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HOLD THAT TIGER

By Chloe Wilson

That morning, in the mirror,
I’d pulled my draping cheek-skin upward.
I had shone, taut and foreign,
the gums and incisors
glistering with saliva.

While evening and the show crowds gathered,
I watched him. The chain glinked
as he traced his circle,
always stalking - even the grass
shivered under his breath.

Entering the ring, he beckoned
me to dance, laid one
paw on each shoulder
and rolled me in the dirt.

His mouth opened wide
as bedclothes, and I scented
the iron on his tongue
while he hinged his hips

and the crowd thought I was dying.

Tigers like to dine alone.
I knew this; yet stayed a moment
too long, waiting
for an invitation

and was not all that surprised
to find a joint of meat missing
from my thigh.

They hunt by pressing you
to their hearts, then
kicking out your insides
in a casual sweep.

There’s the danger.
Not, after all, in the teeth
but beneath the tail,
which, like a finger,
searches out any pleasures
the front end may have missed.

This one slid
his tongue along the contours
of my bowel,
sniffing like a sommelier.

That night, he cleaned himself
thoroughly, that supple
tongue spreading like a stingray
under the nails
and detailing the groin;

ignoring the crowd
nobly, as they shook
the metal bars
that keep them safe.

‘Hold That Tiger’ is featured in The Mermaid Problem, Chloe Wilson’s first collection that has been published as part of the APC’s 2010 New Poets Series, more details here.

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For Students

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ALL YOU NEED TO TEACH POETRY

The APC has developed poetry books with Macmillan Education as resources for teaching poetry in Primary schools to benefit students and teachers alike.

These practical new titles contains essential information, text models, lesson banks and worksheets to engage students as they discover, explore and write poetry. Part of the popular All You Need to Teach series it provides teachers with a comprehensive resource for teaching and using poetry in the classroom.

Special features:
* teaching tips, including poetry and multiple intelligence and poetry across the curriculum
* mini-lessons can be easily integrated into a variety of programs.
* photocopiable text models for different forms of poetry
* lesson banks to teach the elements of poetry
* worksheets
* list of recommended poetry texts
* assessment rubrics

Includes:
—Structure in Fixed Form
—Structure in Free Verse
—Sound in Poetry
—Description in Poetry
—Symbolism in Poetry
—Narrative in Poetry
—Character in Poetry
—Visual Poetry
—Cyber Poetry
—Performing Poetry

All You Need to Teach: Poetry - Ages 5-8

All You Need to Teach: Poetry - Ages 8-10

All You Need to Teach: Poetry - Ages 10+

But wait there’s more…

WALL CHARTS

The latest pack in the best-selling text types series of wall charts!

This exciting companion to the All You Need to Teach Poetry series of teacher resource books contains essential text models annotated for poetic form and elements. They are ideal for use when teaching the different forms of poetry. Also included in the pack are charts with clear definitions of all the main poetic elements. These charts are ideal for permanent display for students to refer to when writing their own poetry.

Special features:

    · 9 charts, each with a text model annotated for poetic form and elements
    · 6 charts with clear definitions and examples of all the main poetic elements

Poetic forms modelled include:
—Fixed rhyme schemes
—Internal rhyme schemes
—Haiku
—Senyru
—Cinquin
—Ballad
—Free verse
—Visual poetry

Poetic elements include:
—Rhyme
—Alliteration
—Assonance
—Onomatopoeia
—Rhythm
—Simile
—Metaphor
—Personification
—Hyperbole
—Imagery
—Symbolism

PURCHASE HERE

POETS AND THEIR PROCESS

Poets and their Process will be a series of poets reading their work and discussing their process. It will be an invaluable tool for young poets, teachers and students to get an insight into Australian poets, their influences and inspiration. This is still in development. Samples are below.

Steve Smart

Steve Smart Interview