Today is National Poetry Day, let us all be bonny and gay

New Zealand throws itself into the arms of bards today – National Poetry Day.

Hamilton’s Poets Alive will host an Open Mic night in the Garden Place library tonight starting at 5.30.

And Wintec is running an Open Poetry Competition to celebrate.

Now in its 15th year, National Poetry Day sees poets – both fledgling and award-winning – take to the streets, cafes, auditoriums and class rooms all over the country to read, rap, dance and sing.

The breadth and diversity of this year’s National Poetry Day performances are cause for celebration says event organiser and published poet, Siobhan Harvey.

“More than ever before the shows are interactive and visual, and there are some truly creative events using multi-media.

“There’s something for everyone. National Poetry Day isn’t just for established poets; it’s also for people who simply want to give poetry a go. So if you harbour a desire to perform a piece of your own, this is the day to throw caution to the wind.”

Audiences can enjoy performances from well-known poets such as Poet Laureate – Ian Wedde, Bill Manhire, Stephanie Johnson and Michele Leggott in addition to their own local poetry heroes.

Published poet and Wintec tutor Gail Pittaway runs a creative writing class. Here are some poems to help celebrate the day:

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By Grant Quist

The trees of the deserts bloom,

While the sun scorches and heat bakes.

 The flowering heads of wonderful creations,

The soft feel of silky petals,

The hand that creates its marvel.

They all coincide together

Making up with this strange weather.

The wind toils,

The inevitable looms,

The start of new life.

Buds grow from shoots,

Shoots grow from branches,

Branches grow from trunk,

Trunk grows from roots,

Reaching towards the heavens

We all grow tiresomely.

Bohemian Girl, Why so Serious?

By Alex Barry

Bohemian girl, why so serious?

Caught up in life’s distractions

Look back to your spirit

That warmed the chill of July

Tousled waves, a salt-licked canvas

Barefoot with no consequence

Not knowing where to wander

But quite content in that notion

The artist who changed nothing

Except the appreciation for a simple thought

Your heart was as open as the sky

Now it seems it’s just as blue

Little nomad losing your way

Repurpose those gypsey lips

They once told me sweet truths

With beautiful vowels wrapped in paisley

I see you now bohemian girl

Still hippie but are you happy?

Use this moment to re-design

The life that bought such shine to mine

Midnight Street

By Ngawai Clarkson

On the Midnight Street she would roam.

Sometimes alone, but always lonely.

–          Where should we meet

–          On the street

–          What time?

–          Midnight, when the stars are just right.

On the Midnight Street she would meet The One,

With eyes of gold and shoulders strong.

–          Where have you been?

–          Somewhere else.

–          What were you doing?

–          Nothing better than this.

On the Midnight Street they would walk together,

On adventures under the stars.

–          What should we do?

–          Follow the moon.

–          Where to?

–          Until the end of the night.

On the Midnight Street they would dance,

Hand in hand for hours.

Until they lost sight of the moon

And each other.

A Late Stroll

By Joseph Scott

Out into the night I walked and walked and walked. The spindled trees slid past in snatches as I moved away from all the things I recognised. Perhaps I would return, I considered, but this was a brief shadow of a thought, eclipsed by a resolve to move and escape and experience. The night air was quiet. I had simply exchanged one solitude for another, the table at home stacked high with piles of more pressing matters, which would pass their judgement the moment I crossed the threshold. But for now there was nothing but the night and the streets, and I happily surrendered to the runaways pace I had set.

On both sides passed ever changing panoramas of houses, schools and moon-washed gardens, and I wondered at the different lives I might lead behind their walls. Though often bent and cautious in the light of day, tonight I stood tall in my stride, bold and unbothered, and exuding a confidence that would knock down giants.