The paper boy
A boy on a bike
through leafy streets
delivers the papers
while we are asleep.
Who hears the squeak
of his speeding wheels?
Not us, not us,
for we are asleep.
Who sees the sun
glint on silver spokes?
Not us, not us,
for we are asleep.
The paper lands
with a thud beside
a garden gnome
who peeks inside.
How well-informed
is that old gnome!
How lazy am I
in my bed at home!
Easter Bilby
Dad says that he’ll tell
The Easter Bunny
I’ve been good.
As long as I do
All the things that Mother
Says I should.
But being good
Is not always
As easy as it seems.
There’s always other
Plans to hatch;
There’s plots,
And tricks,
And schemes.
I’d rather make
Some mischief
Than waste time
To make my bed,
So this year
I’ll send my order
To my bilby mate
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Leave your shoes, don’t worry,
Forget your jackets and your hats,
It’s time to go; let’s scurry!
So in the ceiling of the house,
Little mice and Mrs. Mouse,
Just after Easter Bunny left,
Embarked upon their plan of theft.
They scaled down walls – through gaps and cracks;
Avoiding funny, springy traps.
The moon sent light through window panes,
Assisting mice with their campaigns.
And then at last a glint, a gleam,
“We’ve found it, yay!” squeaked one mouse team;
It’s brilliant, bright, it’s so astounding…
Their little hearts were really pounding.
An Easter egg – wrapped in thin tin,
The mice created such a din.
But Mrs. Mouse said “Shh – quiet, hush,
We’ve got to hurry, we have to rush.”
And so with care the mice did toil;
Unwrapped the egg and left the foil;
For children love the foil the best
And mice prefer to eat the rest.
After Easter Bunny Left by Louise McCarthy
Clues for an egg hunt
Go full throttle straight to the wattle.
Say “Hello, dear!” to the aloe vera.
Don’t ignore the kangaroo paw.
Follow your nose all the way to the hose.
Don’t be a stranger to the hydrangea.
Go and smile at the native violets.
Don’t be in a rush near the bottlebrush.
Do one more pass over the grass.
Gather your eggs by the big gum tree.
Share them out (with some for me).
Catch the Night Star
Before the squabble
downstairs,
Before the goodnight wink
of secret dragons,
Dandelions and pink
The clock turns blue
Then yellow and green.
Rose settles to sleep
With her books and bear
And bubbly dreams tucked away deep
Wrapped in a far away spell
Then, sadness sneaks in through the window
With the wind
In the trees
outside, uninvited.
And the night stars appear
To soften her heart holding the tears?
Beneath the pillow, runaway dreams
Chasing her fears,
The clock turns back to blue
Before the squabble.”
Ready to Rhyme
I find when I am writing,
I oft resort to rhyme.
I don’t know why I do it.
It happens all the time.
But if you like my writing,
(I really hope you will),
You’ll find that I keep writing
In rhyming verses still!
First published in “The Mystery Box” (Playful poems for young readers) by Monty Edwards [Making Magic Happen Academy 2017].
Who’s there… ?
The wind howls.
Tree knuckles rap.
Long fingered twig hands
Tap. Tap. Tap…
Hours slide
Down the walls.
Moonlight pools
Where teardrops fall.
Sheets bind tight,
Having care
No one escapes
Nightmares.
“Who’s outside?
Who’s there…?”
Standing beside you,
A shadowy fear.
Am I sleeping?
Did I wake?
Is this the form
That bad dreams take?
What’s that rustle…?
Pad, pad, pad,
“It’s okay, honey!”
It’s Mum and Dad!
TEACHER NOTES:
This rhyming poem deals with irrationality of some childhood fears, using poetic devices, which include transferred epithet, onomatopoeia, internal rhyme, alliteration and consonance. Other fears can be based on superstitions, or on some historical antecedents or cultural based taboos.
Hilaire Belloc’s cautionary tales use fear tinged with humor to warn against certain behaviors. Grimm’s Fairy Tales have been described as cautionary tales using the horror of the unknown to warn children away from potential danger.
Discussion: Do such ‘cautionary tales’ have that effect today on modern children? Are there modern examples of cautionary tales? Name some.
Activity: Rewrite a poem by Hilaire Belloc as a prose story OR retell a Grimm’s Fairy Tale as a narrative verse story. Use some of the poetic devices used in “Who’s there…?” in your retelling.
Australian Children’s Poetry 