Girls play sport and so do boys.
Teams can make a lot of noise!
Girls may squeal and boys may shout,
But winning’s not all sport’s about!
If you win, you ‘ll feel elated.
Should you lose: a bit deflated.
Never cheat. It doesn’t pay.
Work to win next time you play.
Coaches teach you what to do.
Players can give tips to you.
Team sports make you friends and fit.
That’s the most important bit!
Image from Pexels by Pixabay
It looks like just
a ruined boat,
but what if we
could make it float?
We’d sail downriver
and out to sea,
with a yo-ho-ho,
my friends and me.
I’d be captain,
they’d be crew,
so they’d do what
I told them to.
We’d sail to China,
and then Peru,
on our own boat
on the ocean blue.
Old ship in Marlborough Sound, New Zealand. Photo by Ginette Pestana
Image by Linda Davidson
(in honour of Mother Tongue Day)
That’s what I mean!
The thingy, you know!
The Whatsit!
The Doodad!
That silly gizmo!
What do you mean
You don’t follow me?
The whatnot!
The doover!
That thingume!!
Am I the only one who speaks English around here?
Image from Pexels by Pavel Danilyuk
(in honour of Mother Tongue Day)
Remember remember the songs of your Grandma.
She sings and her words live in you.
Remember remember the gold of the old words
that carry her love that is true.
With chatter and clatter the kids in the school-room
are talking in words you don’t know.
Some words are for working, some words are for singing,
some words are like seeds that will grow.
The story of family is hiding in sayings
of mothers and fathers and aunts.
The melody, history, promise and poems
are magnets that stick to your heart.
Image from Pexels by Andrea Piacquadio
Roses are red, violets are blue,
but flowers aren’t sweet enough!
Only cannoli will win my heart —
forget the usual stuff!
Cannoli are creamy,
A yummy bouquet,
the perfect gift
on Valentine’s Day.
Cannoli on show in Rome. Photo by Ginette Pestana
In Zombie Land each year
As Halloween is getting near
The zombie kids all flip their lids
In excitement … and in fear
For all around their zombie town
The spider webs are coming down
The city street is looking neat
And a smile now replaces a frown
A friendly giggle replaces a groan
Front lawns look so freshly mown
The filthy floor is cleaned once more
And all the scattered leaves are blown
The kids all shop with zombie force
They’ll have no zombie buyer’s remorse
They change their mind at least one time
They’re dressing as humans of course
They hide their greenish zombie faces
With make-up from expensive places
Brushed hair, perfumed here and there
They leave no zombie traces
They happily skip along their street
They hope for a trick or at least a treat
They wave and smile, chat for a while
And maybe even enjoy a sweet
Tomorrow is back to roaming around
Making a horrible groaning sound
Feeling down, wearing a frown
And sleeping under the ground
Image from Pexels by Mike Jones
Fremantle Press and Alphabet Soup Books are pleased to announce that submissions are open for a poetry anthology for children, the companion to Right Way Down and Other Poems. Submissions are open to Western Australian writers (Australian residents), 18 years and older. Contributors published in the anthology will receive a payment of $50 per poem plus a free copy of the anthology.
The editors are looking for poems for today’s children – poems that are clever, thoughtful silly, fun, scary, loud, quiet … and everything in between. Writers can submit up to three unpublished poems of 45 lines or fewer, with shorter poems preferred.
All submissions are to be made via Fremantle Press’ online portal on Submittable. Full guidelines are available at Fremantle Press:
Submissions close at 11.59 AWST, 21 February 2025.
The beginning of February snuck past me and it’s already the end of the first week! Kids are back at school, World Wetlands Day has come and gone as has World Cancer Day and Groundhog Day. BUT there is still plenty left to celebrate including the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Feb 11), the Anniversary of the Apology to members of the Stolen Generations (Feb 13), the World Day of Justice (Feb 20), International Mother Language Day (Feb 21) and of course Valentine’s Day on Feb 14. If you love your libraries then you can celebrate Library Lovers Day on the same day.
We’d love to receive your poems about whatever you choose to celebrate so send them in to ozchildrenspoetry@gmail.com
Australian Children’s Poetry 