Children’s Mental Health Week
What an important week this is! I’m posting some poems from my book A Classroom of Stars – from the section about Being You! One with a shout out to a teacher for giving confidence to those who may not believe in themselves, and a couple to show the world just what you can do and be, and how!
A CLASSROOM OF STARS
When Jake put up his hand
To answer a question
Everyone was amazed.
Jake never did that, never!
Then Saida did the same.
Saida? The quiet girl?
We were properly stunned
By the stars in our classroom
That were suddenly shining.
***
One by one our hands went up.
We shone and shimmered
In our classroom universe.
Brian Cox hadn’t seen these stars yet.
It was our teacher who discovered them,
Finding the light that he knew
Lay inside all of us
In our classroom universe,
In a classroom of stars.
************************************
MY POSITIVE PANTS
If I’m feeling a little bit anxious,
unhappy, nervous or shy,
I put on a pair of positive pants
and stare the world in the eye.
***
In my positive pants I’m a warrior,
a leader, a queen, a king.
When I put on a pair of positive pants,
my heart begins to sing!
***
It doesn’t matter what colour,
It doesn’t matter what style,
Positive pants are for anyone
So, go on, let’s give them a try.
***************************************
Being YOU!
Be anything you want to be,
In everything you do.
Show the world just who you are
By just being you.
***
Wear a silly jumper,
Wear a crazy hat.
Sing like you’re loving it,
Purr like a cat!
***
Wear a pair of bright red shoes,
yellow, green or blue.
Be anything you want to be
by just being you!
***
Put your love, your heart and soul
In everything you do.
Show the world just who you are
By just being YOU!
Illustration by Anna Matthews