Here I am, your faithful pet,
Where’s my gift? Ain’t got it yet!
Surely something waits for me
Underneath the Christmas tree.
Part of the family, loyal friend,
Stick beside you till the end.
A chewy bone would bring me joy,
Or did you buy a squeaky toy?
Maybe you got me a cushy rug,
To sleep beside you, safe and snug.
Come on people, please let me know.
Perhaps a Frisbee is the go!
Then again, your hard-earned dollar
Could have paid for a brand new collar.
I might need help to unwrap the paper,
But I sure love this Christmas caper.
And so, I finally wake and yawn;
At long last it is Christmas morn.
All the children laugh with glee.
Presents galore – but nothing for me?
I’ve been so good all year long,
I surely have done nothing wrong.
But then I hear a familiar noise;
It is not bones or rugs or toys.
How did you hide this precious gift?
It runs at me with movements swift.
Another dog with which to play!
This is the greatest Christmas Day.
THE MIRACLE TREE
We bought a tree from the corner shop –
bargain price for being dead.
We took it home and straight away,
stuck an angel on its head.
We tizzed it up with twirly bits,
and one bright shiny star.
Then we turned on the fairy lights
and the Christmas tree went
‘Ahhhhh.’
Over in the corner,
Underneath the tree,
There’s a shiny silver present
That is wrapped up just for me.
It’s been teasing me and taunting
For almost one whole week.
I’ll unpick a tiny corner,
And I’ll take a tiny peek.
The sticky tape is tricky,
So, I’ll rip a little more.
Then I’ll put it back right after
Just the way it was before.
Oh no! I’ve pulled too hard!
Silver paper’s on the floor!
My present is exposed
And my mum is at the door!
She’ll be super-duper angry!
And Santa will be too!
He’ll put me on the bad list –
Although it isn’t true…
I really am a good kid;
My Nan says I’m a joy!
I only wanted one small peek
At my new Christmas toy.
My only hope right now
If I stay completely still,
Then my mum won’t know I’m there.
She steps into the room,
And she cries out, ‘You’re so silly!’
I think that I’ve been caught,
But she’s staring straight at Mille!
Patience is a virtue?
I don’t agree with that.
Check all your presents early
And then blame it on the cat!
We don’t have to wait until Christmas
to share some intangible gifts.
It could be a morsel of caring
wrapped up in a smile, set adrift to sail on a seascape of glances
to bridge any saddening rifts
and reach that deserving receiver
we yearn in our heart to uplift.
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/intangible
Season’s greetings — but which season?
Bush fires start much earlier now.
When the country’s devastated,
What joy will light the Christmas hour?
Stumps of houses, chimneys blackened,
Nowhere for Santa Claus to stop!
No trees this year decked with tinsel,
They’re just a charred and cheerless crop.
With all our presents wrapped in dust,
And no grass to feed the reindeer,
I hate to think of Christmas morn;
It will get worse year after year!
When climate change changes Christmas,
No Santa through the sky will dash.
Yes, we’ll still have our white Christmas —
But a Christmas all white with ash.
A Gift of a Kind.
I saw a man,
On a street,
He had no home,
He had bare feet.
He sat in a doorway,
On a sleeping bag,
A few possessions,
Is all he had.
He sat erect,
His eyes darting,
He’d known better times,
It was disheartening.
I thought of the many,
Who lived on the street,
The various charities,
Their needs tried to meet.
I was thankful to have,
A roof over my head,
A family who loved me,
And a warm cosy bed.
I felt very lucky,
And it came to mind,
Was a gift of a kind.
Gifts
A gift comes from one
and is given to another.
The first is life
from a father and a mother.
Then comes a book, a baby doll,
a blanket soft and warm, to hold.
A grandma’s love,
an uncle’s time
an auntie’s favourite nursery rhyme,
a friend who listens and understands –
some gifts you can’t hold in your hand.
So notice those who give around you,
the gifts from nature that surround you.
Receive with gratitude and grace
and give with love in every case.
The Gift
Australian Children’s Poetry 