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Reflecting on National Poetry Day
October was a fun month here at Hallmark, and at the beginning of the month, Thursday the 3rd of October to be exact, we celebrated National Poetry Day.
Our incredibly talented writers devoted their time and energy to create a series of poems around this year’s theme of ‘counting’, as well as some themed around Halloween, which they then printed and cut-out (multiple times) to provide an engaging poetry giveaway for the rest of the Studio and Office to enjoy. The poems were all displayed around the writers’ area of the studio and we were invited to stop by and have a read whenever we had a little time and, if one of the poems particularly grabbed us, then we were able to grab it and take it away with us (I’ve got my two take-aways up on the fridge at home!).
And, in this spirit of sharing, we also wanted to give you all the chance to see these fantastic poems as well. So, take a look below, have a read and enjoy some exclusive free poetry on us!
National Poetry Day Poems: Counting:
You can count all the leaves
on the bushiest tree,
you can count all your blessings
and count one, two, three,
You can count on your friends,
you can count on the rain
to cause some delays
to your journey again,
You can count down the seconds
to start a new year,
you can meet with a Count –
He’s quite posh…so I hear,
You can try hanging out
with Count Dracula too,
or count up to
twenty-four million and two,
So it seems that in life
there is just no amount
to all of the wonderful ways
you can count!
+++++++++++++++++++++
Don't ever think
that you don't count,
Cos to the world
you count
a very large amount.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Counting the days till I see you
And witness that beautiful smile
Counting the distance between us
And wishing away every mile
Missing you more than you realise
Hoping you’re here again soon
Unless you are here right beside me
You might as well be on the moon!
+++++++++++++++++++++
Today I saw ONE magpie
and instantly fell over
I twisted both my ankles
And landed in a clump of clover
Desperate to find a 4-leafer
I scoured that carpet of green
Then counted the ones I had gathered
They had 3-leaves…
and I’d picked up THIRTEEN
Along came a friendly young kitten
Purring and arching its back
Usually, I’d think this a comfort
But this particular kitty was black
A laughing sound made the cat scarper
And I felt something splat on my head
Looked up and there was that magpie…
If only I’d seen TWO instead.
+++++++++++++++++++++
TWO WORDS. (2)
NOW FOUR. (4)
NOW SIX. (6)
NOW MORE. (8)
TEN WORDS. (10)
THEN TWELVE. (12)
NOW BRACE (14)
YOURSELVES. (15)
SIXTEEN (16)
WORDS LONG, (18)
WE STILL (20)
LOOK STRONG. (22)
TWENTY- (23)
FIVE GONE. (25)
AND ON, (27)
AND ON. (29)
THIRTY (30)
OR SO (32)
BEFORE (33)
YOU KNOW, (35)
FORTY (36)
IS NEAR (38)
(IT’S, HERE, (40)
TO BE CLEAR) (43)
COMING (44)
UP NEXT? (46)
AS YOU’D (48)
EXPECT, (49)
FIVE-O (50)
AND THEN, (52)
WE GO (54)
AGAIN. (55)
CAN’T STOP, (57)
INSTEAD (58)
WE CRASH (60)
AHEAD; (61)
WE STACK (63)
WORDS HIGH (65)
INTO (66)
THE SKY. (68)
A QUICK (70)
RECOUNT… (71)
CURRENT (72)
AMOUNT? (73)
GO GRAB (75)
A PEN: (77)
(EIGHT (78)
TIMES TEN) (80)
NEARING (81)
THE END, (83)
WE CAN’T (85)
PRETEND (86)
WE’VE GOT (88)
MUCH TIME (90)
TO END (92)
OUR RHYME. (94)
SECONDS (95)
NUMBERED… (96)
HERE’S WORD (98)
ONE HUNDRED (100)
+++++++++++++++++++++
How do I love you?
Let me count the ways…
I loved you long before we met
when you were just a trace –
The faintest line on a testing stick,
before I ever saw your face.
And then I counted down
the three trimesters, months and days…
Then the time between contractions
in a drugged-up, spaced-out haze.
Then oh how much I loved you
all through that baby daze,
Despite the sheer exhaustion
only hormones can erase.
And I’ve counted myself lucky
through your every childhood phase,
Baked countless birthday cakes
and counted down to holidays.
And now I count out
eighteen special candles, I’m amazed…
But I know that I can count on this –
time flies, but LOVE – it stays.
Halloween Poems:
There’s something awake in the corner
Something I know shouldn’t be
There’s something awake in the corner
And I feel it looking at me
The hair on my neck starts to prickle
I’m too scared to breathe or to blink
There’s something awake in the corner
And I just saw it moving, I think
There’s something awake in the corner
It’s inching its way to my bed
Sharp, gleaming claws, razor teeth in its jaws
Please let it be all in my head!
+++++++++++++++++++++
I watched someone
In a cartoon once
Wear a sheet
To be a ghost
And thought it’s strange
We think a ghost
Would want to wear
A sheet the most
And hang around
On dusty landings
In empty attics
Rattling chains
Being bitter
There’s no blood
Still pumping through
Their spectral veins
If I died
And I could come back
I wouldn’t wear
A sheet or boo
It would be
A rubbish haunting
I’d just come back
And be near you
+++++++++++++++++++++
Hocus pocus,
earwigs & worms,
Let’s brew a potion
to make people squirm.
Grind up some eyeballs,
stir in some snot,
Give it a mix
and see what you’ve got.
A ghoulishly messy
and ghastly surprise
With an odour to bring
a few tears to your eyes.
Mix it and mash it
and cackle with glee…
You’re ready, let’s go
on a Halloween spree!
+++++++++++++++++++++
This is the last time I’m ever
carving pumpkins with you
Because every time I know
exactly what you will do
You’ll make a big song and dance
about the pumpkin you need
And you’ll be bored before I’ve finished
scooping out all the seeds
I‘ll be left with my hands
Covered in orangey goo
And I will end up carving out
The stupid pumpkin for you
So it is time to carve
a pumpkin carving line in the sand -
I will never acquiesce
to one more single demand…
Although, now that I have said that,
It’s turned out pretty well…
I should do this again next year
If I say so myself
