Big City Writing

BIG CITY WRITING Poems by Brookfields Primary School Year 3 & 4 Winter 2017

Driving left and right Rushing down Roseberry Street The big shiny cars Amani Arab

I love mum She loves to share And she cares She loves me too Thank you

When you have a big toy You can play with the toy But when you grow old Give it to someone else Albert Vilceanu-Mihai

Joshua Siana

I have a pet called Polly And a sister called Holly Watching TV we feel Jolly When I do my homework it’s boring When I wait for the bathroom I feel like snoring When it’s lunchtime I don’t feel hungry When it’s bedtime I don’t want a story Abdirahman Ali

At Six O’Clock I’m fast asleep – snore snore At Seven O’Clock I’m woken up ¬– yawn yawn At Eight O’Clock I go to school – scribble scribble At Nine O’Clock I’m reading – music music At Ten O’Clock it’s poems poems poems At Eleven O’Clock I do a bit of maths – sums calculations At Twelve O’Clock it’s lunchtime clubs – scream scream At One O’Clock it’s lunch play so much fun – chitter chat At Two O’Clock now PE, so much fun – run run At Three O’Clock it’sa moving time – home home At Four O’Clock playing with my baby brother – ga ga At Five O’Clock watch a movie – happy times At Six O’Clock clean teeth – brush bursh At Seven O’Clock wash my face – fresh fresh At Eight O’Clock I fall asleep – snore snore A new day to come, yay!

Calum Boyne

Kate is nice and kind Her pictures are amazing She has a big smile Abdiladif Hersi

A big smiling face Warm fluffy fur on blue hood She is happy now Muhammed Manneh

The car factory thousandth The petrol station hundredth The shopping twentieth The canal tenth The hospital fifth The Jewellery Quarter The airport half The school three quarters The whole of Birmingham Aland Salih

Letters dropped in here The postman has delivered But who are they for?

Tia May

The car thousandth The shopping hundredth The football ground twentieth The tree tenth The hospital fifth The Jewellery Quarter The long way to go half The family house three quarters The whole of Birmingham Blessing Vumi Anwanina

On the dirty step Thrown by a disgruntled boy The pink toothbrush lies Kaden Small

The shinning rings Round as the sun Gold as a plate With a silver diamond flower Fluffy like a white cloud Pillow rings shining Waiting for people to buy A ring with a blue white eye Looking up for a customer to buy Hajira Falage

The Queen’s golden crown My mum’s shining bright rings My secret diary My favourite toys My iPad and iPhone7 My best friend’s pretty purse My sister’s sweet kiss These are precious things Nashaad Mire

Top of the wall Stopping the strangers Killing the clowns who climb Razor Wire!

Abdirahiim Hussen

Library for reading books Swimming pool for swimming Railway station to catch the train Garages for parking The cinema for watching films Houses to live in Schools for learn Parks to play in Shops to buy things

The secret place Ssh ssh The secret place Ssh ssh Don’t tell Or I will ring the bell The secret place Ssh ssh Masah Ramadhan

Elham Danial

Tall slender tower High above restaurants and cars Top lost in the clouds Elhiber Eltoum Slowly you creep down the mysterious corridor Under your feet you feel cold black bricks The slower you go the more time it takes Your heart’s beating fast, a drum in your chest Halfway down you realise it’s not the best place to be The weird wind howls Like the call of a dog Is that a ghost screaming behind?

The door slams shut You’re locked in side You’re phone doesn’t work There’s no food to survive There’s no going back You must be a brave like a lion As strong as a knight You must go on On towards the old cracked window and broken down door Use the yellow broom to smash a hole in the door Wooden splinters fall to the floor Your hand slithers through And curls for the lock A twist a pull and a push and you’re free!

The sky is so high The storm is so hard it hurts Now houses are soaked Taibou Sall

As big as an elephant And a dinosaur Followed by crocodiles Snapping at its heels Past traffic lights Through the big city jungle Along the grey tarmac river As slow as a tortoise A stomach full of petrol and oil Past giant brick trees The lorry lumbers on Leo Owusu

Star of the playground King of racing Queen of singing Princess of skipping Prime Minister of telling stories Champion of football

Lara Ahmedd, Lena Wojcik & Omar Shaaban

Arina Sirwan

Eleven hot red fires Six tasty orange oranges One shiny yellow sun Two cute green fields of grass Four beautiful blue skies Twenty great purple cakes A rainbow waiting to be drawn Aisha Mahmud

Blue iron girders Giant metal spider web Soon it will be flats Adam Yusuf

Scarlet, blood red poppies remind me of my Granddad who died in The War ‘Hevan’ My name is like a lullaby We are in the graveyard I look up high and reach to touch the sky Granddad in heaven Past the grey clouds God said to me “don’t you cry” A lovely sound “don’t you frown” Two red wreaths lie in the graveyard A memorial to my Granddad points to the sky Hevan-Blu Wellington

Home, home, home I have a family My mum, dad and brother We all live in a house We haven’t got a mouse And we haven’t got a louse I have a family in China My cousin lives out there I don’t have another family In any other country Anthony Williams

I like the bus stop From here we go far and wide It could take you home Ayman Elias

At Six O’Clock I’m fast asleep – snore snore At Seven O’Clock I’m woken up ¬– stretch stretch At Eight O’Clock I’m having breakfast – eat eat At Nine O’Clock I’m answering the register – talk talk At Ten O’Clock it’s lessons – learn learn At Eleven O’Clock I’m studying – read read At Twelve O’Clock I’m cleaning books – clean clean At One O’Clock I’m coming in – walk walk At Two O’Clock I’m sitting – sit sit At Three O’Clock I’m packing for home – repair repair At Four O’Clock I’m watching TV – watch watch At Five O’Clock I’m sleeping – LAZY At Six O’Clock I’m playing – play play At Seven O’Clock I’m praticing my Karate – chop chop At Eight O’Clock I fall aleep NO I DON’T

Raindrop is leaking Raindop is sneaking Out of the clouds Raindrop is old Raindrop is cold Out of the clouds

There was a monster named Jack He was evil He went to the city Where he made the earth quake The quake went all around the city Jake chased and kicked cars Lorries, motorbikes, bicycles and vans

Raindrop is crying Raindrop is lying Out of the clouds

Then he went to the mountains Where he made the earth quake He crashed cable-cars, mountains and Bigfoot

Raindrop is mad Raindrop is sad The raindrop is dying

Then he jumped high up in the sky Where he made the sky quake He crashed airplanes, jets and killed birds

Irfran Ndenchi

Nimrha Fiaz

Then Jake was gone Mohammed Ayyan Fiaz

Star of the playground King of racing Queen of skipping Prince of football Hero of chasing President of shouting

When I’m old enough to drive I’ll do my test to my very best And pass for my license So I can start working And no one will stop me this is the last stage and an opportunity today I will study and memorise no one will crush my dreams to drive I will drive as a professional

Ashley Farquharson

This is Cloe the strongest girl in the world Picking up a heavy tree The tree is much heavier than her She is strong to pick it up She can pick up heavy stones That no one else can pick up And she is nice Arman Ali

Mubarak Alabi

My best friend is you We play together We sing together Ju Ju on that beat Out in the playground Shopping in Tesco We sing together You show me respect listen when I speak Say kind things to me My only friend is you You are the best

Happy yellow face Smiling up from the clover We found a daisy

Sophie Shah

Samanta Melihova

Pillow on the tiles As people walk past they see I sleep on the floor

My best friend is kind My best friend is sweet She’s always kind to me I will never ever leave her Forever she’s my best friend Forever and ever

Elbalah Dankol Hamid

I am by the lake Raindrops fall onto the river The river grows I am by the sea Raindrops fall into the sea I am in my house Raindrops fall in my house It’s a disaster!

I am in the sewers It stinks Raindrops fall I am in the swimming pool and raindrops fall I am in the forest and raindrops fall Everywhere I go there are raindrops Haby Sall

Lidya Yoseif Lost abandoned home Black rusty fences Dark old muddy house Smashed up window-panes Shall we look inside?

This place is unknown Dean Zaman-Flynn

My friend is sweet My friend loves me My friend is my life My friend is nice My friend is kind My friend makes me feel like I’m at home with my mum My friend is part of me My friend cares My friend is part of me Naeelah Intisaar Ndenchi

The car factory thousandth The friendly schools hundreth The noisy airports twentieth The sick hospital tenth The active football ground fifth The Jewellery Quarter The shopping car park half The housing three quarters The whole of Birmingham Antoine Rabier with Wenxi Zheng

My big toy is a truck It cost a mighty buck You can have fun When you tell your mum That if you come to our house You’re bound to see a mouse Run away to drive your big toy Be a builder just for fun

Star of the Playground King of racing Queen of skipping Prince of shouting Princess of chasing Prime minister of singing Chay Whittaker

Shania Birsa

Thousands of windows Happy people living inside We walk past the flats Kalsoom Begum

The car thousandth The shopping hundredth The football ground twentieth The tree tenth The hospital fifth The Jewellery Quarter The family house three quarters The whole of Birmingham

The monster the monster who can it be The monster the monster knocking down a tree The monster the monster picking up a tree The monster the monster trying to catch a bee The monster the monster smiling with glee The monster the monster can it be that that monster is staring at ME! Isrrael Amador-Frederick & Nathan Tyler

ig toy ve a b at big boy a h u yo gre When ive it to a ey g r mon unny t ’ u n o y Do e b t was iant Don’t him that g ttle toy i g n a i uy l Giv you b little boy n e h W oa that t Give r Nase es Ale m a L

Blessing Vumi Anwanina

A man disappeared He died in November leaves We looked for his grave Ladan Botan

A child found a present in perfect condition The boy said to his mom “Mommy there’s a present in perfect condition” The boy tried to pick up the present But his mom said “Leave the present alone!”

Before the boy even made contact with it She kicked and stamped on the present He started to cry “I want my present,” he sobbed Abdirahman Hashi

Two red fires Ten orange oranges Thirty yellow pens One green lawn Nine blue skies Two purple socks A rainbow of colours waiting to be drawn

The old man building He stopped for a little bit Now building again

Angelina Cvetkova

Shannoi Campbell

Down in the park I see a man huddled on a bench while people walk past him he is there all day, all night in the cold.

While time is passing the man feels himself getting hungrier and hungrier older and older

My best friend is silly My best friend is caring and also shares My best friend always comes to my house My best friend never lets me down My best friend is good at maths My best friend clears the paths My best friend is always there for me My best friend always cheers me up when I’m feeling down You never see my best friend’s frown My best friend is special to me Faye

As the sun rises he wanders off alone, hungry and sad He needs some water, needs some food He spots a track of his footprints and follows them home Back in his room he makes hot chocolate and tucks himself into bed The lonely old man is happy at last Jessica De Freitas Goncalves

Lily-Mai Jastrzebski

If you’re lost If you’ve fallen over Don’t give up Push the Help Point button

Miss Bick is smiling Happy by the railway It’s a great school trip

If you’re lost in a song If the rain falls down If your brother steals your stuff Don’t give up Push the Help Point button

Mustafa Eltoum

If your dog has broken its leg If someone’s laughed when you’re upset If can’t bring your self to throw away your clutter If you’re stuck with our homework and even your mum can’t help Don’t give up Push the Help Point button Skye O’Malley

“Quack quack” says the duck to the floating chair the sad sad chair “Since I’ve been floating here I’ve had no one to sit with” “Quack quack” says the duck “I’ll float with you and so will my friends, the geese, the fish and the gulls” “That’s great, a party on the water” the happy chair cheered

Padlock on the fence Where has the bicycle gone?

Has it been stolen?

Lina Ahmed

Kyra Brown & Neferkare Flash-Webb Rain is cold And like snow I like rain and snow Nice polar bears Cute polar bears Dropping snow on the floor Rain is nice Snow is better My best friend She’s just like a sister I wish we could stay together forever She’s going away to London What do I do?

I just wish we could be friends forever Oh, she’s just going for a week.

This is the best!

Sarah Chowdhury

Rihanna James

The wind makes it flow The leaves fall down below Water makes it grow How does everybody know?

The old bark flakes We already know That the hairy tree grows How do you know?

From a tiny stalk it grows Now everybody knows Now do you know?

Now you know.

Now everybody knows Omarian Beckford

Seagulls eating grass Yellow beaks and grey feathers Smart kings of the air

There was a bird whose name was Jeremy He stands alone, still like a statue We wonder is it a statue, a bird, a toy He stands moody waiting for his dinner Getting moodier and moodier Hungrier and hungrier He never gives up Still he stands patiently He stands and stands

Mariama Drammeh

You stare you blink His beady little eye opens Wider and wider until…

Flap, whoosh, splash, flick, wiggle, chomp Dinner is over and he flies up higher and higher Circles around and swoops back down To the green mucky mud by the old canal and stands still again waiting for another fish to swim by Stayf Tiago

Astronaut children floating in a space station Construction children working on a building site Large mechanic children repairing cars in a garage Emperor children riding on a great elephant swing Happy children sailing a boat Strong children climbing a ladder Pirate children looking through binoculars Babies going to the little playground Big girls playing in the big playground Mums talk with mums Friends talk to friends And the adventure goes on Adventures in the playground Jada McLean

Star of the Playground King of racing Queen of space King of cars Queen of London King of football Armaan Hussain

Little pirate little pirate looking for gold Little pirate little pirate sailing for that gold he doesn’t find the real gold because it is just a piece of foil but when he found the real treasure he sailed home happy again Shiloh McCalla

The pirates had a fight together The blue pirates fought the red pirates The red and blue pirates had an enormous cannon The red and blue pirates had a gigantic ship And they fought The red pirates blew up half of the blue ship And the blue pirates blue up half of the red ship The red and blue pirates blew their own ships up The red and blue pirates turned into skeletons And their clothes fell into the water.

Mohammed Ayyan Fiaz

Smooth cream seashell fan A tiny ribbed umbrella Now in Birmingham Faye Walker

Star of the Playground King of racing Queen of shouting Princess of chasing Hero of skipping Queen of singing Champion of telling stories Hlya Azad

Rock held by a boy He is wearing a green cap Bright waistcoat black rock Abdalla Alagab

Carrot coloured glove Sinking in a rain puddle Sad glove lost its twin Exauce Mafuta

My finger touched the stinger A plant growing out of the wall At eye level, hanging on With its roots between the bricks I reached out and touched The green spiky leaves Soft like a cloth But “owch!” they’re stingers

The shopping thousandth The school hundredth The park twentieth The hospital tenth The car fifth The Jewellery Quarter The noisy half The friendly three quarters The whole of Birmingham

Mohammed Ibrahim

Maria Begum

If you’re lost If you’ve fallen over If you don’t know Push the Help Point button If you need help If you run out of money If you don’t know Push the Help Point button If you need the toilet If you’re really desperate If you don’t know Push the Help Point button

My best friend is a guiding light My best friend never starts a fight My best friend loves me My best friend wouldn’t hurt a flee My best friend always shares and cares My best friend is good at math My best friend clears my path That is my best friend Grace Lara Ahmed with Omar Shaaban

Best friends are kind Best friends are cuddly Best friends will always be there for you Best friends are helpful Best friends play with you Best friends sometimes argue But they will still be best friends Best friends are funny Best friends feel like family

Star of the playground King of racing Queen of singing Prince of Skipping Hero of chasing Princess of telling stories Marouane Luvunu

Elizabeth Mbobila

Petra Anwanina

If you’re lost If you’ve fallen over If you don’t know where you are Push the Help Point button If you are hurt If you are injured If a leg is broken Push the Help Point button If you are mad If you are sad If you are angry Push the Help Point button Ridwan Ali

Take Staircase ‘C’ for Cages and canaries Cabbages and courgettes Creepy things in coffins Creeping caterpillars Combs for cute cuddly cats Ice cold coca cola cans Cutting mats and cardboard glue City Centre karate Oh that’s a K not a C

Friends, they play together forever They might fight sometimes But they will be friends for ever And ever Ahmad Shaaban

Yaqub Ahmed

Doctor of fun and games Entertaining and well behaved Amazing, astonishing and flabbergasting Never be without my best mate Dean Darun Mhamad

Friendship is good for life Best friends are some of your helpers Helpers protect you and cheer you Some people aren’t friendly But everyone needs friends in this world And these friends are always friends And if they get mad They will still be friends Rhaman Williams

A yellow brick wall How nice it is to see them Shadow people work Boy in a wolf hat Best friends stand close together Checking their photos Hasan Danial

The people at Number 40 like flowers They have them all planted out in their pots Red and purple, yellow, white and blue They’re proud of their garden bloom Gnomes guard the pots, keep them safe from the terrible weather They’ve wrapped up the toys in a bright blue cloth And now they keep their eyes on the plants The people at Number 40 like sitting out on their bench They read their books and newspaper guzzling tea and biscuits Watching the world go by If you approach Number 40 in the dark at night Don’t worry if the light clicks on Number 40 is a friendly house I wish I knew people there Neferkare Flash-Webb

Jahriah Ryan

Together we go along We help each other reach our dreams Kindness is all we need Never letting darkness fall Rain or sun we’re always together Our friendship is strong, stronger that ever We let the light shine bright Lena Wojcik

Mum likes the dancing Sam likes the quizzes Marie watches the news Ahmed watches the football Auntie is obsessed by the weather Uncle never misses the pranks Grandma loves the make-up shows Jamie hates the hospital shows Sarah dislikes Top Gear Lina is obsessed with CBBC Joshua likes The Voice Baby claps Tiny Pop Granddad loves The Lottery Omar is a moaner But we all love the TV Maisa Osman

Family Race forever Imagine we were family Enjoy Never leave Decide Forever

Furious on the rattling train to Oxford Dreaming on the last train to Glasgow Relaxing on the London train home Frustrated on the stopping train to freedom Safely on the express train to heaven Laughing on the ghost train to knowledge Crying on the first train to dawn

Laila Mohammed

Rage Haaruun

A beautiful house with flowers in front Gates shut and leaves falling There are birds singing Windows are closed and it’s quiet Beautiful plants are growing by Trees on the other side It is beautiful It must be a secret place I imagine inside the secret place is a kind beautiful Queen I really want to go inside and have tea with the Queen and we can both make funny jokes Amani Amjad 3B

The way the tram moves is smooth The tram is slow but it gets you places you want to go When you wait for the tram it comes as quick as a flash.

The tram is like a train but it’s not a fast way to go to Spain The tram’s tracks are slippery as ice The wires on the top are very dangerous but they get it up and running When the driver is on a break he eats his lovely chocolate cake David Fumagalli

Green leaves on the pavement In a crack by the wall Pushing their way up Tough little fighters Litter for neighbours Trampled by feet Weed on by dogs It’s tough being a plant in the city The plant longs for food from the sun It sucks in water from the rain Cold windy air polluted by cars It’s tough being a plant in the city It’s working on petals trying to flower In a race against weed killer spray No one ever noticed it Until this photograph was taken It’s tough being a plant in this city

If you’re lost If you’ve fallen over If you don’t know what to do Push the Help Point button If you’re lonely If you’ve lost courage If you need help Push the Help Point button If you’re alone If you need a friend If you feel sad Push the Help Point button Jasmine Osaghae

Ruweyda Ahmed

Flat black figures stand Shadows on the yellow wall Tagged by an artist Fathiya Noor

Mum likes romance books Sam likes the Guinness Book of Records Marie reads biographies Ahmed enjoys football books Auntie is obsessed by Harry Potter Uncle only ever reads thrillers Mohammed’s favourite is comics Skye loves Flat Stanley Hajira is obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson Calib’s favourite book is Ever After High But we all love books Grace Emoh

Star of the Playground King of racing Queen of being friendly Hero of skipping Princess of make believe Prince of telling stories Chloe Levene-Hare

If you’re lost If you’ve fallen over If you don’t know what to do Push the help point button If you’ve hurt yourself If you’re lonely If someone is really cruel Push the help point button If you need somebody If you’re frightened If your friend is leaving Push the help point button Renda Fireen

I’ve got a home to live in I’ve got two little sisters I’ve got a Playstation to play on I’ve got a home to share I always take care of my sisters My home is beautiful I do not want to live in that flat any again Larry Noubet Kaniba

Mum likes the dancing Sam likes the quizzes Marie watches the news Ahmed watches the cooking Auntie is obsessed by the weather Uncle never misses the shows Grandma watches shopping channels Brother likes the fighting Sister likes Dora and Friends Nan likes watching the dancing too We all love the TV

I see the crossing lady every day She keeps us safe from the cars and vans The children gather round her She tells us “wait right there” Then, in her bright yellow coat and stripy sign she walks out into the middle of the road

Farah Chylla

She’s very kind and with a generous wave She sends us into school Then she steps aside and the cars roar off Zooming on their way to work

When I’m old enough to drive I’ll be cool and I’ll be old My car will be cool and my son will say “Can we go to watch a movie please?”

I was happy when it was done Take me to school then old moody man When the door opened I ran Going home, to my bedroom Mohammed Heravi Going to play my video game.

This is the corner where I got knocked down Every time I pass I think of her I wonder why you did that I wonder how you got there I wonder if you will come back

Zhu Guo

Frustrated cars come to a halt and have to wait As she beckons us from the pavement.

We quickly cross, looking both ways While drivers drum on their steering wheels

The crossing lady is always very nice until you don’t do as she says Then she gets very upset because you’re not safe So follow my advice always do as she asks You must never make a crossing lady cross Yusra Jama

These flowers are where I got hit in a car crash Every time I pass I think of her I imagine that I could play on my X-Box I guess you’re going to play on your iPad I wish I could try that crossing again I miss my family Every time I’m in this place I think of her Demi Mohammed-Hinton

I saw nice, crashing cymbals on Staircase ‘C’ I saw scary cages and canaries I saw weedy cabbages and courgettes I saw creepy things and coffins All inside Staircase ‘C’ Darnel Galloway

Pinned in the girl’s hair The jolly flower is sweet keeping strands in place Fatiha Agamah

Red skin, yellow flesh, black flecks, Rotting apple with a big bite out A kid dropped it on their way to school Now the worms are squirming for it The snails and slugs are sliding for it The caterpillar is walking for it An army of ants are running for it But high in the sky A seagull sees the food and drops down for it The yellow beak pecks at the apple Claws wrap round and carry it away “I’ve lost my apple” the schoolboy says “Take a fresh one from the box” Wenxi Zheng

A man with a rake Happy working by the graves He’s wearing earmuffs Nathan Tyler

Mum likes the dancing Sam likes the quizzes Marie watches the news Ahmed watches The Fix But Auntie is obsessed by the weather She never misses the weather Do you watch the weather?

Do you watch the weather all day?

Do you watch the weather all night?

Do you like the weather?

Do you watch it all day?

Do you watch it all week?

Do you watch it all month?

Do you watch it all year?

We watch the TV By my Aunt LOVES the weather.

Star of the Playground King of racing Queen of football Princess of singing President of skipping Prime Minister of chasing

Mohammed Alamelhuda

Kai Guthrie

Keyaan Rosser Home on the express train to Wolverhampton A ghost on the express train to heaven Furious on the dreaming train to London Freedom on the ghost train to dreaming Chatting with friends on the first train to dawn Safely on the runaway train to freedom

Sleepy Simon my very good friend Interested in everything I say More than a good friend He’s optimistic about life Nice Martim Viana

Cars are slowing down We still wait for the green man Now it’s safe to cross Igor Gomez Da Silva & Kalsoom Begum

My life was with my wife I was a cat living in a recycling bin Which didn’t have any food In winter I was mad but not bad My hungry day was sad Until I got to eat the meat Which was rotten and cold

Crying on the fast train to London Safely on the last train to freedom Zooming on the runway train to destruction Frustrated on the ghost train to Oxford Laughing on the rattling train to knowledge Dreaming on the first train to heaven Furious on the stopping train to dawn

Muhammad Yahya

Mubarakat Alabi

When I go to the library I think how the books tumble And when the books fall there is a loud rumble Everywhere I look I’m surrounded by books Once I saw one about Captain Hook The books look like they are in a rainbow And when I looked outside I saw rain fall Some books are scary Some books are happy Some books are smelly Some of the books are heavy Some of the books are light Inside some people are having a fight Some people think they have to pay for books But they should try the library first, it’s worth a look Thomas Kosinski

At Six O’Clock I’m fast asleep – snore snore At Seven O’Clock I’m woken up – stretch stretch At Eight O’Clock I brush my teeth – brush brush At Nine O’Clock I eat my breakfast – yum yum At Ten O’Clock I go to school in the car – beep beep At Eleven O’Clock eating my apple – crunch crunch At Twelve O’Clock I do maths – add add At One O’Clock I eat lunch – yum yum At Two O’Clock I do science – eh eh At Three O’Clock I go home – walk walk At Four O’Clock I study –“I’m starting” “I’m starting” At Six O’Clock I have a break – finally At Seven O’Clock I stop homework and I shower – splash splash At Eight O’Clock I fall asleep – snore snore Amina Hasan

Amina was shocked in the library because she saw her name on a book She gasped and she smiled and opened the book to see her adventures inside Amazed and astonished she read the tale through and here’s what she learnt about herself On an African island she found a shell in the sand a magic shell that granted her wishes She sang with birds and learnt to fly and soon was everyone’s friend As the story drew to an end Amina closed her eyes and sighed imagining herself right there And as she shut the book And opened her eyes She found the book was true Michelle Ganzorig Mum likes romance books Sam likes the Guinness Book of Records Marie reads biographies Ahmed enjoys comics Auntie is obsessed by Georges Marvelous Medicine Uncle only ever reads Harry Potter Mohammed’s favourite is football Caleb favourite is Ever after High Grace likes Flat Stanley Hayira likes Saphire Battersea But we all love books Caleb Solan

BIG CITY WRITING Poems by Brookfields Primary School Year 3 & 4 Winter 2017 Head Teacher’s Foreword Reading, writing, grammar and spelling are key skills for pupils to acquire if they are to access education in the future. Here at Brookfields, we are keen that children learn through real experiences and we are very glad to welcome James Yarker and Stan’s Cafe to our Year 3 and 4 classes for the Big City writing project.

The city and local area provide amazing resources which can support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Above all, we aim for pupils to have wonderful experiences during their primary education. I hope you enjoy reading the products of the project and share the insights of the children through their poems.

Mrs Berrow - Head Teacher

Introduction What you read here are a selection of poems written by a group of 120 poets aged between 8 and 10 as part of an 8 day literary adventure at Brookfields Primary School. Some are solo efforts, some written in pairs or teams, some follow tightly prescribed structures and others are free form. As a collaborator and editor I have tried to be helpful and guiding whilst allowing these youthful voices to reach you clearly and directly.

Many of these poets are writing in a language they are only just learning and which isn’t spoken at home. It has been a pleasure to meet them all and to share writing with them. Their poems I find by turns touching, surprising, funny, surreal and beautiful. I hope you enjoy them too.

James Yarker – Artistic Director, Stan’s Cafe

How We Wrote Our Poems We walked around our neighbourhood, up to the canal, the railway station, library, graveyard, park and Jewellery Quarter. We took photographs on these walks and used them as inspiration for writing poems.

We have listened to poems. We have learnt that poems don’t have to rhyme, but that if they do these rhymes can have different patterns. We have listened to the rhythms of limericks and counted the syllables in Haiku. We have learnt that having a big vocabulary helps us choose just the word we need.

We looked at how graphic design will present our poems on the pages of this newspaper and we are practicing for World Book Day when we will perform these poems in front of an audience.

Credits: Poems: Year 3 and Year 4 sometimes with James Yarker Photographs: Year 3, Year 4 and Kate Green Graphic Design: Gareth Courage with inspiration from Year 3 and Year 4 In School Display: Denise Stanton Special Guest: Amerah Saleh With thanks to all staff at Brookfields Primary School particularly: Miss Collier, Miss Bick, Mr Hawthorn, Mrs Kaur, Mrs Bailey, Mrs Akhtar, Miss Sizen, Mrs Chauhan, Mrs Seleshe, Miss O’Rourke, Mrs Cross, Miss Ledbury and Mrs Berrow.

At Stan’s Cafe thanks to: Craig, Laura, Lucy and Roisin plus Anthony Ruck.

Brookfields Primary School is a successful two-form entry primary school in the Hockley Area of Birmingham near the City Centre on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter. The school is a diverse community promoting tolerance and respect for all.

As an Open Futures flagship school it provides pupils with many opportunities for creative thinking, educational visits and enrichment activities. www.brookfields.bham.sch.uk Stan’s Cafe is an internationally acclaimed theatre company based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. As well as making their own original theatre productions they delight in making art of all kinds with young people in and out of school. www.stanscafe.co.uk