Dimpled dinosaurs driving

Dandy dinosaurs dancing

Dreamy dinosaurs drinking

Dexterous dinosaurs dinking

Dainty dinosaurs dazzling

Devilish dinosaurs diving

Dozy dinosaurs dallying

Delicate dinosaurs dawdling

© Katherine Gallagher

I took Billy and Archer
0n a long walk
Barked at each other
Because they can’t talk.

Birds were chirping
Whilst on our walk
Chirped at each other
Because they can’t talk.

Ducks were  quacking,
Whilst on our walk
Quacked at each other
Because they can’t talk.

Frogs were croaking
Whilst on our walk
Croaked at each other
Because they can’t talk.

I talk to the two
Whilst on our walk
They understand me
Because I can talk.

Fairy bread

is far and away

the best thing to eat

on your birthday.

Hundreds and thousands

sprinkled thickly

on fresh white bread,

and it isn’t sickly.

It’s my favourite

but there is a must —

before you serve it,

cut off the crust!

For those out there

Who need to hear

A kindly word that says,

“I care.”

For those in times

So hard to bear,

Is there someone

Anywhere

Who’ll feel their need

And plant a seed

Of love to share?

I go to the hedge of our holiday-cottage
to trim branches within easy reach.
I am cutting edgily until two eyes
fix mine. Not a sound passes between us,
but we understand each other.
The Blackbird on her nest is intent.
Without a second look, I withdraw,
murmuring apologies.

From Acres of Light, Arc Publication, 2016 © Katherine Gallagher

Humungous Fungus is among us
and it’s rather smelly.
It slowly creeps between your toes
then right up to your belly.

It can be blue but when it’s pink
it gives off such an awful stink.
Sometimes it floats down in the breeze
and leaves great blobs on both your knees.

When it sparkles like a fairy
then you must be very wary.
If it waves its magic wand
you’ll smell like slime from next door’s pond.

Beware if Fungus goes to school.
It doesn’t care who looks a fool.
Your teacher might get quite a shock
if Fungus hides inside his sock.

If poor grandma, while she’s sitting
concentrating on her knitting,
notices a sudden pull,
it’s Fungus climbing up her wool.

Even Mum must be quite careful.
She might cop a blobby hair full
if she happens to be shopping
right where Fungus slime is dropping.

Family pets should run and hide.
‘Cos Fungus loves to slip and slide
into kennels, baskets, cages,
sending critters into rages.

But Fungus loathes a water spray.
So get yourself one right away
and squirt that fiend with all your might.
You’ll be a hero overnight.

The Future             

A callout for an incredible opportunity for the “right writer”.

Are you a children’s poet with a passion for sharing poetry and promoting Australian children’s poets and their work?

An enthusiastic volunteer is needed to take over the administration of this popular blog in the next six months starting before June 2023.

After working on Australian Children’s Poetry for five years, I feel the time has come to step aside and hand over to someone new. Next year I will be at times travelling with my husband who has retired.

What will you gain from being the administrator?

You will get to meet, mainly in a digital form, a lot of great writers and learn from them.

You get to read all sorts of children’s poetry and grow as a writer as you read.

You will learn how to determine what’s suitable for children and what is not and make decisions on that.

You get to create prompts which encourage writers to use their creativity to write and send in poems to you.

You will be contributing to the showcasing and promotion of Australian Children’s Poetry in our country.

If you are a writer who publishes books this position would enhance your career.

Here is a link to the site

https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/blog/

Basically, what does the administrator’s role involve?

1. Receiving poems by email and posting the Poem of the Day to the blog. Currently we run the poems on fortnightly prompts with poems posted each weekday during a school year. The site uses WordPress and after a bit of practice its straightforward.
2. Approving (or trashing spam) comments
3. Updating the A-Z of Australian children’s poets as required. Instructions are given for this.
4. Sharing information about competitions and articles about Australian children’s poetry.
5. Secure Funding for incidental expenses associated with the site. For example, the Domain name through GoDaddy and WordPress Fee. Administrators have either paid these in the past or secured a little funding. I would think there are grants that can be accessed in Australia to help with these.
6. Networking with poets and taking the website in the direction you think it should go next.

How to apply:

Please send in one A4  page addressing the following

1. Introduce yourself
2. Tell me about your writing journey with poetry.
3. Briefly outline why you would like to take on this role?

Please email to poemoftheday.jaxton@gmail.com

Thankyou

Jeanie