National Poetry Day – Why All The Fuss?

Author: Lorna Ockwell

This morning I am here because,

Tomorrow’s a special day.

It’ll be a Thursday like no other,

Because it’s National Poetry Day!

 

‘Hooray!’ I hear you shouting,

‘This day is just the best!

Let’s get Dahl and Rosen

And put their poems to the test!’

 

‘I’d like to share a limerick!’

‘And me! I’ve got a riddle!’

‘And I would like to share my fave,

It goes hey diddle, diddle…’

 

But while this hubbub goes around,

I see some faces falling flat.

‘National Poetry Day you say,

What’s so great about that?’

 

Well, can I tell you a secret?

One I’ve kept since I was small?

When I was young like you are,

I didn’t like poetry at all!

 

I simply didn’t get them,

Some rhymed and some did not.

And some were so confusing,

You never knew the plot.

 

But slowly I grew older,

And the more and more I read,

I soon began to realise,

Poems get inside your head!

 

Some poems tell a story,

You can see so bold and clear.

While others weave a message

That is harder for you to hear.

 

But every single poem,

Is beautiful in its own way.

And every single poem

Has something it wants to say…

 

From silly old Gerald,

And the Smartest Giant in Town,

To the weird and wonderful Jabberwocky

And AA Milnes Halfway Down.

 

These poems are all wonderful,

These poems are all well-known.

But some of the best poems,

Are those that are home-grown.

 

You see, not only have I come to love

The poetry of the greats.

I’ve also developed a fondness

For poems about my mates.

 

So when a special day

Comes along to say ‘Hello!’

I grab my pen and notebook,

I sit down and have a go.

 

Most recently there was Revell

And our beautiful Mrs North,

I wrote them both a poem,

And they were speechless – of course.

 

So you see, although it took a while,

I developed a love of poems,

Why not search inside yourself,

Who knows? A poet could be growing!

 

So I say it once again my friends,

It’ll be National Poetry Day!

So let’s find our love of poetry

A give a massive ‘HIP HIP HOORAY!’