To mark National Poetry Day — the biggest mass celebration of poetry in the UK — Gill Griffiths, of Mansfield Woodhouse, has submitted the following:

Chicken was awake, it was dark outside,
He could not sleep, no matter how he tried,
He dare not roam because of fox,
So he kept himself in his chicken wire box.
All of a sudden he heard a sound,
A big light shone on the ground,
It was coming from a spaceship, round and yellow,
And driving it was a small, little fellow.
As their eyes met chicken said: Hello, have you got a long way to go?
Alien spoke with a smile on his face: ‘I’ve come to Earth from outer space,
Would you like a ride on my ship?
Chicken wasn’t going to let this slip.
They walked together and went aboard,
And all of a sudden the spaceship soared.
They flew above the twinking stars,
Past the moon, Jupiter and Mars.
Alien said: Before this night ends,
I will take you home to meet my family and friends,
Don’t worry about time, for you it stands still,
I’ll get you home before morning, I promise I will.
They landed on his home planet of Azur,
Alien said he would give him a tour,
All Griffiths houses were like coloured domes,
Those were his family’s homes.
Alien’s house was orange and green,
The brightest house chicken had seen,
Inside his family was friendly and kind,
Wish everyone was, chicken thought in his mind.
It was time to go, chicken could tell,
So bid his family a fond farewell.
Chicken thanked Alien for being a friend,
And was sorry it had all come to an end,
He felt so sleepy back in his box,
Tucked away from Mr Fox.