Kindy Grade 2 - Male. My Doggie by C. Nurton. I have a dog His name is Jack, His coat is white With spots of black.

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1 Kindy Grade 2 - Male My Doggie by C. Nurton I have a dog His name is Jack, His coat is white With spots of black. I take him out Most every day, Such fun we have, We run and play. Such clever tricks My dog can do, I love my Jack, He loves me too. Kindy Grade 2 - Female The Queen Bee by Mary K. Robinson When I was in the garden, I saw a great Queen Bee; She was the very largest one That I did ever see. She wore a shiny helmet And a lovely velvet gown, But I was rather sad, because She didn't wear a crown. Mice by Rose Fyleman I think mice Are rather nice. Their tails are long, Their faces small, They haven't any Chins at all. Their ears are pink, Their teeth are white. They run about the house at night. They nibble things they shouldn't touch, And no one seems to like them much. But I think mice are nice. Grade Male I m never allowed to do anything! By Robin Klein Hey mum, can I Give Mrs MacRobinson s cat a perm? Sleep in the bathtub just for one night? Make chicken noodle ice cubes to put in cold milk? Use the sheets, off my bed to make a kite? All right? (Wow! Some people make a fuss about nothing!) Mum, can I Practice skateboarding up on the roof? Paint my room orange and purple and black? Use the spin dryer to make fairy floss? Raise my bed higher by using the jack? Put it back? (Blah! I get yelled at for everything!) Can I Pierce my nostrils and thread them with bone? Buy a burglar alarm with my pocket money? Keep guinea pigs in the Grandfather clock? Make some shampoo out of red ink and honey? (It s not funny! I m never allowed to do anything!) Grade Female A Dizzy Spell by Ann Coleridge Princess Melissa was clever and good. She was stunningly pretty as well. She was courted by princes and fancied by kings But a witch put her under a spell; Before you can marry, the kinky witch said, You must hot-foot it down to the lake Where a handsome young frog lies bewitched and asleep You must kiss him until he s awake Down by the lake, sure enough, lay the frog; He was elegant, charming and green. He was quite the most trendy amphibious chap That princess Melissa had seen. Melissa was hooked it was love at first sight, So she bent down and kissed his cold nose. He awoke! In as flash of bright magical light And enchantment, from sleep he arose. The witch s spell worked, transformation occurred. The bridegroom had found a young bride. And off in the moonlight, so deeply in love, Hopped two frogs, hand in hand, side by side.

2 Grade Male The Haunted Track by Annette Kosseris The night is dark, So dark. So black! We ve a long way to go On the haunted track! Did you hear something Over there Behind that tree? Keep still! Take care! Should we go And investigate? I think we will; No. We ll wait! Maybe it s a rabbit, Perhaps it is a ghost. Could it be a snake Wrapped around a post? I think we should Be moving on; Whatever it was It s probably gone. Oh! What s that! It s moving. I know! Flash your torches Come on Let s go! Kidnapped by Shel Silverstein This morning I got kidnapped By three masked men. They stopped me on the sidewalk, And offered me some candy, And when I wouldn't take it They grabbed me by the collar, And pinned my arms behind me, And shoved me in the backseat Of this big black limousine and Tied my hands behind my back With sharp and rusty wire. Then they put a blindfold on me So I couldn't see where they took me, And plugged up my ears with cotton So I couldn't hear their voices. And drove for 20 miles or At least for 20 minutes, and then Dragged me from the car down to Some cold and moldy basement, Where they stuck me in a corner And went off to get the ransom Leaving one of them to guard me With a shotgun pointed at me, Tied up sitting on a stool... That's why I'm late for school! Grade Female The Interrupted Prayer by Annette Kosseris Goodnight God (Oh, do be still!) Sorry Lord It s my brother Bill. He s said his prayers But he won t go to sleep! I pray to God My soul to keep. (Stop it Bill, I ll get you later! I m trying to talk to our creator.) Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom (stop it! NOW what s your game? He s pinching me, God And tickling my feet, And jumbling my toys Which I left so neat. Can t you make him Stop it.. please? I have no peace, He s such a tease! That s better. (Now You just stay there!) Thank you God, it worked. My Hair! (Stop pulling or I ll thump you. See! You little devil!) He HIT me! It s no use God (You little creep) I ll have to wait Till he s asleep!

3 Grade 7-10 Male Colonel Fazackerley by Charles Causely Colone Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast Bought an old castle complete with a ghost, But someone or other forgot to declare To Colonel Fazack that the spectre was there. On the very first evening, while waiting to dine, The Colonel was taking a fine sherry wine, When the ghost, with a furious flash and a flare, Shot out of the chimney and shivered, Beware! Colonel Fazackerley put down his glass And said, My dear fellow, that s really first class! I just can t conceive how you do it at all I imagine you re going to a Fancy Dress Ball? At this, the dread ghost gave a withering cry, Said the Colonel (his monocle firm in his eye), Now just how you do it I with I could think, Do sit down and tell me, and please have a drink. The ghost in his phosphorous cloak gave a roar And floated about between ceiling and floor. He walked through a wall and returned through a pane And backed up the chimney and came down again. Said the Colonel, With laughter I m feeling quite weak! (As trickles of merriment ran down his cheek). My house-warming party I hope you won t spurn. You must say you ll come and you ll give us a turn! Grade 7-10 Female The Twelve Princesses (author unknown) The night is what we live for, When the bed sinks through the floor And we drift down the steps to the lake Where the twelve boats are waiting. The water is warm through our trailing fingers, Luminous, aquamarine. The wind comes soft and scented with moon-flowers. On the further shore We walk through groves of gold and silver branches Gleaming in that cool blue light That is neither day nor darkness. And then in a clearing we come to the dancing floor. Ah the bliss of that dancing In that open place Under that dome of dim yet lucent blue. Our hair is loose, our shifts are unconstraining, Our slippered feet skim across the ground And the one firm thing Is the arms of the strong young princes. They are all alike, all beautiful; They smile at us; we do not know their names. How terrible the day is The waking, the effort, Heavy bodies in heavy clothes, The men s faces quirky, irregular, The noise the draughts, the stairs. Listless, we hide our worn-out slippers And wait for night. At this, the poor spectre quite out of his wits Proceeded to shake himself almost to bits. He rattled his chains and he clattered his bones And he filled the whole castle with mumbles and moans. But Colonel Fazackerley, just as before, Was simply delighted and called out, Encore! At which the ghost vanished, his efforts in vain, And never was seen at the castle again. Oh dear, what a pity! said Colonel Fazack I don t know his name so I can t call him back. And then with a smile that was hard to define, Colonel Fazackerley went in to dine.

4 Grade 11/12 or Open Male Shed in Space - by Gareth Owen My Grandad Lewis On my mother's side Had two ambitions. One was to take first prize For shallots at the village show And the second Was to be a space commander. Every Tuesday, After I'd got their messages He'd lead me with a wink To his garden shed And there, amongst the linseed And the sacks of peat and horse manure He'd light his pipe And settle in his deck chair. His old eyes on the blue and distant That no one else could see, He'd ask, 'Are we A O.K for lift off?' Gripping the handles of the lawn mower I'd reply: 'A O.K.' And then Facing the workbench, In front of the shelves of paint and creosote And racks of glistening chisels He'd talk to Mission Control. 'Five-Four-Three-Two-One-Zero - We have lift off. This is Grandad Lewis talking, Do you read me? Britain's first space shed is rising majestically into orbit From its launch pad In the allotments in Lakey Lane' And so we'd fly Through timeless afternoons Till tea time came, Amongst the planets And mysterious suns, While the world Receded like a dream: Grandad never won That prize for shallots, But as the captain Of an intergalactic shed There was no one to touch him. Grade 11/12 or Open Male Home Burial - by Robert Frost He saw her from the bottom of the stairs Before she saw him. She was starting down, Looking back over her shoulder at some fear. She took a doubtful step and then undid it To raise herself and look again. He spoke Advancing toward her: What is it you see From up there always for I want to know. She turned and sank upon her skirts at that, And her face changed from terrified to dull. He said to gain time: What is it you see, Mounting until she cowered under him. I will find out now you must tell me, dear. She, in her place, refused him any help With the least stiffening of her neck and silence. She let him look, sure that he wouldn t see, Blind creature; and awhile he didn t see. But at last he murmured, Oh, and again, Oh. What is it what? she said. Just that I see. You don t, she challenged. Tell me what it is. The wonder is I didn t see at once. I never noticed it from here before. I must be wonted to it that s the reason. The little graveyard where my people are! So small the window frames the whole of it. Not so much larger than a bedroom, is it? There are three stones of slate and one of marble, Broad-shouldered little slabs there in the sunlight On the sidehill. We haven t to mind those. But I understand: it is not the stones, But the child s mound cried. Don t, don t, don t, don t, she She withdrew shrinking from beneath his arm That rested on the banister, and slid downstairs; And turned on him with such a daunting look, He said twice over before he knew himself: Can t a man speak of his own child he s lost? Not you! Oh, where s my hat? Oh, I don t need it! I must get out of here. I must get air. I don t know rightly whether any man can. Amy! Don t go to someone else this time. Listen to me. I won t come down the stairs. He sat and fixed his chin between his fists. There s something I should like to ask you, dear. You don t know how to ask it.

5 Help me, then. Her fingers moved the latch for all reply. My words are nearly always an offense. I don t know how to speak of anything So as to please you. But I might be taught I should suppose. I can t say I see how. A man must partly give up being a man With women-folk. We could have some arrangement By which I d bind myself to keep hands off Anything special you re a-mind to name. Though I don t like such things twixt those that love. Two that don t love can t live together without them. But two that do can t live together with them. She moved the latch a little. Don t don t go. Don t carry it to someone else this time. Tell me about it if it s something human. Let me into your grief. I m not so much Unlike other folks as your standing there Apart would make me out. Give me my chance. I do think, though, you overdo it a little. What was it brought you up to think it the thing To take your mother-loss of a first child So inconsolably in the face of love. You d think his memory might be satisfied Think of it, talk like that at such a time! What had how long it takes a birch to rot To do with what was in the darkened parlor? You couldn t care! The nearest friends can go With anyone to death, comes so far short They might as well not try to go at all. No, from the time when one is sick to death, One is alone, and he dies more alone. Friends make pretense of following to the grave, But before one is in it, their minds are turned And making the best of their way back to life And living people, and things they understand. But the world s evil. I won t have grief so If I can change it. Oh, I won t, I won t! There, you have said it all and you feel better. You won t go now. You re crying. Close the door. The heart s gone out of it: why keep it up. Amy! There s someone coming down the road! You oh, you think the talk is all. I must go Somewhere out of this house. How can I make you If you do! She was opening the door wider. Where do you mean to go? First tell me that. I ll follow and bring you back by force. I will! There you go sneering now! I m not, I m not! You make me angry. I ll come down to you. God, what a woman! And it s come to this, A man can t speak of his own child that s dead. You can t because you don't know how to speak. If you had any feelings, you that dug With your own hand how could you? his little grave; I saw you from that very window there, Making the gravel leap and leap in air, Leap up, like that, like that, and land so lightly And roll back down the mound beside the hole. I thought, Who is that man? I didn t know you. And I crept down the stairs and up the stairs To look again, and still your spade kept lifting. Then you came in. I heard your rumbling voice Out in the kitchen, and I don t know why, But I went near to see with my own eyes. You could sit there with the stains on your shoes Of the fresh earth from your own baby s grave And talk about your everyday concerns. You had stood the spade up against the wall Outside there in the entry, for I saw it. I shall laugh the worst laugh I ever laughed. I m cursed. God, if I don t believe I m cursed. I can repeat the very words you were saying: Three foggy mornings and one rainy day Will rot the best birch fence a man can build.

6 Grade 11/12 or Open Female Grade 11/12 or Open Female Love Songs In Age by Philip Larkin and although the little Mermaid sacrificed everything to win the love of the Prince, the Prince, (alas) decided to wed another by Judith Viorst I left the castle of my mer-king father, Where seaweed gardens sway in pearly sand I left behind sweet sisters and kind waters To seek a prince s love upon the land. My tongue was payment for the witch s potion (And never would I sing sea songs again) My tail became two human legs to dance on, But I would always dance with blood and pain. I risked more than my life to make him love me. The prince preferred another for his bride, I always hate the ending to this story; The lived together happily, I died. But I have some advice for modern mermaids Who wish to save great sorrow and travail; Don t give up who you are for love of princes. He might have liked me better with my tail. Open Female But I Can t by W H Auden She kept her songs, they took so little space, The covers pleased her: One bleached from lying in a sunny place, One marked in circles by a vase of water, One mended, when a tidy fit had seized her, And coloured, by her daughter - So they had waited, till in widowhood She found them, looking for something else, and stood Relearning how each frank submissive chord Had ushered in Word after sprawling hyphenated word, And the unfailing sense of being young Spread out like a spring-woken tree, wherein That hidden freshness, sung, That certainty of time laid up in store As when she played them first. But, even more, The glare of that much-mentioned brilliance, love, Broke out, to show Its bright incipience sailing above, Still promising to solve, and satisfy, And set unchangeably in order. So To pile them back, to cry, Was hard, without lamely admitting how It had not done so then, and could not now. Time will say nothing but I told you so, Time only knows the price we have to pay, If I could tell you I would let you know. If we should weep when clowns put on their show, If we should stumble when musicians play, Time will say nothing but I told you so. There are no fortunes to be told, although, Because I love you more than I can say, If I could tell you I would let you know. The winds must come from somewhere when they blow, There must be reasons why the leaves decay, Time will say nothing but I told you so. Perhaps the roses really want to grow, The vision seriously intends to stay, If I could tell you I would let you know; Suppose the lions all get up and go, And all the brooks and soldiers run away, Will Time say nothing but I told you so? If I could tell you I would let you know.