Category Archives: Australian children’s poetry

A Leisurely Bike Ride by Louise McCarthy

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A leisurely bike ride along the bush track,

Nothing too strenuous – 2ks then back.

Nothing competitive; dawdling along,

Enjoying the scenery and humming a song.

 

A leisurely bike ride – me on my own,

No need to hurry, 2ks then home.

4ks in total, pedalling with ease,

One cloud of pollen watch out I may sneeze.

 

The bell birds say “tink” as I ride through their patch.

Then past an echidna having a scratch.

Butterflies easily keep up the pace.

Dragonflies hover; their wings look like lace.

 

The ride is delightful – it’s time to turn back,

But just wait a minute – what’s that on the track?

A kangaroo lazily hopping ahead.

Is it a grey or is it a red? I’ll just go and see…

 

Faster and faster I quadruple my cadence

Just scraping through a gap in a farm fence.

The kangaroo is bounding in front at great speed,

But I am the one who will soon take the lead.

 

I crank up the gears and decrease my resistance.

By crouching down low, in less time more distance.

With speed and endurance I’ve almost succeeded,

In passing a grey kangaroo unpreceded.

 

The tail wind is strong; I am zooming along,

But all of a sudden something goes wrong.

The kangaroo disappears off the bush track,

Into the scrub and doesn’t hop back.

 

I skid to a halt – my heart is arrhythmic.

I cannot believe it – oh what a mean trick!

And as the dust settles, I stand all alone,

Except for a sign that says – “20ks home.”

  

 

 

 

A Casual Pick by Glen Ewing

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It all began with a casual pick

by the man sitting opposite me

on the train home last night

at first hardly noticeable

it grew to be a performance

involving both nostrils

which was quite a sight

 

Some efforts were hard fought

and were flicked triumphantly

to a growing mound on the floor

while others more sizeable

were rolled into balls and

thrown high up into the air

before being lovingly placed

in a brown bread sandwich

 

All this wasn’t appreciated

by the other passengers

who were mostly aghast

but then their noses

began to twitch as well

and some surreptitiously

had a bit of a pick

and soon the whole carriage

was furiously picking away

 

And then the man’s head

started to shrink right

before there very eyes

and it soon began to

resemble a withered prune

so they all stopped picking

and felt a little bit silly

and went back to fiddling

with their new digital devices

or gazing out the train window

 

Glen Ewing

Hibiscus In A Hurry by Celia Berrell

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The hasty Hibiscus has burst into flower.

A glamorous beauty that seems a bit rude.

Its bloom only lasts about twenty four hours

before it will wilt to a shrivelling prude.

 

Its pistil’s so long, like it’s poked out its tongue

to grab the attention of passers-by.

The tip has a group of five stigmas it’s hung

to catch any pollen before it will die.

 

Along the pink sides of its long pistil style

the anthers hold pollen that’s yellow and bright.

Like sparks flying off from a Catherine-wheel

or sparkler lit on a dusky night.

 

With silky-soft petals in reds, white or gold

they need to attract pollinators for hire.

Impatient, imposing.  They’re terribly bold.

Like flowery dragons all breathing fire.

 

A bit of an introduction from Jeanie

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Thought to do a bit of an introduction. That way you know a little about the person you are emailing.

My name is Jeanie Axton and I live in Mt Gambier in the South East of South Australia.

I am married to Nick and we have three grown up children, one grandson, 2 old dogs and one old cat. I was born in Mt Gambier then moved to Adelaide when I was 17 to do my teacher training at Underdale SACAE before taking on many contracts and then securing a permanent job with the SA Education Department at North Gambier Primary School. While on leave with our third child I had an opportunity to take up a position at St Martins Lutheran College in Mt Gambier. I was originally Middle Childhood trained but as St Martins evolved into a R-12 College I had opportunities to teach in the secondary school. Currently I teach part time covering Desktop Publishing and Web Creation in the senior years and Food and Nutrition, Technology and Media and Girls Christian Studies at Year 9 level.

I have been dabbling in poetry since I was young. Whenever I felt something was worth writing about I would jot it down and then with the transfer to digital technologies I would keep them in a folder. It is only in recent years I felt a desire to share and publish online.

I went online searching for sites and found the Australian Children’s Poetry site. Another site I contacted was dogslife asking if they would like a dog poem once a month. They agreed and I have been publishing online through them for a few years. Last months poem was about food socks

http://www.dogslife.com.au/dog-news/dogs-love-socks-poem-jeanie-axton

Another poem  I worked on for printing was through Sally Odger’s “The Toy Chest Anthology” submitting a poem about a scooter “ Scoot Scoot”.

I’ve written as well for Silver Birch Press via Facebook.

https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/lost-words-poem-by-jeanie-axton-lost-and-found-poetry-and-prose-series/

This was more of a serious poem but I thought I’d give it a go.

I love writing funny poems. A poem that really inspires me is Spike Milligan’s  “None today thankyou” from his 1981 book “Unspun socks from a chickens laundry”

http://airyairyquitecontrary.tumblr.com/post/85856611072/none-today-thank-you

 

Of course, as any writer would, one day I would love to either Publish or Self publish a book but I have a lot to learn first.

I’m thinking of doing an online writing course?

I feel quite humbled with the calibre of children’s poets who I’m now in contact with.

Any suggestions emailed to me are very appreciated.

In the meantime, please continue with your contributions. If you have a few other poems up your sleeve and you would like to have them on the site please send through and I’ll put them in my spare folder for the slower weeks.

Any suggestions on ideas for the blog please send through. One idea I have been sent is for poets to add in a few tips/notes for teachers with their poems or I could even add them in for you. Let me know what you think?

Have a good day everyone: keep writing

Thankyou

Jeanie

Here is a photo that was taken on the recent long weekend at Southbank in Melbourne

Sunshine by Lynette Oxley

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Bring on the sunshine,

Bring on the day.

We’re energetic

And we like to play!

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Play with The Deans.

The slippery dip’s scorching.

Next time we’ll wear jeans.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Climb up a tree.

Swing from the branches,

Jump down with Bree.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Race to the shops.

Buy fizzy drink

And pink paddle pops.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Drive down the road.

We’re in our cossies

In holiday mode.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Mum lets us out.

We’ve pulled up at Kurt’s.

He’s an excellent scout.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Sunbake with Kurt.

Slop on the sunscreen,

Or bodies will hurt.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Dive in the pool.

Float on a raft and

Swim to keep cool.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Mother returns –

She steers with two fingers,

The steering wheel burns.

 

Bring back the sunshine,

It’s fading away,

Time to go home now.

Remember this day!

 

By Lynette Oxley

 

Lying on the Beach by Monty Edwards

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One day I saw a bottle that was lying on the sand.

I asked: “Why are you lying?” Then I grabbed it with my hand.

The bottle made no answer and it gave a glassy stare:

It clearly felt it had a right to spend time lying there.

I saw a drip form on its lip and thought it was a tear,

Which seemed to say: “Just go away and leave me lying here.”

But I’d been taught that lying was a serious sort of sin,

So straight away, without delay, the liar went in the bin!

Monty Edwards

 

The Relay Race by Celia Berrell

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Emu runs the fastest

when there’s nothing in the way.

Kangaroo has legs like springs

that bounce along all day.

Lizard keeps on going

when the sun is very hot.

Wombat gets through obstacles

when all the rest cannot.

 

Koala checks their timing

as the birds all cheer them on.

Platypus just watches

(as his legs aren’t very long).

And so they’ve planned their strategies

with calculated pace.

And as a team, their hopes on high,

they’ll WIN the relay race!

 

THE OLD KOOKABURRA by Allan Cropper

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Apparently parrots, in parrot-like fashion,

repeat every word that you say,

but mocking birds shockingly mock with a passion,

a sarcastic mimic at play.

A lyre bird lies, and then tries to deny it,

hiding the truth from us all.

The crow lets us know he has nowhere to go,

by the long lazy tone of his call.

But the old kookaburra, such a cunning fella’,

don’t speak much, won’t sing us a song.

He just sees the humour in watching us humans,

and laughs at us all the day long.