This is the rhythm
of the boneyard rap,
knuckle bones click
and hand bones clap,
finger bones flick
and thigh bones slap,
when you’re doing the rhythm
of the boneyard rap.
Wooooooooo!
 
It’s the boneyard rap
and it’s a scare.
Give your bones a shake-up
if you dare.
Rattle your teeth
and waggle your jaw
and let’s do the boneyard rap
once more.
 
This is the rhythm
of the boneyard rap,
elbow bones clink
and backbones snap,
shoulder bones chink
and toe bones tap,
when you’re doing the rhythm
of the boneyard rap.
Wooooooooo!
 
It’s the boneyard rap
and it’s a scare.
Give your bones a shake-up
if you dare.
Rattle your teeth
and waggle your jaw
and let’s do the boneyard rap
once more.
 
This is the rhythm of the boneyard rap,
ankle bones sock
and arm bones flap,
pelvic bones knock
and knee bones zap,
when you’re doing the rhythm
of the boneyard rap.
Wooooooooo!
 

 
Poem © Wes Magee.

On Tuesday 5th July, a plaque to commemorate the Bryant & May Matchgirls and their famous strike of 1888, was unveiled by the actor Anita Dobson. Seven students at Blue Gate Fields Juniors won prizes in ‘Sparkcatchers', a children’s poetry competition on the subject of  that strike, and The Matchgirls struggle for better working conditions. The  competition was run by The Matchgirls Memorial, a charitable organisation. 
We had a great day in the sunshine, listening to the speeches, reading out our poems, and having a lovely picnic!
All the winning entries have been published on the Matchgirls Memorial website. https://www.matchgirls1888.org/
See below for the 1st prize winners in Year 4 and Year 5.

Matchgirls
 
My work was tough in the factory,
Aching legs and sore arms, my everyday feelings.
The girls around me, as young as 6 years old.
Cancer, spreading through our bones, devouring us each.
How we craved justice, you wouldn’t comprehend.
Gritting the few teeth we had left, we decided to take strike …
It was 1888, and our protest had been successful
Respect and freedom is what we finally received.
London, Bow, a factory of labour was finally destroyed.
So, as worthless as people thought of us, we DID make a difference and gain the appreciation we deserved.
 
 
By Asiya 
Year 4

The Boss’s Story
 
Day 1
Outrageous!
Nobody has come. We have to give them a big fine!
 
Day 2
The matches aren’t gonna make themselves. Yes, they better come!
 
Day 3
Mmmmm, what’s this? They’re on strike?
Fools!
 
Day 4
They want better conditions and a raise?
Never!
 
Day 5
They’re lucky they’re not fired!
 
Day 6
I’ll test the conditions. See what the fuss is about.
 
Day 7
It’s impossible to work here!
They’re getting a big raise and better conditions.
Right this instant!
 
By Ayyub 
Year 5

I Opened A Bookby Julia Donaldson

I opened a book and in I strode
Now nobody can find me.
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.

I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.

I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.

I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.


From 'Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum', find it in the Poetry section of the library.

They were the Rorschach of the winter months,
the folding of sky-shadows,
of air-shoals pirouetting into the January nip,
swarms riding frosted winds,
silently testing the sky with their ink-magic.
 
Not ready for the tentacle gathering
that rose from the east
the heat of spring starlings
cloaked in oil slicks
needle beaked
and strong of claw.
 
The clash of murmurs
was whispered
in a rain of birds
as flightless feathers fell
in the war of winds.
 
Winter flew into spring,
black storms colliding with hot nights.
The murmurations twisted through one another
winter desperate to stay,
spring determined to arrive.
 
The people watch as feathers cloak them
farmers clutching hopeful seeds
children gazing with eager fingers
on buttoned jackets.
Which swarm will win this war?
 
But the birds that come with the sun
are always victorious – the winter flock is tired
their wings have beaten cold into existence
it is time for them to leave.
 
Beaten and flight-sore the winter murmuration
rides its ribbon away
as spring’s flock swoops into longer days
and brighter skies,
as farmers test the warmth of soil
and children release that first coat button.
 
This poem is from ‘A Year of Nature Poems’  by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Kelly Louise Judd. (Text copyright Joseph Coelho, 2019)
Inspired by a legend of two murmurations of starlings warring above the City of Cork in Ireland in the 1600s.
Starlings have never been known to war in flocks but they certainly do fly in spectacular large groups, known as murmurations.
Glossary:
A Murmuration is when  hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings fly in swooping, intricately coordinated patterns through the sky.
Pirouette means to whirl about, and is a ballet movement.
The Rorschach test uses  a person's perceptions of inkblots  to examine someone's personality.
Starlings are small birds. They look black at a distance but when seen closer they are very glossy with a sheen of purples and greens.

In this photograph, a murmuration of starlings appears to be creating an
image of a giant bird! 

This is the poem by Asiya (Class 5) which won First prize in the 2021 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition. Well done!

Never think that you are alone

Never think that you are alone
Every day I used to think that I was alone
Very anxious and upset I used to feel
Every day I used to think that I was alone
Regretting every second of my life
 
Thinking that I was to be cared for by no one
Hurt spreading through my veins
It wasn’t until one day
Nora took me in
Katie she said
 
Tell me what you want
Help is what I need I said
And that is what you shall get she said
Taking me in her home
 
Yam is what she gave me
Oranges, pears, bananas, grapes and all
Under the stars, we used to sit
 
And there she was caring for me like I was her own child
Realising I had made a mistake that I now understand –
Everyone is together
 
Alone is what you’ll never be
Lonely is not a word
On Planet Earth it is not and never will be
Never forget
Everyone is together.

Today, Class 9 worked with the poet Rachel Rooney to create these 2 poems. Rachel visited us as part of The Children's Bookshow, and gave us a signed copy of her book 'There's a Kid in my Class'. You can also borrow a copy from the library!

The New Kid
 
Drink spiller.
Ant killer.
 
Paper flicker.
Plate licker.
 
Playground teaser.
Gooey sneezer.
 
Pencil breaker.
Poem maker.


​I’m As …
 
Interesting as an undiscovered cave.
Kind as a mother’s loving hug.
Mean as a bullet ant’s venom.
Nervous as a balloon rising up to space.
Miserable as a soggy cake left in the rain.
That’s’ me!
 

Some year 3 children have been inspired to write their own poems, inspired by the beautiful book,  'Rain before Rainbows', by Smriti Halls (illustrated by David Litchfield).

A Poem About a Rainbow
 
Red for rose
Orange for tangerines
Yellow for banana
Green for kiwi, dark green for watermelon
Blue for berry
                                    Yummy to eat
Indigo for grape
Pink for raspberry
                                    I think this will be my yummy treat!
 
by Faiza Islam

Rainbow
 
Red is for rose
Orange is for mangoes
Yellow is for lemon
Green is for apple
Blue is for sea
Indigo is for grapes
Violet is for night
                                   
by Aliyah Adem

Fruits and their colours

Red is for strawberry,
as magnificent as a fancy ferry.

Orange is for carrot,
their big fans are parrots.

Yellow is for lemon,
they scare away venoms.

Green is for pear,
make you as big as a bear.

Blue is for blueberry
grown by Terry.

Purple is for grape,
eaten by apes.

Pink is for raspberry,
squirted at cats by Jerry.

by Tahrim Yana