"The 2 Bluebirds": Poem-making by 2 Elementary Pupils

The Two Bluebirds

-- A Poem Made Jointly 

   by a 3rd Grader & a 6th Grader

Two bluebirds build a safe nest

For to comfortably rest.

They work in day and in night,

To reach a certain high height.

So high in the tree out of predators’ reach,

They build it beneath a large green leaf

Out of hawk and eagle eye,

And other creatures in the sky.

Tired, they rest after good day’s work;

The nest is safe, out of reach 
  
                          of where dangers lurk.

The nest is safe!

the following information and pictures are copied from 'Wikipedia':

< The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). ... They have blue, or blue and rose beige, plumage. ...

Songwriters have adopted the bluebird as a symbol of happiness and cheer. Examples are Jan Peerce's signature song, "Bluebird of Happiness", "Over the Rainbow" ("Somewhere over the Rainbow/Bluebirds fly"), ...  >  

   Eastern Bluebird

    Mountain Bluebird 

******  *****

The above poem, totally untouched, was written jointly by two elementary school pupils during one March break afternoon in their make-belief "submarine" (a long dining table).

The conning tower of the sub was made of colourful covers of large plastic storage  boxes and the Captain just commandeered my CEO’s hand-held mirror for use as the ‘periscope/telescope’ and the First-Officer-cum-Sonar-Operator, my ‘Bose’ over-the-ear headphone! I quickly negotiated for its return by loaning them my much cheaper and older headphone of the 'Discman' era. (Shh...! I am not at liberty to disclose the naval officers’ identities, the sub's location, nor their secret mission. But a little Bluebird twittered in my ear that his Creators were training intensively under an U.N.C.L.E. (United Nations Children's League Extraordinaire?) urgent project to help in a covert operation as a single cell out of a vast multinational task force. 

Now, it is extremely difficult to persuade any kid to write a short English poem, though in fact he or she is quite capable of doing so when 'pushed' ever so gently.

This time, however, there were strong motivators at work:

1.    After a visit to the local library and a happy meal, in a good mood they asked for more time later to watch cartoons on TV and their own DVD’s.

2.    They were also seeking donations to help a certain poor rural community in Africa. (This is a good deed indeed and opportunity beckons!)

So, the following conditions were set: Yes, extra-generous on-screen time and a small cash prize of CAD 5 (that must be donated to a charitable cause) would be given IF…

1.    They would write a short rhymed poem of not less than 4 lines.

2.    They could choose their own subject matter and perfect rhymes are optional. (Slant rhymes are perfect for this purpose.)

3.    (After the youngest one protested that a poem can be unrhymed too…) Yes, they could use the on-line Rhyming Dictionary as an aid.

4.    The poem that tells of an interesting story should be done within 30 minutes…

Otherwise, the amount of prize money (intended for donation) would be reduced pro rata.  

In the end, the kids did it!

(-- With the services of a volunteer on-shore poet-consultant who asked a couple of leading questions when they seemed to be stuck temporarily somewhere. But they still had to use their own words and find the rhymes.) Their poem was touched up slightly -- e.g. `other creatures in the sky` now reads `other raptors` -- and broken down into two stanzas with a much stronger ending added, not shown here, before the final product was presented to their delighted parents.

Then, I told them there could be Parts 2 and 3 to their Bluebirds Poem. Without prompting, the younger one said Part 2 would be “The Bluebirds’ Family” and the kids started debating on whether there should be 3 or 4 eggs. The older one asked what colour are the bluebirds’ eggs. A birdwatcher, I said those for robins (they are in the thrush family) are green with black spots, the mourning doves’ are white. And the little girl continued that Part 3 should be about “The Bluebirds’ Migration” to the south before severe winter again sets in. Bravo!  

But I think they may not be writing the sequels any time soon…

The aims of the above 'childish' posting are 3-fold:

1. To show that any child's full potential and self-expressions may be developed and realized IF...

2. His/Her imaginations, playful expressions and aspirations are given free rein under supervision, employing the complementary forces of Yin and Yang, or the Push (in this case: directions, some helpful assistance, rewards, bonuses...) and Pull (personal interests, enhanced self-esteem, confidence...) Factors.

3. This may be a timely reminder that in this fast-paced, highly-polluted modern-society city life, we are all under stress in varying degrees, and constantly overwhelmed and distracted by e-messages or the never-ending video games.  We need regular time-outs to;
  --  re-connect with our inner selves, to ponder and meditate, to relax, to exercise                               and express ourselves emotionally (through singing, poetry writing perhaps);
  --  to re-connect, to listen, to pay more attention to, and groom intimacy with, family                           and loved ones;
  --  to re-connect with Mother Nature, to protect our environment, our own one-and-only livable 
      planet!   

Ciao!