Sometimes a single word can trigger a writing idea. Well, the word Sputnik did just that for me. This poem is based on historical fact.  Searching the Sky For Sputnik Sputnik Say it quickly Sounds like a wet sneeze Dog slobber wet Sputnik- World’s first ever satellite Launched from Russia In the year 1957 Circling the earth Racing through outer space Visible in the night sky A small boy In striped flannelette pyjamas Stands in his front yard On a cool October evening Staring up into the night sky Eyes searching the far away spaces For a moving light The light of Sputnik -And suddenly he sees it The flashing light of the satellite Orbiting the earth A man made wonder Zooming across the night sky Above his front yard Sputnik Sounds like a wet sneeze If you say it quickly  Alan j Wright

The inspiration for this poem came from idioms. In this case, I used idioms involving people's names. My father's generation frequently used such idioms in everyday language. Clearly my exposure to such idiomatic language had an influence. It was fun to play around with these wonderful old terms. Hope you enjoy the word play... Name Dropper My Dad knows lots of people I reckon He often tells me Bob’s your uncle But I don’t know any Bob’s He believes Scott is great He’s always saying Great Scott! He wants to rob Peter to pay Paul and I’m not sure why He thinks Fanny Adams is sweet And someone called Nelly is nervous Last week he told me to run like Billy O How does Billy O run? That’s what I want to know Dad does a lot of things for a fellow called Pete Sake And he thinks Alec is smart because he’s always saying What a smart Alec he is He thinks Ann is raggedy And Simon is simple Freddie is blind But even he can see Which ...

Poetry of Place Think back. Think about a place you have felt really comfortable. Think about a place you may have called home. A cluster of clouds in Cancun, reminded me of when I was boy and would lie on my back in our backyard and stare up at the sky...  George Ella Lyon responded to this challenge when writing: Where I'm From I am from clothespins, from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. I am from the dirt under the back porch. (Black, glistening, it tasted like beets.) I am from the forsythia bush the Dutch elm whose long-gone limbs I remember as if they were my own. I'm from fudge and eyeglasses, from Imogene and Alafair. I'm from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons, from Perk up! and Pipe down! I'm from He restoreth my soul with a cotton-ball lamb and ten verses I can say myself. I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch, fried corn and strong coffee. From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger, the eye my father shut ...

In the space of one week, I saw two toddler tantrums while out and about in the world. A poet needs this world wandering to maintain a flow of ideas. And so it was that Tilly Taylor's Tantrum came screaming into my head... What might you observe that could form part of a poem? What have you seen, or heard lately? Tilly Taylor’s Tantrum Attention please shoppers We have a meltdown in aisle four Right beside the confectionery stand Young Tilly Taylor Age five and a quarter Is experiencing a throwdown Customers are advised to avoid this area Tilly’s mother said No I repeat, No I will not add a packet of Jelly Snakes to the shopping trolley… And so- A throwdown is happening right now, right here We have-Whaa! Piercing screams Yelling and spit Devil eyes Foot stomping And hate stares We have trolley rattling And more… Shoppers in aisle four are advised to move immediately To alternative aisles Tilly’s mother is moving towa...

Learning To Love Line Breaks When you are writing a poem it is important to keep in mind that line breaks are as important to free verse poems as end rhyme is to a poem written in rhyming couplets. You should aim to keep the words that belong together on the same line. You may wish to emphasize a word or a phrase by placing it on a line all by itself. By carrying the word over to the next line it may add a greater degree of suspense or surprise to the poem. You may arrange line breaks in your poem to create a visual effect with regard to the shape of the poem. If there is a repeated refrain, it might help to isolate those important words on a line each time, to draw greater attention to them. On other occasions, it just feels right to break the lines in a certain way. Don’t be afraid to experiment. To help you gain some experience with line breaks, I invite you to take these deconstructed poems and recreate them using your own line breaks. Have fun… ...

I woke with an idea in my head. A bit of nonsense if you like. So I went with the feeling. This poem emerged in my notebook. This is the third version of it.   it gave me the chance to play with alliteration and rhyme... Hope you like it. Penny Palmer’s Pink Pyjamas Penny Palmer’s pink pyjamas Hung drying on the line Held in place by giant pegs Their pinkness, so divine A substantial woman was Penny P. Her pyjamas quite immense They covered her from head to toe Which all made perfect sense The morning breeze began to grow It formed into a gale Those huge pyjamas on the line Flipped and flopped and flailed Penny Palmer’s pink pyjamas Lifted skywards in a flash And above her house they floated Gaudy and pink and brash The neighbourhood was puzzled By pyjamas in the sky A sunset in the morning Had sent the day awry Like floating blimps the top and tail Began drifting out to space Tumbling pink pyjamas...

An inquiry unit on Transport being undertaken by Grade 1 students at Narre Warren South P-12 College prompted this poem based on my all time favourite boyhood bicycle. My Flash Bike I once owned a bicycle So fine All mine A Healing Semi Racer With Semi Racer handle bars It looked flash It looked sporty Its silver frame shone in the sunlight The spokes glistened The wheels whirred Everything blurred When I charged down the street A tailwind at my back Atop my speedy machine Old ladies Dogs And rubbish bins  Were in all in peril When I went peddling by Wheels whirring wildly Alan j Wright

What do you do when you want to remember something?  Do you say it to yourself again and again until you learn it?  That’s using repetition.  Repetition in poetry may include a word, a phrase, a line, or even a stanza the poet  wants to use more than once for particular effect. We hear it, We see it. We begin to feel its presence. When using repetition  the poet must make sure that what is repeated is important to the poem,  otherwise it can feel or sound overdone. In the poem, Bully For Me , I consciously repeated the words, 'But ours left'   in each stanza hoping to create a sense of relief in the mind of the reader. Bully For Me We had a bully at our school I think every school has one -But ours left Now, I can ride to school Relaxed We had a bully at our school -But ours left And now playtime is fun again We had a bully at our school -But ours left I wonder if that person is happy? Like me and my friends  Are now ...

Here are some tips for young poets to follow. They have helped me with writing poetry over many years. I hope they assist you in discovering your poet’s heart. Write as often as you can. That's what writers do — they write. They think about their words, rehearsing in their heads- and then they write. Sometimes though they get a spark of an idea and just have to write it down , rather than risk losing it. Carry a writer’s notebook with you and collect your ideas wherever you may be. My notebook is my travelling companion and a place to collect ideas and memories. American poet, Ted Kooser advises potential poets to, ‘Read at least 100 poems before you write one.’ My advice is similar to Ted. You certainly need to read lots of poetry to get a feel for the shape and sounds of this wonderful form of writing. Try to write in your notebook every day, -even if it’s just a few words or lines. When you begin to write start with the things closest to you — yourself...

It is important to create a sense of wonder around words. Ralph Fletcher refers to deliberate playfulness with language to create a particular kind of effect. I agree. Wordplay is critical to feeling comfortable with language in general and poetry in particular. Here are a few ideas to get the word fun started: Poets try to see ordinary things in extraordinary ways *Describe a pair of dirty,worn out sneakers They look like..... They smell like..... They feel like..... They remind me of..... What don’t you want to be doing tomorrow ? What don’t you want to be doing next week ? What don’t you want to be doing when you grow up ? Word gatherers    - collect words...poets need them Words which sound like noises  (onomatopoeia  ) buzz plop quack twang whizz splat bong Words which sound good hubbub giggle gingerly agog billabong skedaddle gongoozle  Words which are made up: esky elbon...