This bird of paper and feathers
sings, ‘Write me a poem
make it from words or letters
on my body like
grans
mer att.

Perhaps imagine
my textures
stone, feather
paper maiche
and find poetic
ways to make someone feel me
through your words.

Maybe you love shape poems
and will make yours
just like a wing
or a feather.

Maybe think of other literature
birds
like Edgar Allan Poe’s Raven
or the sparrow with Thumbelina
or instead a bird that your gran likes?

Maybe I am nothing like those birds
or perhaps I am just the same?
Compare me.

Do you know a famous poet
who likes to call for me everyday?
Perhaps we can have a conversation?

Perhaps you could imagine how I might
sing.
Does my bird song sound like this att att
mer mer?

Do you have a chorus for me,
a refrain like my song
to repeat and make your poem into
a song?

Can you imagine yourself me
and me you?

Am I book, book bird
a novel bird
a story bird
a lost bird?

How do I make you feel
are you frightened
enlightened
giggling?’

This bird of paper and feathers
sings, ‘Write me a poem.’

(c) June Perkins

Education Notes:

1.Discuss several different birds in literature poems and then create a poem about the bird that intrigues you or makes you full of happiness or sorrow.
Pick poems and stories suitable for the age of the children.

2.Study a range of  birds.
Listen to bird songs on line and try and match sounds to bird.
Study birds in nature and observe how they look, sound, fly (an excursion is perfect for this!)
Create a poem based around the sounds of birds and your excursion to collect notes about birds.

3. You could have a discussion on stereotypes and what people feel about different birds, and then have a usually scary bird turn out to be kind and vis versa. Discuss bird symbolism.

4.Have children invent and then make or draw their own invented bird.

5. Anyone reading this poem: make your own literature bird with these media (feather, paper, rock, paper maiche paste, and then write your own poem from it.) Then write a poem about your literature bird.