My Hello Yellow poem is written to mark world mental health day this week. Everybody's encouraged to wear yellow. Why yellow?
Yellow is a colour associated with positive emotions like hope, happiness, and optimism, and is used to show support for mental health on World Mental Health Day.
Wearing yellow on World Mental Health Day is a way to show support for young people who may be struggling with their mental health. It's a small gesture that conveys "We see you. We're here for you"
When I grew up in the 80s, no one talked about mental health at school or home. Now as a teacher and poet, I am so glad talking about mental health has become part of everyday conversations we have with children. That's why I had to write a Hello Yellow poem.
I can't tell you what this freedom to share your fears and doubts could have done to help me when I was 14. But that was a long time ago. We've come a long way way since then.
My Hello Yellow poem is written to commemorate this year's #WorldMentalHealthDay and in a small way, to pay tribute to the worried child that still lives in me today.
Hello Yellow
Hello yellow, where’ve you been
Glad you’re here, now come on in
How I missed you yesterday
How I hoped that you would stay
Red and blue chased you away
Hello yellow, stay a while
Bring your sunshine to my smile
Bring your dandelion dreams
Send your joy down custard streams
Send your hope on solar beams
Thank you yellow, for today
For chasing red and blue away
For keeping mists of grey at bay
For making monsters go astray
For letting happy out to play
Mark Bird
If you enjoy or use my Hello Yellow poem in school, please get in touch and share how it went. Maybe your class can write their own Hello Yellow poem, listing all the yellow things in life that make them happy.
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