The Tale of a Ballad

Some years ago when my daughter was in Year Seven at High School, she was given a major poetry assignment.

This assignment consisted of the following elements:

Ballad
Haiku
Acrostic
Syllable cinquain
Word cinquain
Limerick
Free Verse
Shape
Extra element of own choice
Extra element of own choice ( second type)
Reasons for choice of poet/poem
Presentation

Most of these elements had to be created by my daughter but in the case of the ballad, she had to choose two Australian poets and give examples of their work.

Having picked Banjo Patterson for her first ballad poet, she calmly announced she had given my (!!) name in to the English teacher as her second choice of Australian poet!

I was horrified, being no poet and objected strongly. Daughter calmly dug up a couple of my published poems, took them to her teacher and said her mother had written them. Therefore her mother must count as an Australian poet, right? Teacher heartily agreed with daughter and I was sunk.

I was then told to produce a ballad on a given topic within 48 hours.

The result was The Colt’s Day.

I know it is no masterpiece but we did have fun with it and both daughter and her teacher were delighted.

We found it a few days ago and so here it is.

(Daughter scored a perfect 100% for the poetry assignment!)



The Colt’s Day

The very young colt stood in the yard
He stamped his hoof good and hard, 
His action really seemed to say:
'I won’t be broken in today!


He heard the sound of a laughing voice
He thought, ‘I’d better make my choice!
He reared up tall and began to neigh:
‘I really will not be ridden today!’


His owner walked up to the gate
He said, ‘Sorry boy, I know I’m late.’
The colt began to prance and neigh,
‘I am a wild colt today!’


He bared his teeth and ran around
All four hooves, they left the ground,
His coat, it shone, a lovely bay
‘I am a wild boy today!


His owner went to get the bridle
‘I cannot let my colt be idle,
After all, it’s for me to say
Whether we will ride today!’


The colt, he gave an enormous leap
He cleared his owner’s brand new jeep,
As he flew, out came a neigh,
‘I said to you, no ride today!’


The colt, he galloped down the track
Over the fence, then out the back,
‘I’m off to meet a friend today,
A pretty filly of white and grey!’


A real horseman, his owner knew
There was nothing else he could do,
He smiled as he put the bridle away,
‘I wasn’t meant to ride today!’


Our colt, he met his filly friend
She was waiting at the old creek bend,
They really had a lovely day
Playing in the meadow hay.


The owner set out tubs of feed
He knew what tired ponies need,
The ponies gave a weary neigh,
‘Thank you for our lovely day!’


© Ingrid M. Smith

No comments:

Post a Comment