Jan Dean's Poetry Zoo Website

Group Poems

Poem produced in workshop with pupils from Years 4 & 5, St Richard’s Catholic Primary School, Atherton

The poem is in three sections: the first and last sections were written as a group poem, the centre section is a compilation of words and phrases from individual poems. The poem grew from sharing ideas about ‘places that make us feel calm, relaxed and good inside’. We chose the beach as a starting point, but this quickly became the sea itself, particularly views of the sea at sunset and at night. Some children who hadn’t experienced this used memories of street lights shining in puddles as their starting point. It is printed and framed and displayed in Atherton Health Centre, and words and phrases from it have been painted on the wall there.

The sky is yellow as an oriental lily
Red as poppies when the gold sun sets.
Ripples… the dark sea ripples….
Float in these warm waves
Weigh the heavy salt water in your hands
Listen to the gentle shush
Of the wide open ocean…

The scarlet sun sets and fades
Like the children’s laughter
The silver moon looks in the mirror of the sea…
            Shines, sparkles, shimmers
            Glitters, glassy, gleams,
Two moons smooth and cool
White as white as snow on the cold dark sea
Two moons come out to play
As the blue ocean sways.
                        Rest, lay down your head
                        Under twinkling stars
                        The way up high opal moon
Wondering….
The metallic moon, white as a cloud, shines
Sea shells shine and stars
Deep blue surrounds me in my boat.
The moon’s a pearl
Round and white
Shadowing the sea….

The grey gull glides. Circles.
And the white wind lifts me
I hover
I fly