Flamingo Bendalingo: Poems from the Zoo

Following on from the success of Auckland Unviersity Press's art book for children, the prizewinning "Wlecome to the South Seas" (1869403282) is another book relating to an AUP strength.

Established AUP poet Paula Green, who has long experience in poetry outreach, took some children round the zoo on a "poetry trail". She encouraged them to observe carefully and to concentrate on different aspects of the craft of poetry. She did the same herself.

The result is "Flamingo Bendalingo", a book of poems about zoo animals, with Paulas poems making up one part and poems by the children making up the other. Both are brilliant, in the opinion of everyone who as seen them.

The poems are introduced by a fleunt and insghtful piece from Paula green and are followed by a lively glossary of items from the "poetry toolkit", poetic terms, techniques, devices and forms, all illustrated with zoo poem examples.

The accompanying stunning illustrations (over 90) are by fashionable and successful artist Michael Hight.

Paula Green has published three collections of poetry and is the current Literary Fellow at the University of Auckland. She has run poetry readings and was responsible for the recent "Poetry on Pavements" on the streets of central Auckland.


Poems from "Flamingo Bendalingo":


THE GOLDEN LION TAMARIN

The golden lion tamarin
Has a mane made of
Every shade of orange
Grapefruit marmalade
Orange squash
Liquid honey
Dandelion heads
Early evening sunset
Nectarine skin
Lemony smelling brass
Intense golden heat
Orange jelly
Noble gold crowns
Twisting flames
Apricot sun
Marigold petals
Amber traffic lights
Roasted pumpkin
Iced ginger slice
Night-light copper


MEERKATS
Tunnels underland
Sandy faces scampering
To deep dark burrows
Just like the desert
Moisture from roots plants insects
A delicious dessert
Dash dart scurry rush
Scuttle hurry bustle flash
Tear claw scatter nip

BLIND AS A BAT
It would be better to say
as blind as a beetroot
than as blind as a bat
when we all know that
the megabat
navigates by smell and sight
in the gloom of the night.


PEACOCK LOOKOUT
On sentry duty, his glossy back
shows off the colours of the sea
his feathery fan shut tight,
the peacock settles
above the meerkat tunnels,
eyes bright.