Author Archives: australianchildrenspoetry

“Planet of the Dogs” by Jeanie Axton

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Reverse our worlds

and you will see

That you dear human

can learn from me

 

A few simple commands

will have it down pat

Human Obedience class

get it right, get a pat

 

Here’s our training

my faithful friend

Planned by me

from start to end

 

Command 1: Get up

 

Get up Get up

sleepy head

The sun is up

get out of bed

 

Command 2: Walk

 

Walk time next

but no doggy lead

I’m ready now

and will not plead

 

Command 3: Heel

 

Heel no way

let me run

Training a human

is lots of fun

 

Command 4: Stop

 

Stop right now

yes at that tree

Every day

for my morning pee

 

Command 5: Talk

 

Talk to me

say nice things

I’m a good boy

among other things

 

Command 6: Sit

 

Sit on down

in front of me

Scratch my belly

if you please

 

Command 7: Wait

 

Sit there nicely

wait for a command

I may have a snooze

don’t be alarmed

 

Command 8: Drop it

 

Drop the book

you now are reading

Observe my eyes

see them pleading

 

Command 8: Bark

 

One bark means bacon

two barks a meat pie

Three barks a lie down

then a contented sigh

 

Command 9: Couch

 

Shift over a bit

I need more space

And a lambs wool rug

in my comfy place

 

Command 10: Bed

 

No longer I’ll sleep

in a box outdoors

Or in the winter

on the cold laundry floor

 

Command 11: Move over

 

Move over move over

on our king size bed

Let me stretch out

and please scratch my head

 

Command 12: I love you

 

I love our routine

Commands to impart

Human being playmates

Are really very smart

“My Dog Jed” by Margaret Pearce

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MY DOG JED

 

My dog Jed

Is never trouble

What killed that hen

Was his double.

 

This Jack Russell terror

Known as Jed

Into mischief and error

Is never led.

 

My dog Jed

With teeth so white

Doesn’t chase cats

Who want to fight.

 

My dog Jed

So loyal and sweet

Not near the bed

With its ripped sheet.

 

My dog Jed

Is very athletic

Running ahead

To beat the traffic.

 

My dog Jed

So very good

Turns up to be fed

When he should.

 

My dog Jed

Is never blue

As around he’s led

To sniff quoll poo.

 

My dog Jed

Is not argumentative

And can’t be said

To be offensive.

 

My dog Jed

Doesn’t cause trouble

Damage alleged

Was caused by his double.

 

My dog Jed

Loves to roam

Is selectively deaf

About coming home.

 

My dog Jed

So very courageous

In disgrace in the shed

I think it’s outrageous

oooOooo

 

© Margaret Pearce

“Flying Tale” by Julie Cahill

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Flying Tale

The most favorite pet we ever had 

was little ‘Peanut,’ named by Dad

The tiny fit upon my hand

soon sprung out 

like a rubber band

When laying, he was Peanut Paste

fortunately without the taste

When chasing ‘Fly,’

our other dog 

t’was left behind at every log

We watched Fly in the longest grass

grass that bent

while Peanut chased his . . . tail 😁

Julie Cahill 

“Colour (non)sense” by James Aitchison

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Colour (non)sense

Polar bears are white

so they blend with the view.

Kangaroos are brown

so they blend in too.

But my new pyjamas —

bought in the Bahamas —

are purple, orange and blue!

 

“Europa’s” Secrets by Celia Berrell

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Europa’s Secrets by Celia Berrell

 

There’s hope Europa has a sea

where living things could really be

because this moon of Jupiter

has lots of solid ice water.

 

The pictures of Europa show

a crusty surface white as snow

with many lines and ridges mixed

like ice sheets that have cracked and fixed.

 

As Jupiter’s great gravity

distorts Europa’s cavity

that energy and friction heats

and melts some water underneath.

 

We think this frozen water layer

could make a sea that’s hiding there.

So just below that crusty shell

it’s possible some microbes dwell.

 

Or what if it turns out to hold

some animals both weird and bold

that roam Europa’s chilly sea.

True aliens to you and me!

 

First published in Scientriffic (March 2011)

Reproduced with permission of CSIRO

www.doublehelix.csiro.au 

Discovering life exists in places beyond Earth – like Jupiter’s icy moon Europa – could be a reality in our lifetime.  Thinking about it makes my imagination run wild!  What will these creatures be like?

Teacher Notes by Jeanie Axton

Heres an interesting article from the NASA website

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/europa/in-depth/

As far as poetry goes this topic stimulates the creative imagination of us all. Ask students to brain storm possibilities and then come up with a list of describing words that could be used to match their ideas. An acrostic could be an easy form of poetry to start with on this topic and then move on to other ways of presenting ideas in poetry. Have Fun.

“DAD’S BARBECUE” by Ron Marsh

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DAD’S BARBECUE

My father had a bullock,

I don’t know where he found it,

The council man came by one day,

And said he must impound it.

Now Dad said that it can’t be done,

Because he’d asked a few,

Of his friends and relatives  

To a barbecue.

The bull heard this, and with a roar,

He headed for the hills,

He had no plans for barbecues,

And salad for the frills.

So dad and all the family,

And some of his good friends,

Had barbecue of vegetables,

And other odds and ends.

“Song of the Wood” by Julie Cahill

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’Ssssshhhhh!’ the trees whispered

and the children froze 

absorbing sounds; standing up on their toes. 

‘Ribbit!’ The sound of a deep voiced frog.

‘What’s that?’ asked a child, hiding under a log.

‘Ribbit!’ said the deep voiced frog again.

‘Get lost’ said the girl in the wooded glen. 

‘Ssssshhhhh!’ said the trees

and the frog cleared his throat. 

‘Ribbit ribbit . . . riiiiiiiiiiiiiibit!’

‘Chchchchchchchchch  ‘ – a cricket tuned. 

‘Riiiiiiiiiiiibit’ the frog sung, renewed.

The wood came alive with wondrous ballett.

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ – the string quatet.

‘Chomp chomp chomp’ went the hungry deer. 

‘Ribbit.’ ‘Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp.’

‘Ribbit’. ‘Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp.’

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ ‘Chomp chomp’

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ ‘Chomp chomp’

And a boar joined in- bold and brave.

‘Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp.’

‘Ribbit!’ ‘Stomp!’ ‘Ribbit!’ ‘Stomp’!’

‘Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp!’

‘SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!’

“Earthworms” by Elizabeth Cummings

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EARTHWORMS

 

Earthworm, you burrower extraordinaire

How can you stand to live down there

With your one cylindrical digestive tract

You move with the muscles that you contact

To make your body first short then long

And those bristles help propel you along

Through leaf litter, topsoil or deeper down

You help to mix up the stuff in the ground

This makes you the base of many a food chain

Yet your many skills are the environment’s gain

Your talent with organic matter is biological

And mixing tall the nutrients is a flair so chemical

Then there’s your physical ability of aerating

So the soil ecosystem’s restoration you’re helping

Thus let’s take some time to show a bit of gratitude

For how you improve the quality of our food!

 

 

“Worms both disgust and fascinate me! I remember my brother holding a worm in his hands as a toddler and exclaiming; ‘One worm two worms!’ as he pulled it part😱. After that I had nightmares about worms for years until one of my pupils brought a worm farm into the class and taught us all about he important work of the humble earthworm… a teacher can always learn from their students!

 “Meeting the Monster” by Monty Edwards

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 Meeting the Monster

One night a monster most grotesque

Crawled out from underneath my desk!

I closed my book and took a look

And felt that my whole body shook!

It had a head with horrid horns

That looked as sharp as roses’ thorns;

It’s nose was like a length of hose

Which drooped right down to touch its toes!

With eyes the size of fruit mince pies

It gazed at me in mute surprise

And then as it began to think,

I saw those eyes were turning pink,

While when its mouth was open wide,

The teeth were huge I saw inside!

A sound came out: more like a croak;

I cringed in fear, but then it spoke!

It rasped: ‘So sorry I’m so badly smelling:

I’ve come to help you with your spelling!’

But even as the monster spoke,

My dog went ‘Woof!’ and I awoke.