When I was an English teacher, I had endless creative ideas for engaging children as I helped them to develop their language skills. Occasionally, I would "use" the following poem by the Liverpool performance poet Adrian Henri (1932-2000). Though I have posted it before, it seems quite appropriate to share it with you once more on Valentine's Day:-
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Love is...Love is feeling cold in the back of vans
Love is a fan club with only two fans
Love is walking holding paint-stained hands
Love is.
Love is fish and chips on winter nights
Love is blankets full of strange delights
Love is when you don't put out the light
Love is
Love is the presents in Christmas shops
Love is when you're feeling Top of the Pops
Love is what happens when the music stops
Love is
Love is white panties lying all forlorn
Love is a pink nightdress still slightly warm
Love is when you have to leave at dawn
Love is
Love is you and love is me
Love is a prison and love is free
Love's what's there when you are away from me
Love is...
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One of the things I would do with this poem was to get youngsters following the same simple pattern but with new titles as I helped them to a better understanding of what poetry could do. It didn't need to be high brow stuff drifted down from some faraway ivory tower. It could be here and now and meaningful - a tool for reflecting on real life. Often I would have them writing in pairs as they approached new titles such as "War is...", "Happiness is...", "Youth is...", "Sheffield is...", "Death is..." and so on. Many's the time I observed faces lighting up when effective four line verses had gelled almost magically...
e.g.
War is tears rolling down a face
War is a dream that tyrants chase
War is a curse on the human race
War is...
Nature is a lizard soaking up the sun
Nature is a cobweb newly spun
Nature is a precious gift for everyone
Nature is...
Joy is a light that helps you find your way
Joy is the sound of children at play
Joy is the tune of life's cabaret
Joy is...
If you have an idle moment to spare, why not experiment yourself?
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/5fBzOdH
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