Author Archives: australianchildrenspoetry

My Tuscan Dream by James Aitchison

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Picture a pretty villa

built with Tuscan stone,

sitting in an olive grove

with lemons nearby grown.

The skies are puffed with cloud,

the wooded hills are steep,

and in the afternoon

the people love to sleep.

The province paints your dreams

with ancient hilltop towns,

whose battlements stood guard

for many noble crowns.

From far away resounding,

a church bell chimes the hour, 

its drowsy notes a-floating 

from a lonely tower.

Teacher’s note: This villa is located in the village of Montanare, close by the enchanting hilltop city of Cortona.  Florence (in Italian, Firenze) is the capital of Tuscany, whose other famous cities include Siena and Pisa.

No School Today by Warren Cox

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The rain is dancing down the street,

across the park and up the lane.

It’s teeming where I stand to meet

the clickety-clackety morning train.

The rain is hammering on the rooves

and causing such a fuss.

It’s drenching where I stand to meet

the braking quaking bus.

The rain is splashing on the ground

creating puddles deep.

To get to where I need to be

I’ve got to hop and leap.

The rain is filling all the creeks.

The gutters run with foam.

It’s wet day lunch at school today,

I think I’ll just stay home.

Cooling Off by James Aitchison

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Getting sick of summer?

I found just the spot

to cool off really fast

when you’re feeling hot.

The water’s like a mirror,

instead of sand there’s snow;

but how deep is the lake?

You don’t want to know!

Teacher’s note: This lake is one of twenty favourite tourist spots located in Germany’s Black Forest, where hiking and swimming are popular.  One lake is 40 metres deep.

I Could Have . . . by Pauline Cleary

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I could have gone for a morning walk
but I just stayed in my bed.
I might have seen the sunrise
but I dreamed a dream instead.

I could have run a marathon
but I’m a bit slow on my feet.
I might have won a medal
if there weren’t so many to beat.

I could have painted a masterpiece
if I had the motivation
I could’ve been known far and wide
but I lacked the application.

I might have been a master chef
as I’m one who’s out to dine.
I could have prepared a delicious meal
but I just ran out of time.

I could have done a lot of things
but I have a plan instead.
I’ll just sit here with my cup of tea
and perform them in my head.

My Excuse (for not keeping my 2024 New Year resolution) by James Aitchison

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I made a resolution

to keep the whole year through.

I wrote it down but lost it,

now I don’t know what to do.

I’ve searched but cannot find it,

no matter how I strive.

Oh well, I’ll make another one

in twenty-twenty-five.

The Haircut by Warren Cox

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The barber said “A dollar a cut,
that’s all you have to pay.
And everyone you pass will smile
so sweetly and they’ll say,

Oh Mrs Brown what a beautiful boy,
he looks just like his dad.
Could you have guessed that you’d be blessed
with this happy and handsome lad?”

Then Mrs Brown with a frightening frown
on the barber did wildly whirl.
“Open your eyes you silly man,
he’s a girl. Can’t you see? He’s a girl!”

Krakow Under Snow by James Aitchison

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It’s wintertime in Krakow

and by the castle wall,

the snow is fresh and deep

from this morning’s fall.

The city seems in silence,

the trees are black and bare,

and I can hear my heartbeats

in the frozen air.

Teacher’s note: Krakow is the second largest city in Poland.  Its existence can be traced back to the Stone Age.  The Old City and Wawel Castle are heritage sites. Krakow boasts one of the world’s oldest universities, and of course it is famous for Oskar Schindler’s factory which is now a museum.

Krispy by Jeanie Axton

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Krispy’s now a famous bear

who could not believe his luck

right there in town late one night

an open door on a donut  truck.

Well, he licked his lips and in he went

chocolate, cinnamon and sprinkles galore.

Krispy just couldn’t get enough

two in each of his furry paws.

However, he was caught red handed

told to leave the truck quick smart

but not before the film crew arrived

Krispy played the perfect part.

He smiled right into the camera

showing of his sugary grin

then waddled back to the woods

to boast of his big win.

Alas, the other bears

hearing the truck was securely locked

grumbled and grunted loudly

“ Why did you not bring us a box!”

This poem was based on a CBS news article from Alaska https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/bears-caught-camera-raiding-krispy-kreme-doughnut-van-alaska/

Seagull Saga by Monty Edwards

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While I was walking by the sea
A seagull chose to follow me,
But soon one gull turned into two,
Then three, then four, began a queue!

When five or six swelled to a crowd
Their conversation grew quite loud.
This made it clear I’d have no peace
Without some way to make them cease.

I clapped my hands and stamped my feet,
I waved my cap, but faced defeat:
A few wings fluttered, webbed feet shuffled,
But squarks continued, quite unmuffled.

Seagull numbers kept on mounting!
It was then I started shouting:
“Please, I yelled, “Please go away!”
Not one gull did. They chose to stay.

Quite suddenly I had a hunch
That what they wanted was my lunch!
Can a seagull lick its lips?
Yes, it will, for fish and chips!

So off I ran to grassy ground,
There with seagulls all around,
I unwrapped lunch and chose to share:
Whoosh! Gulls arrived from everywhere!!

Pigeon by Michael Buckingham Gray

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after lunch

in the lull of mid-afternoon

you start cooing…

and

lure me

from the sunlight

into the shadows

into the shadows

of sleep