Author Archives: australianchildrenspoetry

H2O by Andrea Lew & Science Week

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There are plenty of free events currently happening for SCIENCE WEEK, and combining SCIENCE with POETRY is one of them! H2O by Andrea Lew is one of the Science Rhymes featured in OUR FLORA-VERSE as part of these celebrations.

Did you know that
H2O
is the chemical symbol for water?

Hydrogen, Hydrogen Oxygen.
Drink several glasses every day
to keep the doctor away.

Did you know that
H2O
is good for health and hydration?
It regulates body temperature
and is part of respiration.

Did you know that
H2O
exists as liquid, solid and gas?
On Earth we have all three.
Elsewhere it’s mostly found as ice.

Vital for health and hydration,
this refreshing liquid drink,
for humans, plants and animals 
deserves our celebration!

Artwork by Andrea Lew

Mid-Month Poetry Prompt

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LIMERICK

This five-line rhyming poem is often silly, funny or bawdy. Limericks have a waltzing rhythm (anapestic) and a rhyme scheme of AABBA. The third and fourth lines are shorter with 5 or 6 syllables, while all other lines are around 8 or 9 syllables (but sometime up to 12).

Limericks were made popular by Nonsense Poet Edward Lear back in the 1870’s. The word Limerick is the name of a town and a county in Ireland, but there is no record to say that this poetic style originated there.

Limericks are traditionally about people or places, but there are plenty of ways to break the rules and still have a Limerick style.

Soccer fan(atic) by Kate O’Neil

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I’m fully into soccer –

a real enthusiast.

I like to watch. I like to play –

to give the game my best.

It’s something teachers praise us for-

enthusiasm’s great!

But in the eighteenth century

it simply didn’t rate.

Enthusiasts were crazy folk

who’d somehow lost their wits.

They raved and had no self-control –

strong feelings were the pits.

This was the Age of Reason –

of cool and measured thought.

But soccer’s more than well-planned moves-

it’s heaps of fun! It’s sport!

So naturally I’ll yell and scream –

and help my team to win.

Enthusiasm’s what they need –

so everyone, join in!

Image from Pixabay

Awfully silly by James Aitchison

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How awful

that awful

means awful,

when once it meant

full of awe!

How silly

that silly

means silly,

when once it meant

happy and blessed!

It’s awfully silly

how meanings have changed,

and what we say now

has to be re-arranged.

Like, once the silly

filled us with awe,

but we’re not in awe

anymore!

The Journey of a Word

Image from Pixabay

Vivid by Celia Berrell

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Eyes now closed,
here I lie
imagining things
within my mind’s eye.

A giant glass marble
with aqua swirls
that turns into
our tiny world
against a backdrop
of deep-dark space …
then next appears
your smiling face!

And guess what’s even crazier?
A thing called aphantasia.
Some people, even though they try,
simply don’t have a vivid mind’s eye.

Poem inspired from August picture prompt. Artwork: STARING AT CLOUDS by Jennifer Barrand

https://www.jennibarrand.com/

The Tomato Wars by Nicola Phillips

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Eee-ew!
Ishy, squishy tomato reeney;
Splat!
Right on my face.
Oohey, gooey tomato rooney
All over the place.
Tomato gunge in my hair,
Dangling off my shoe.
Up my nose,
Behind my ears.
What can I do?
Slushy, mushy tomato pulp
Flying through the air.
La Tomatina in full swing
This means TOMATO WARFARE!

Image from Pexels

Cloud Racing by Linda Davidson

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Jump on a cloud; let’s go for a race.

Mine’s an elephant with a smiling face.

Yours is a dolphin leaping over the waves.

He seems a bit wild; I hope he behaves!

Let’s race to the rainbow, glistening with light.

We’ll count all the stripes – so fun and so bright!

Then leap onto colour, floating down with a flutter

To land in the prize – a pot of golden butter.

Artwork: STARING AT CLOUDS by Jennifer Barrand
https://www.jennibarrand.com/

Poem inspired by August Picture Poetry Prompt.

About an old tree by James Aitchison

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This old, old tree

looks weird to me.

Its bark is mossy,

its lichen glossy.

If I had time

I could climb

to its top

and there I’d stop —

under the sky,

up so high.

Photo by Ginette Pestana

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious by Jeanie Axton

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A famous word in the dictionary
one that’s exceedingly long
renowned for many reasons
including a famous song.

Originally college slang
coined by students in ’31
meaning extremely wonderful
they spoke it out in fun.

Next came Mary Poppins
released in ’64
the word in song a legend
quickly woven into lore.

It’s believed to be an expression
for all that’s fabulous they say
singing it extremely loud
will brighten up your day.

“Can you say it backwards?”
Mary Poppins once said with a wink
Isn’t that going a bit too far?
What do you actually think?

Journey of a Word

Image from Pixabay

Triumphant Terrific by Celia Berrell

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“Terrific!”
This word
is rather heroic.
Rooted in
TERROR,
it’s far from bucolic.

It started out
living with
FEAR and DREAD,
but chose to be
BRAVE and HAPPY
instead!

The Journey of a Word

Image from Pixabay