Devonport Peninsula, Auckland

Inaugural NZ Poet Laureate Michele Leggott and Devonport Community Coordinator Maire Vieth asked school children and interested adults to contribute poster poems for display in the North Shore community June-July 2009. Michele visited Stanley Bay and Devonport Primary Schools, and Michael King Writer in Residence David Eggleton went to Belmont Intermediate. Chalk poems covered school playgrounds and poster poems were read by children at the launch of Michele’s laureate collection Mirabile Dictu in the Devonport Library. David Eggleton wrote a poem about staying up all night to watch for Matariki. A total of 1103 poster poems were on display during the school holidays and are now held in bound volumes at the local library.

Michele Leggott’s call for poems June 2009:

When the stars of Matariki come over the northeastern horizon just before dawn early in June the old year ends and a new year is beginning. Is the star cluster bright and jewel-like in a clear sky or a hazy shimmer in the east? Look up or look into your imagination and tell us what Matariki looks like from where you stand in the world of light. We'd like to have a sky-ful of poems to read and put up around our community, so write a poem on this poster and be part of A Million Poems for Matariki!

Gallery

Poster Poems

Links

• NZ Poet Laureate 15 June 2009
• NZ Poet Laureate 23 June 2009
• NZ Poet Laureate 29 June 2009
• NZ Poet Laureate 14 July 2009
• David Eggleton, Matariki from Takarunga, Devonport, 23 June 2009
• SEVEN STARS at nzepc