Author Archives: australianchildrenspoetry

“Space Dust Si02” by Celia Berrell

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Space Duster SiO2 by Celia Berrell

 

A man-made material

Silica aerogel

recently travelled in outer space

collecting the particles

shed by a comet’s tail

bringing them back to a NASA base.

A frothy glass matrix

of mostly air – sandy mix

lighter than feathers and stronger than steel

is brittle-snap crazy

and seems smoky-hazy.

When rubbed on a surface it gives out a squeal!

This stiff-sponge sensation

has great insulation

preventing the passage of heat through its layer.

Like a piece of blue sky

that is crisp, light and dry

its edges look fuzzy, like snap-frozen air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUIc6efV3w

Lawrence Livermore Quest Lab video

Happy World Poetry Day / Harmony Day / “Poetry Blast” by Kate O Neil with Notes

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Poem with Teacher Notes

 

POETRY BLAST

Some words fly like arrows

to their target.

Some veer, tell it slant.

Spin-bowled,

some ricochet unpredictably.

But we know it is poetry

when we see how they all

hit home.

 

©   Kate O’Neil

Notes by Jeanie Axton

Students could cut out arrows, airplanes, rockets and balls. On each they could attach describing words and phrases. They could then write poems based on the object and words. Encourage lots of ways to mix up the words and editing. The aim being at the end of the exercise to hit home with the words in the poem.

For example use picture prompts with describing words to get the students thinking

“PUT IT IN THE BAD POEM SECTION” by Alessandra Liverani

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PUT IT IN THE BAD POEM SECTION

I’ve been told to write a really bad poem
It goes against the grain but sometimes you gotta show ‘em
That you can write the baddest, the baddest of bad
In the bad poem section, you’ve got something to addNow normally my poems perfectly rhyme and flow
They dance and they sing, a line would never end in apropos
They’re deep, so very deep that their bottom has never been found
In the deep and meaningful section is where they’re usually crowned

But just for a laugh, just for something different to do
I thought I’d write a poem which would get the kind of review
That you wouldn’t wipe your bum with, for fear of being contaminated
Write one for which the reviewers had only vitriolic hatred

So this is my offering to put in the bad poem section
I hope it gets added to many bad poem collections
But I’d like it to be known, I make this statement bold
That all my other poems are sheer solid gold!

“Revolution” by Jackie Hosking

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Revolution

 

Many moons ago

Copernicus, you know

Unearthed that planets dance around the sun

The earth, it seemed, was not

The central turning spot

Around which universal bodies spun

 

Then came Galileo

Another spacey fellow

Who thought Copernicus was quite correct

But the church became afraid

Of the viewpoints being made

So they locked him up to mute his intellect

 

But before these confrontations

As he peered at constellations

Through his telescope, he soon discovered more

While the earth had only one,

A greater distance from the sun

Was Jupiter with moons that totaled four

 

Now centuries down the track

As we marvel, looking back

Just how very brave these innovators were

Giving birth to modern science

With their obstinate defiance

Means that trips to outer space can now occur

“Space” continued ….. “World Poetry Day” and “ Harmony Day”

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Thankyou for the Space poems. I will try and get as many in as possible as we continue the theme. This Thursday we have both World Poetry Day and Harmony Day. Thankyou to those who sent the poems about writing poems in. Keep any more coming and any Harmony Day themed poems. The focus this year being “ Everyone Belongs”.

Please send poems to

poemoftheday.jaxton@gmail.com

Cheers

Jeanie

And this weeks quote

 

“Me and the Genie” by Helen Katz

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I was out in the garden

Just digging away

And planting some seeds

On this beautiful day,

 

When I dug up a lamp

Quite out of the blue,

It must have been magic,

I knew what to do.

 

I rubbed on the lamp

And a Genie appeared,

Not a beautiful girl

But a fellow I feared!

 

‘You’re disturbing my sleep!’

The Genie said.

‘This had better be good,

Or I’ll pummel your head.’

 

A gruesome beard

A devilish grin

I wished like hell

I could put him back in.

 

‘Well what do you want?’

The bully pursued.

‘Thank you for asking,’

I sheepishly mewed.

 

‘Now, get on with your wish,

I was having a dream

of a beautiful maiden.

We were sharing ice-cream.’

 

‘Really?’ I said,

And I laughed till I cried.

The Genie was miffed,

I had injured his pride.

 

‘I’m sorry,’ I said,

And he calmed down a tad.

‘So what is your wish?’

That made me feel glad.

 

‘I can’t wait all day’,

With his hands on his hips

I considered my choices,

This came to my lips:

 

‘I know what I want

for us both in the end.

Stay here in Carnegie

and just be my friend.’

“BEWARE THE IDEAS OF MARCH” by Kate O’Neil

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BEWARE THE IDEAS OF MARCH

 

The Ideas of March

are meant to be mad,

so get with the times;

be suitably clad.

 

The hatters are busy –

no time to be lazy –

and what they are doing

is totally crazy.

 

So go the full motley –

(March is your chance)

Kick up your heels

in a wacky dance.

 

Let down your hair

or go in for shaving.

My crazy idea is to

go out stark raving.

 

I told all my friends.

They served me a warning:

‘Stay home. Don’t go out.

This isn’t your morning.

 

If you do your thing

and defy our advice

the knives will be out.

You’d better think twice.’