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Do you know any bad jokes?
What does GSGE stand for? Answer: Scrambled eggs! How old were you when you wrote your first poem? I was a teacher (at a Primary school in Swindon), so I was quite old! Can you stand on one leg, pat head, rub tummy at same time? Of course. No problem. Also.... when I have finished a new poem I always throw a pen high in the air and catch it. Do I ever dop the pen? Never. Never ever. What inspired you to become a poet? When I was a teacher, a boy in my Class (Year 6) couldn't find any poems about Dinosaurs. So.... I wrote a poem called 'Stegosaurus' just for him....and the other children in my class. In fact I wrote seven 'Dinosaur' poems. They were my first poems. Ever.  Do you have a favourite animal?
Cats. I have one pet cat, Rusty......and 13 feral cats visit me every day for breakfast and dinner.
How many poems have you written?
Hundreds....and hundreds. Maybe over a thousand. I've lost count! Are you frightened of spiders?
Not at all. I love them. Artists always draw spiders when they illustrate my spooky (and horror) poems. Where was your first poem published?
'A Week of Winter Weather'. It appeared in an anthology, 'Rhyme Time' compiled by Barbara Ireson. A long time ago! How long does it take you to write a poem?
'Stroke the Cat' (see below) took me 3 minutes.....once I'd got the idea. 'The Green Girl', a 44-verse narrative poem took me 3 months. Do you have a favourite all-time poem?
It's 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' by an American poet, Robert Frost. It's just the most wonderful picture of a deep, cold, snowy winter's day. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Whose woods these are I think I know, His house is in the village though. He will not see me stopping here, To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer, To stop without a farmhouse near, Between the woods and frozen lake, The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake, To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep, Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. © Robert Frost What are your favourite biscuits?
Jammy Dodgers, naturally! I mean, what else would one want to eat?  Do you illustrate your own work?
Oh no. Professional artists are always commissioned to illustrate my books. My drawings are about as good as an anteater's (without his glasses). When you write, do you use a pen, or a computer?
Both. I love filling pages with fast, scribbly writing. Then again, I like seeing poems appear in boooooooootiful print on the computer screen. What is your favourite word, and why?
Dark. Because it's spooky....and, er, scary.
 If you hadn't been a poet, what job would you be doing now?
Playing football for Swindon Town. Here's a brand-new poem about my team, Swindon Town... Look at all the players of Swindown Town, running round the pitch with their shorts hanging down. Do you have a favourite poet?
For children.... Ted Hughes. For adults........ Seamus Heaney Do you have to be brainy to be a poet?
Not really. It helps if you read lots of poems (that's how you learn how they're made), and use your senses. Write about what you see....and hear.....and feel. Stroke the Cat Stroke the Cat, stroke the Cat and lift it from the floor. Stroke the Cat, stroke the Cat and shake hands with its paw. Stroke the Cat, stroke the Cat and scratch its head once more. Stroke the Cat, stroke the Cat and shooo it through the door. © Wes Magee Do you have any advice for young poets?
Make each poem perfect. Rewrite again and again and again making sure that each draft is better than the last. And..... eat lots of Shredded Wheat. Then you'll be a top poet and the whole world will know it.  Games | Teachers and Parents |Recommended Titles | Jokes| Exciting Websites | Contact Us | About Us | Site Map | Privacy | ©2006 Man In The Moon and all authors |