Poem of the Day

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Rose is red and Violet’s all blue

 

Rose loved painting,

Violet loved it too.

Rose painted with red,

Violet with blue.

 

They crept out of bed,

To paint in the night.

But Mum came in,

‘Aaaagh!’ And got such a fright.

 

‘Sorry Mummy,’ said Rose, all red.

‘Sorry Mummy,’ said Violet, all blue.

‘It’s okay, my little monsters,

‘I know what to do.’

 

Mum drew a big bath,

And plopped them both in.

Whooshed them round,

And into a spin.

 

The monsters spun round,

Splished and splashed.

Water whirled round,

And both colours clashed.

 

Now Violet wasn’t blue,

And Rose was not red.

‘Yippeeee!’ they cried,

‘We’re purple instead!’

 

Now Mum feeling faint,

Took out some more paint.

‘Perhaps some white,

Will fix them all right.’

 

The water whooshed round,

And down the sink.

‘Aaaagh!’ wailed mum,

‘My monsters are pink.’

 

Nanna came in,

with a towel so green.

She scrubbed while she dried,

Until they were clean.

 

Not purple or pink,

Or blue or red.

But finally all green,

And ready for bed.

Ken Williams
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #41

Prompt5

Poem of the Day

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Anything

 

With your hand in mine, you can do anything.

You can climb the stairs

You can cross the road

You can shuffle your feet through the soft warm sand to get to the edge of the sea.

 

With your hand in mine, I would do anything.

I would climb a mountain

I would build a road

I would swim all the oceans and rivers and lakes for you, my child

And for me.

James Redmayne

James said: This was one that I bounced around for a while after my daughter first learned to climb the stairs in our home. The poetry prompt triggered me to dig it out and rework it a little.

Poem of the Day

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That seal in New Zealand

 

That seal in New Zealand

Decided to stay

All the others seals

they went away

 

Time to migrate

And swim a long lap

That seal in New Zealand

Took a long nap

 

That seal in New Zealand

Marina full of sun

Thought an extended stay

Was better fun

 

No sharing of fish

All wharf space she owns

That seal in New Zealand

Has found a new home

 

She’s now very famous

On the news worldwide

That seal in New Zealand

Takes it all in her stride

 

Smiling and grunting

A bit of a flap

That seal in New Zealand

Got a very good rap

 

She rolled for the camera

300 kilos of lard

A grin for the lens

Isn’t too hard

 

Named “Owha” by locals

She has stayed a year

Missing her friends

No! Not a tear

 

That seal in New Zealand

Intends to stay

Loves her new country

In the sun she will lay

Jeanie Axton
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #43

poetry-prompt-43

Jeanie said: I saw on the news a story about a seal who has stayed on at The Auckland’s Marina in New Zealand instead of migrating. I thought it a fun topic for a Seal poem.

Poem of the Day

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Stop, rain, stop!

 

Stop, rain, stop!

Not another drop!

My friends are here. They’ve come to play.

We want to be outdoors today.

Stop, rain, stop!

 

Stop, rain, stop!

Not another drop!

We do not want our washing wet,

But you make sure that’s what we get.

Stop, rain, stop!

 

Stop, rain, stop!

Not another drop!

You’ve been around for several hours:

Look how you’re drowning all the flowers!

Stop, rain, stop!

 

Stop, rain, stop!

Not another drop!

Go help the farmer grow his wheat

And give his stock green grass to eat.

Stop, rain, stop!

 

Drip . . . . . drip . . . . . . . . . . . . plop!

At last, the final drop!

Now we’ll get a flower display.

Now the washing’s on its way.

Now we can go out to play!

 

Monty Edwards
  •  Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #41

poetry-prompt-41

Monty says: The poem sets out to give voice to the dissatisfaction and frustration we often feel  when wet weather disrupts our plans – a common experience for both children and adults.

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I’d rather be a pirate

 

‘I don’t want to be a princess,’

The Princess Carlie said.

‘I’ve no wish to grow my hair out long;

I’ll use a rope instead.

I’ve no need to use these glassware shoes;

I’d rather wear my clogs,

And don’t even get me started

On what’s wrong with kissing frogs.

If you really need a royal,

You might try Gary Brown,

He’d enjoy a regal job

Complete with jewelled crown.

I’d rather be a pirate,

Sail a thousand seas;

Swing gracefully in rigging

Like an acrobat on trapeze.

I’d rather have adventure

Than an adoring crowd,

So you’ll find me on the sea-ways,

Belching very loud.

Jessica Nelson
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #42

Prompt5Jessica said: I wrote this poem for my daughter, who for now likes both pirates and princesses.

Look At Me by Catherine Knapton

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Look up at the tree, can you see a hole in the trunk?

That could be my home, the place where I bunk

A squirrel that’s me, sporting the most incredible, amazing fluffy tail

It snaps over my head like an umbrella when it looks like it might hail

I use it for balance and my sharp claws are to climb

My teeth are big and chunky and they grow all the time

I scamper around collecting seeds, nuts and lots of stuff

And I hide them for winter when there is never enough

If I am suddenly frightened like a statue, I freeze

Then no-one will see me unless “OH NO” I accidentally sneeze

Look at me. I am cute. Then why am I thought of as being a pest

Rubbish I say. If I live in your garden you are truly blest

 

 

 

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The Halloween Party

 

The children are having a party

It’s a Halloween Party tonight

There are ghosts and ghouls

And mysterious pools

Of something that’s red and bright

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

There are screaming dollies and poisonous lollies

And someone will cook up a brew

Of raspberry punch, but I have a hunch

It may contain cockroaches too.

There’ll be silverfish in the Turkish delight

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

There’s fairy bread and they’ll chop off your head

If you don’t eat a slice or two

The sprinkles they’ve used are poison-infused

A horrid concoction, it’s true

But the children will eat them and squeal with delight

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

The bottles of jam should be left quite alone

They don’t contain fruit, but there’s blood and there’s bone

And if you should dare to sample the stuff

You’ll find that a spoonful is more than enough

You won’t last long, you’ll be out like a light

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

The two guillotines are a lovely idea

They bought them on sale at the local Ikea

They can’t wait to use them, and so I suggest

You wear a thick collar, a metal one’s best.

Or else you may get a reduction in height

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

The children are having a party

A Halloween party tonight

It’s terribly wicked, but great fun for all

See spectres and phantoms walk right through the wall

And someone is bound to set nighties alight

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

Bring your own chainsaw, but dress isn’t formal,

It’s best to wear something entirely abnormal

A cape made of bats will be just the right thing!

And, for heaven’s sake, do remember to bring

A playmate with whom you can fight

At the Halloween party tonight.

 

There are colourful balls from an army stall

But resist the temptation to touch them at all.

They’re hand grenades, I’m rather afraid,

So touch them and quite a loud bang will be made

But not quite as loud as the dynamite

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

 

There’ll be games to play, but let me just say –

Be careful of musical chairs.

If you’re standing up when the music stops

They’ll chain you and kick you downstairs.

And those chains will be locked as tight as tight

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

The children have sent out their invitations

To vampires and zombies and ghouls of all nations

It’s a multicultural beastly bash

For monsters that howl and claw and bash

There’ll be creatures you wouldn’t dare to invite

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

 

The children are having a party

A Halloween party tonight

The games they’ve invented are frankly demented

You’ll be thrown in the lake with both feet cemented

The candles they burn will be arsenic-scented

Breaking Dawn fans will be deeply resented.

A genuine iron maiden they’ve rented

And once you’re locked in, I’m afraid you’re prevented

From evermore seeing the light

At the Halloween Party tonight.

 

Doug MacLeod

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Lost Cat and Sweet Violets

 

There once were some children who found a small cat

Homewards they took her to sit on a …

Cushion, and just then she wanted to eat

So they gave her a plate of nice juicy …

Carrots – but she didn’t like orange she’d rather have red

So they found her some roses to try them…

As food. But she turned up her little pink nose

And said she would never eat flowers unless they were…

 

Sweet violets, sweeter than the roses

Covered all over from head to toe

Covered all over with sweet violets.

 

© Virginia Lowe
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #42

Prompt5

Comment: The lack of rhyme makes the rhyme obvious and amusing, and as Norman Lindsey (The Magic Pudding) remarked, children are most interested in food. So here it is.

 

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Ham vs Flout

 

Captain Ham had a beard as green as old broccoli,

And a streak as mean as a bitter green.

 

They say that he led his crew in a mutiny,

Against Captain Flout (just a young brussel sprout).

 

The battle was swift and soon Ham had the victory,

All Flout’s hopes sank as he walked the plank.

 

Balanced on the edge looking down into destiny,

His quivering lips were as pale as parsnips.

 

“This ‘ere be the Basin of Sharks,” sneered his enemy,

“Thanks for ye ship, in ye go fer a dip!”

 

Splash!

 

The overthrown captain was chomped up like celery.

The ship sailed away but ever since that day…

 

Superstitious old Ham has been cursed by the memory.

He can’t eat a sprout without thinking of Flout.

Lynelle Kendall
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #29

Poetry Prompt #29

Poem of the Day

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Small Wonder

 

Please don’t be frightened, sweet butterfly blue,

I just want to capture a picture of you.

As I inch closer I mean you no harm.

It’s not my intention to cause you alarm.

Your wings are so delicate: colours so pretty!

Please don’t fly away. That would be such a pity.

No need now to flutter, I’ll keep this quite brief.

Just stay where you are on that rich deep green leaf.

That’s perfect! I’ve got you! You’ll soon be on show:

Your beauty shared proudly with people I know.

 

Monty Edwards
  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #40

poetry-prompt40

Monty says: This poem draws on recent experience at a magnificent butterfly farm in Penang, Malaysia.