Spring Poetry Extravaganza and Contest

» Brunate - POETRY CAN WASH THE SOUL

In reply to Susan Maree, I have to say that she is not the only one whose soul was washed by poetry. In my case it happened 9 years' ago. i went through a horrible psychological trauma in my life.

It so happened that during this time, we had to take a poem to our local women's group Christmas meeting, and I could not find the right one for me. I wrote one, and suddenly it was like turning on a tap. In the two weeks over Christmas over 50 poems were on paper. You might think they would be sad ones, but, very strangely, most of them were fun poems for children. Because it was Christmas, there were so many "Christmas" poems: Poor Old Snowman; The Winter Picnic; The Bear That Nobody Bought and loads more. Well, the poems stayed in my book for many years, untouched.

Two years ago, I changed my voluntary work, and offered to help in our local school. The children discovered I'd written children's poems and their teacher tentatively asked me to read one. I read "Mickledy-Me" which is a fun story about every child's naughty but nice invisible friend. I was flabbergasted (is the only word I can think of to describe it). The children just adored this poem, and drove me mad wherever I went - church, school, street, supermarket - with stories of what Mickledy-Me had done in their homes. They just loved it so much, and this is not exaggeration at all. So I read them another poem, and another.

This year's children are the same. In fact they have begged me to put the poems onto a website because they can't get much time with them in school. My husband made the website after Christmas and 104 of my poems have gone onto it now, with another one pending. From February until now more than 3000 people have visited the site and I've had letters from all over the world telling me how children are enjoying them. I have written the poems with a strong rhyme and rhythm (because that is how the children told me they liked them), and many have imaginative stories.

The children in my class pushed me on from November to write the other 50 plus poems, to accompany the first ones. They have come to me with pictures (as in the case of a picture of 3 little aliens) and asked me to do a poem to fit the picture. Then I was told by Sam: "You didn't write a poem about a donkey and I love donkeys." I thought he might have forgotten it by the next week, but no, the same question again: "When are you going to write me a poem about a donkey?" I prayed for some inspiration for I couldn't think what to write, and the most beautiful poem came onto my computer about the donkey which carried Mary to Bethlehem - but then he died and the angel told him: "Your work on earth is finished, go to heaven and take your rest. God really wants you with Him for of all donkeys you're the best." The children loved it.

So, although I never ever intended to write children's poems as a career, and I am a grandmother now of 65, it seems that because of my emotional experience of 9 years ago, my life has changed. People say that they were inspired by a poem they learned when a child. I was too. But I never thought that the simple words I have put onto paper for fun would cause children to be inspired imaginatively. Yet, when I think of all the stories of what Mickledy-Me has done in the homes of the various children, I am surprised, but very very happy to know that perhaps, when I am dead and gone, some adult will say: "The poem about Mickledy-Me was what inspired me to like poetry."

I will put in the website for those of you who are interested, but if I am not allowed to do so, I know Suite 101 will remove it and not take offence: www.whiteheadm.co.uk - 100 Children's poems.

-- posted by Brunate

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