The Love of Eggs
Mother Emu lays her eggs
Disdainfully walks away
Emu father tends their eggs
Turning each one every day
Echidna mums lay just one egg
In her pouch it hatches
When puggle starts to prickle
It’s evicted ‘cause it scratches
Mother Trapdoor loves her eggs
With silk she lines her nest
She sometimes gobbles up the dad
Mum Spider really does know best
Sea Horse Dads carry eggs in pouches
From eggs tiny foals break free
Sea Dads’ pouches stretch and stretch
Until Dads give birth in the open sea
Robyn Youl
Australian Children’s Poetry 
A beautifully worded observation of nature.
Many thanks.
In a classroom today it highlights the role of males in parenting. Some dads disappear, others lovingly tend. (Not for little kids) Mum Spider is interesting – the quicker the male is, the better he is at seducing the female, the longer he lasts to impregnate other female spiders so the greater the likelihood of this Don Juan gene has of cropping up in his sons. It does solve the problem of infidelity!!!!!
Perhaps we could write to a target audience – Kinder/Lower Primary/Upper Primary/ College: Junior/Senior/Young Adult. This weeks is a challenge – you’re moulding this concept into an adventure! It’s going to be a fascinating journey. May we please have a club – association, society? Good on yer!
Robyn