you have any poems you could play for us? It may actually calm everyone down and help us towards a successful rehearsal.

I do. I’ve brought some lovely recordings with me. I’ll play one of them now while you and Chicken attempt to choreograph the sheep.

This first poem is from Kanan in India and is called Thankfulness. Here, I’ll play the poem for you now.

Kanan:

Let your dawn begin with a thankful note and dusk end with a wide smile.

Stay up till twilight to see the moon shine and being thankful to the sun for it's light.

Be thankful towards the earth for supporting our footsteps.

Be thankful to the air,everytime you breathe.

Thankfulness is the feeling of gratitude. Don't let gratitude be a favour as,being thankful doesn't mean you are weak but a feeling of gratitude you seek.

A big thank you to Kanan for your lovely poem. I really like how you’ve captured the importance of gratitide throughout the day, and how every part of the day contains something we can be thankful for.  Your poem acts as a really useful reminder to look around us as there’s lots to appreciate. Thank you so much for sending in your poem, and for recording it so beautifully.

SOUND (Sheep Dancing)

Why don’t I play another poem while the sheep are rehearsing. Up next is Liliana from the United States, with the poem “Be Thankful For All You Have”. Here, I’ll play the poem for you now:

Liliana:

Giving thanks to all,
Who have shaped your life.

Being thankful to all those,
Who have cared for you
Who have protected you
Who have stayed by your side
Through all your hardships
To your friends, family, teachers, and all-
Cherish them, express your gratitude,
Be thankful.

Being thankful to all items,
The clothes you wear
The food you eat
The shelter you live in
The belongings you have
To your shoes, your home, your books-
Cherish them, express your gratitude,
Be thankful.

Being thankful to your body,
The beautiful eyes to let you see
The nose to let you smell
The tongue to let you taste
The ears to let you hear
To your body-
Cherish them, express your gratitude,
Be thankful.

And being thankful to yourself,
Your ability to learn
Your ability to grow
Your ability to overcome challenges
Your ability to be passionate
To the unique, brilliant you-
Cherish yourself, express your gratitude,
Be thankful.

Be thankful for all you have.

Thank you so much, Liliana, for your thought-provoking poem. There’s something really important about appreciating who we are as individuals, and being thankful for our qualities and abilities. From that appreciation grows a confidence, and a satisfaction, and you have really captured that in your poem. Thank you so much for writing it, and for sending it in.

Okay, Queenie – how’s it going with the sheep dance routine? Are you ready yet for me to practice my part of the ceremony?

Queenie: Ummm … not really. We’re having to make a few changes to the routine, and so that’s slowing us down a little.

What sort of changes?

Queenie: Well, we’ve concluded that we were going too classical. We’ve choreographed something that was a sort of hybrid between the Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Had we been working with a top-notch ballet company, I think we could have pulled it off … but it just isn’t working with sheep. For example … and I have a lot of examples, but I feel like just one will be sufficient … the grand jeté. According to the ballet book that Chicken and I got from the library, it’s a a long horizontal jump, starting from one leg and landing on the other, where the dance does a full leg splits in mid-air.

And that’s not working?

Queenie: Not only is it not working – we’re having great difficulty even picturing what it should look like. I mean – how does a sheep do the splits? We’ve debated that for quite some time – half the sheep think it means that the front legs face forward and the back legs face backwards … and the other half think it means that the right legs face right and the left legs face left. Well, it turns out that it doesn’t really matter which half of the sheep is correct as none of the sheep can do any form of the splits in any direction…. So, we’re changing the routine.

It sounds like the right thing to do. So, are you dropping the grand jeté?

Queenie: In a way, yes. But we’re making even more drastic changes. We’ve decided to drop the idea of a ballet-based dance routine all together … and we’re switching dance styles.

To what?

Queenie: To tap.

Tap dancing?

Queenie: Yep – we’ve redesigned the whole routine so we no longer have ballet moves. The arabesque … gone. The assemblé … gone. The Pas De Bouree … gone. They’ve all gone. And in their place, we now have a lot of step-heel, heel-step going on … and some shuffle too.

Okay – so the routine is now tap dancing sheep?

Queenie: That’s the plan … and that’s precisely why we’re not yet ready for you to rehearse, Little Dazzy Donuts. Do you think you could play a couple more poems for us – to buy some more time for the sheep to get used to the change from ballet slippers to tap dancing shoes?

Definitely. I have the ideal poem right here.

Queenie: Excellent news! …. Okay folks, let’s change the music, and get tap dancing!

This next poem is from Menucha in the United States and is called Gratitude Brewed. Here, I’ll play the poem for you now.

Menucha:

After a long day
All you could a ask for is a steaming hot cup of tea
That was what always came to me
Whether it was chamomile or mint, peach or green
Every day when I would come back it was waiting for me
Waiting for me to drink it
Waiting for me to sip
Waiting for me to thank that person who made it for me
I walked and walked
Taking small steps
And then I ran
I ran into my grandmas arms
I gave her a hug
And I told her thank you
Thank you for the tea
That was all I had to say because the thoughts were inside
Inside my head and inside my heart
They were going into hers
And that was an evening that changed my life
Forever because my grandma never forgot the tea

Thank you so much, Menucha, for your lovely poem. I’m sure it will have brougt back lots of memories for people listening. When I was young, my grandmas would make me tea too – and offer it with a nice slice of cake. So I can really relate to your poem, and how a simple act, like making a cup of tea, can carry such a significant meaning. Thank you for writing such a beautiful poem, and for sending it into the Club.

Okay, up next is a lovely poem from Riyansh, in the United Kingdom, called My Family. Here, I’ll play the poem for you now …

Riyansh:

My family are who I’m thankful for,

I love them to the core,

Everyday they nurture me,

And the things they do you will see.

My dad always keeps me laughing hard,

While protecting me like a guard,

He always puts a smile on my face,

And helps me do things like tie a shoe lace.

My brother never lets me down,

Hardly ever makes me frown,

He helps me whenever possible,

Never makes anything impossible.

Finally my mum cooks food you should see,

And never ever abandons me,

When I’m sick always stays by my side,

Her love will always amplify.

All my family show their kindness and love,

Their love flies gracefully around me like a dove,

I am thankful to have a family like this,

Who always shower me with hugs and kiss.

Thank you so much, Riyansh, for your lovely poem. Your family sounds wonderful – and I can totally see why you feel so grateful. I’m sure that your poem will have encouraged everyone to reflect on their own families, and all of the many reasons they have to be grateful. Thank you so much for writing it, and for recording it so beautifully.

Okay, let’s check back in with Queenie and see how the rehearsal is going.

So, Queenie, how’s it going with the tap dancing?

Queenie: Ummmm …. Not so great, I’m afraid to say. The good news is that we’ve now figured out how the sheep can keep the tap shoes on their feet. The bad news is that our eight sheep all share the same affliction of really poor timing. Tap dancing seems to be heavily reliant on the idea that everyone taps at the same time … and we just can’t manage that.

So, how close have you got to it working?

Queenie: Not too close, I’m afraid. We can have one sheep tap dancing just fine, but as soon as we add a second sheep, they just can’t seem to get into the same rhythm. One’s going up, as the other goes down. By the time we’ve added all eight sheep, there’s no sense of tap dancing at all – it’s like listening to the sound of a large number of builders all hammering nails.

So, what’s the plan now?

Queenie: Let me check my list here. So, plan A was the ballet … ummm … let’s put a line through that one. Then, plan B was tap dancing … and we’ll put another line through that one. Okay, we’re left with just two options – Plan C, which is eight sheep doing the waltz …. Or, if you don’t like that idea, Plan D is eight sheep doing disco. What do you think?

Well, if it was up to me, I’d go disco. It sounds less dependent on the sheep learning specific steps and moves.

Queenie: Okey dokey. Disco it is. Let me share the news with everyone……. Okay, folks – I think we all agree that the tap dancing just isn’t working, and so we’re changing the plan.

SOUND (Sheep)

Queenie: I’m glad you approve. Well, we’re going to try disco.

SOUND (Sheep)

Queenie: You haven’t. Surely you must have heard of Donna Summer, or Earth, Wind & Fire, or Kool & The Gang?

SOUND (Sheep)

Queenie: Okay, well for next week’s film club, I’ll dig out a few videos of them in action. In the meantime, you’ll all just have to go with the flow and believe me when I say that the next step is for you to all put on these white suits with extra wide lapels. Chicken, can you hand them out please.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Right, let’s get rehearsing again. We’ll switch music and find our groove…. Little Dazzy Donuts, while Chicken teaches the sheep some classic disco moves, could you play another poem for us please? Oh, and can you also keep this ladder steady – I’m going to climb up it and put this large glitter ball on the ceiling. You really can’t have disco without a glitter ball.

Sure. And then I get to rehearse my lines?

Queenie: Of course. Just buy us a little time.

Wonderful. In that case, our next poem is from Agasthya in India and is called When Spring Comes. Here, I’ll play the poem for you now.

Agasthya:

When spring comes, it spreads some kind of joy in everyone's life,
A new strength just grew inside me,
New buds of green opened during spring,
Throwing out the fresh fragrance.
It fills my heart with pleasure,
Like a beautous treasure,
I am so so grateful for spring,
If summer's a prince, it is the king.

Thank you so much, Agasthya, for your poem – it’s so full of happy images. I think that Spring is my favorite season too – there’s something special about us getting through Winter, and seeing leaves reappearing on the trees and plants starting to bloom again. Your poem captures all of that so nicely. Thank you for writing it, and for sending it in.

Well, Queenie, that was my last recording. How’s it going with the sheep?

Queenie: Oh my gosh – it is going sooooo well! It’s like we have eight of the world’s best disco dancers on the stage. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s like we have eight of the world’s best disco dancers all wearing sheep costumes. However you look at it, it’s going really well. Who knew that sheep were natural disco dancers?!

So does that mean that I can get up on stage to rehearse my lines now?

Queenie: Oh … ummm …. actually, rehearsals are over now. We just wrapped up. Chicken and I have to refill the farm stand before dark, and the sheep have their book club meeting to go to. But, don’t worry, Little Dazzy Donuts. Nobody doubts that you’ll be wonderful at the awards ceremony. Just do what you normally do – it always works.

Okay, I will. Thanks for the encouragement, and congratulations on settling on an amazing opening number. The disco-dancing sheep are going to steal the show. Before we all head off, I also want to thank everyone for joining us for the episode, and also thank our poets today Kanan, Liliana, Menucha, Riyansh, and Agasthya. All of them are finalists in our competition, and you can see their poems and all of the other poetry and art finalists by going to kidspoetryclub.com. Don’t forget that we’re announcing the winners in our episode on Monday. It’s going to be quite the awards ceremoy, that’s for sure. I hope that you can join us.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

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