Monday, July 28, 2008

Week One

LEFT BEHIND ON THE BEACH
by Lorraine Marwood

Left behind on the beach:
two scoops of holes
for the sea to fill,
two mini holes
for the crabs to climb.

Left behind on the beach:
giggling waves, fists of shells,
treasures of seaweed necklaces,
diamonds of sun
and the crust of a sandwich:
seagull supper.

Left behind on the beach:
a summer holiday, carrying
beach towels, sunscreen and hats,
a beach chair for mum
and binoculars for dad.

Left behind on the beach:
the in/out breathing of waves,
the screech of seagulls,
the mizzle of mist
and somewhere out on the reef
the anchor of a long ago ship.

Lorraine says: 'The idea for this poem came from a rare summer holiday when we were dairyfarmers. Walking the beach on a not so summery day, I looked and looked as a beachcomber. I saw the usual bits and pieces left as evidence of a fun day at the beach. I just had to jot it down. The title came first- which is unusual and then after chopping the first stanza- which often only serves as a way into the poem; the poem came surfing along. I always carry my notebook with me and jot down lines, especially in a new location.'

www.lorrainemarwood.com
Lorraine loves writing poetry. Poetry allows her freedom to gather images and to build them into a different slant on the world. Great satisfying fun. Lately her love of poetry has gown into a verse novel, out now: Ratwhiskers and me (Walker Books).
She has two collections of poetry for children published by Five Islands Press and her poems appear in School Magazine New South Wales and in anthologies.

POETRY EXERCISE

Poems with repeated lines provide a handy structure. You could write your own Left Behind poem - Left behind at the park, Left behind at school, Left behind on the moon...
Or create your own repeating line: It's midnight and... I'll tell you a secret... In my room... Come and play this game...
There are lots of possibilities. Maybe your students could come up with their own for the whole class to write about!

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