Paper boats conjure dreams
of petals soaked by
scents of the
ocean.
Traveling boats
float in shadows
people
who have a simple hope
for happy lands,
but white markers sink
in sandy earth
marking graves of people
who cannot resist new germs.
‘Once watched paper boats,’
paternal grandfather says
in Vietnamese
but nobody understands
No translators here.
So shadow puppets dance
for petals
falling from kumquat boughs.
My boots are made for sleeping
I’ll never take them off again.
My feet are made for keeping
Those leathery brown boots.
My heart is made for boots
They are the world to me
& if you take them off me Mum
I’ll scream the whole house down.
My boots they sing me songs
As the crackle in the night
My heart is made for weeping
For my hand-me-down brown boots.
Mum to Son
Son, please take off those boots
For they are lethal weapons as you sleep.
I know you love them deeply, truly, madly
But they do not make your parents
Meet the morning mildly mannered.
If you stayed asleep on your own bed
I’d have no problems with your obsession,
But as you creep up into ours
I’d rather your boots were dreams
& not your midnight possession.
Creative Commons
Boots to Son
When you grow up you won’t remember
the love that we once shared.
But that’s okay I won’t be lonely because
I always travel in pairs.
I just have one small request before I go
Please polish me & check my eyelets
Then sing me a song
to imprint into my sole.
Boots to Mum
One day he’ll be fully grown
& new shoes he’ll own
Boots will be replaced by runners
new challenges be found.
Remember you can write a poem
to reach out to him
Say the things you need to say
as Mum to grown up son.
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.
‘Secret Spot’ shows one of the themes of the book, searching for things hidden! For any parent or teacher that goes walking with their children in nature, you will know there are things to be careful of, and things to enjoy noticing.
This is the last interior sample we can show you until the kickstarter campaign has been run. Perhaps though, we’ll give you a sneak peek at some teacher’s /parent’s notes and let you know a little more about Helene and the inspiring Cassowary Coast.
You can read the reasons behind this being a kickstarter project HERE.
If you love the look of this book it’d be brilliant if you’d subscribe to the blog, join the facebook page and most of all let everyone know when the kickstarter begins and help us bring this book into the world.
Magic Fish Dreaming 