Category Archives: Australian children’s poetry

Galloping Grey by Linda Davidson

Leave a comment

What’s your hot tip? Its Melbourne Cup day today.
The race that stops the nation is about to get underway.

The jockeys are ready with their colours on display.
But it’s the horses, who are the stars of the day.
With chestnuts so shiny and blacks with a blaze;
Bays with white socks and large dapple greys.
Thoroughbreds prancing and biting at the bit;
Waiting at the barriers looking mighty and super-fit.

Suddenly the crowd becomes quiet.
The barriers open and horses jump out.
The fans in the stands are now screaming
And each one is secretly dreaming
That their horse will be the winner
So they can boast at tonight’s dinner.

There’s three thousand, two hundred metres to go.
Which horse will speed up and put on a show.
They’re bunched tight ‘round the track
So there’s no looking back.
Hooves sounding like thunder
As we all gaze in wonder.
Which horse will take the lead
And become today’s famous steed.

They’re on the home stretch and some horses are tiring.
Nostrils are flaring and tails wildly flying.
But look at number twenty-two
He’s found a gap and galloped through.
The jockey riding knows what to do.
He leans forward letting the gelding have his head.
As he crosses the line, one whole length ahead.

The crowd is roaring
and emotions are soaring.
But the star of the day is the large dapple grey.
He knows he’s done well and was happy to play.
Now all sweaty, he lets out a snort and a neigh
And looks forward to pats and some extra hay.

Photo from Pexels by Tom Fisk

The Raman Effect by Celia Berrell

Leave a comment

(Chandrasekhara Venkarta Raman was born 7 th November 1888)

Chandrasekhara
Raman’s a knight
and Nobel prize-winner
for physics in light.
A new radiation
he came to detect.
A scatter of rays
named “The Raman Effect”.

This change in light’s wavelength
when passing-on through
a gas or some substance
in spectroscope view,
reveals the ID
of its chemistry zoo.
A tool to make
scientist’s dreams come true!

Doing no damage
discerning gem quality;
checking a pill for
content and purity.
Uses: amazingly
varied and rife.
Such as scanning remotely
for Mars signs of life.

For Teachers: The Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 was awarded to Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman “for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him” https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1930/

Photo from Pexels by Barcelos_fotos

Helpful and Kind by Andrew Plant

Leave a comment

I’m packing up my sandpit

Not because I am to old 

I’m packing up my sandpit

Because I heard it told 

That the sand in all the world

Is less than it used to be

Once a hundred squillion grains

Now there’s only 93

So I’ve stomped on all the castles

That I built yesterday

Then romped on all the ruins

Such funtastic games to play

I picked up toys and tools

And put them in my cubby house

Which frightened a few spiders 

And scared little a mouse 

Now I’m scooping up the sand 

Into buckets bags and boxes

And I’m getting quite a lot

In my shoes and in my sockses 

There’s much more that I thought 

Yes there’s lots and lots  and lots

So I’m going to the kitchen

To get some cups and pans and pots

I heard that I can take it  

To a market that is black

And people pick it up

From somewhere out the back

I hope that they will take it

To a beach not far away

So that I may still enjoy it

Should we go there to play 

I’m sure I’ll miss my sandpit

But I’m trying not to mind

I hope it will be helpful

It’s not that easy to be kind

But I think it is the right thing

For everyone and me

If it means we’ll still have beaches

Beyond 2053

Teacher’s note: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is-running-out-of-sand?

Photo from Pexels by Elviss Railijs Bitāns

Waiting in the Queue by Jan Darling

Leave a comment

‘Oh please let me in’ said the bear who was grizzly
‘I’m doing a show, I don’t want it frizzly.’
He tugged at his hair, that fussy old bear
‘I’ve just had it dyed, it used to be fair’.
Those waiting in line just smiled at each other
Ev’ryone happy to help their brother.

A worm who was third from the start of the queue
Was shivering hard and fast turning blue
‘What’s wrong with this bus? It’s broken down?
Will anyone ever get into the town?’
The town was twinkling and bright with its light
Some in the queue were starting to fight.

A big bird with a bandage around one wing
Started to dance the highland fling
A pelican said to a stork ‘Outrageous!
I do hope this madness is not contagious.’
The stork looked at him squarely and quietly said
‘I wish I were home and tucked into my bed’.

Three canaries were singing (they’d been to a dance)
The song they were singing was written in France
They yodelled and trilled all over the scales
They even tried singing the song of the whales.
They ordered some orange and cherry ice cream
Enough to feed a whole basketball team.

The ice cream arrived and the queue they went crazy
Except for the piglets – they’re terribly lazy,
They wanted some oak nuts, acorns they’re called,
They said they grew hair and no-one was bald.
Maybe it’s true that nuts cover the scalp
But nobody there needed that kind of help.

The crowd suddenly hushed and fell into silence
Somewhere behind was an outbreak of violence
A basketball team had arrived with some melons
Those in the crowd believed they were felons
(people who steal from others their treasures)
Getting caught redhanded was one of their pleasures!

The whole scene looked stupid to Harry the Horse
Who was trying to study the subject of Morse
He tapped then he paused and waited for action
His hoof immune from outer distraction
He tapped dah dah dit, dit dah, dah and dit*
(If it worked he would make a quick dash for it.)

Did you hear about Harry’s ultimate fate?
His message was read – it opened the gate!
Harry leapt forth and came in number nine
And met a young filly he thought was divine;
When Harry proposed she promised to tryst
‘Cos Harry had asked with a flick of his wrist.

Well, you might think that this is all rot,
That all horses can do is gallop and trot,
But Harry believed he could dominate fate
By placing his faith in the power to create.
The message he’d sent by dah and by dit
Had stretched his talent and used all of his wit.

Dah dah dit, tapped in Morse will give you a ‘g’
Dit dah gives you ‘a’, dah and dit ‘t’ and ‘e’
So Harry the Horse repeated his offer,
Confirmed he was humble and empty his coffer;
And Tilly the Filly was thrilled with his Morse
And she happily neighed ‘Oh Harry, of course’.

Sorry I am, about this diversion
I have an aversion to total immersion
The queue got itself rattled
They all tittle-tattled
The bus arrived late and was slow to unload
But who jumped out first? Of course – the toad.

*In Morse code this spells GATE

Photo from Pexels by Pavlos Lee

An Old English Tale by Kerry Gittins

Leave a comment

Have you seen a twirlblast so mickle in its size,

or pulled back straggly elflocks from getting in your eyes?

I wonder if you’ve chorked inside the house when rain has eased,

or been a slugabed all day just doing as you pleased?

Have you grubbled frantically and found the thing you lost,

or wolde for something day and night no matter what it cost?

Have you met a snollygloster? Don’t believe a word,

or heard a tarradiddle that you knew was just absurd? 

Have you been jargogled by the things that I have said?

Then better use more modern words to tell your tale instead!

Photo from Pexels by Pixabay

Minuscule Madness by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

I’ve been collecting tiny things,

like frozen fleas and freckles,

and a book a centimetre long

written by a man named Eccles.

In a jar I have a nano newt,

and a full stop in another,

and a dingbat’s DNA

I’m saving for my brother.

Tiny footprints made by mice,

fingerprints of butterflies,

a spare hair from a busy hare,

and seeds I found in apple pies.

The only question really is,

what will I do with all this stuff?

I’ve got so many tiny things,

my room’s not big enough!

Photo from Pexels by srini

Scots Speak by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

If a day dawns wet and bleak,

the Scots would call it dreich.

If blue sky and sun they saw,

then they’d say it’s braw.

Someone sly is sleekit,

if foolish they are glaikit.

When you shoogle, you shake,

if you mak, you make.

Muckle is big,

howk means to dig.

When you keenie, you cry,

when you skelp, you rush by!

If you’re taking a peek,

you’re taking a keek.

When you’re cranky, you’re crabbit,

a wee beastie’s a rabbit.

Weesht means be quiet,

guid nicht is good night.

Your bahookie’s your bottom,

And yes, all Scots have got ’em.

Teacher’s note: “Dreich” has been voted by Scots as their favourite, most iconic Scots word.

Photo from Pexels by Pixabay

Halloween by Graham Seal

Leave a comment

Trick or treat!

Trick or treat!

Lots of ghouls along the street.

Some are vampires,

some are ghosts,

whatever monster scares the most!

They want lollies,

they’re really creepy,

until the little spooks get sleepy.

Then home to bed they disappear –

that’s Halloween until next year.

Graham Seal

Photo from Pexels by Daisy Anderson

Sweet and Scary by P.J. Rodriguez

Leave a comment

The end of October.
Day 30 plus one.
Chock-full of mystery.
Sweet, scary fun.

Hair-raising dress-ups
for haunting the streets.
Pumpkins with candles
and tricks paired with treats.

Parties and games.
Time with family and friends.
What’s it about?
Well, that sort of depends.

For some,
it’s a time to remember the dead –
with love in our hearts,
not with sadness or dread.

For others,
a chance to scare darkness away.
A Spirits, Ghosts, Ghoulies – Shove Off!
type of day.

Way in the past,
it meant bonfires and feasts,
and wearing disguises
to fool wicked beasts.

Now that’s all changed.
It’s an eve of delight.
It brings us together.
One weird, wondrous night.

Image from Pexels by Matheus Bertelli

All The Things by Liz Bennett

Leave a comment

When we’re asked what jobs we want
my friends and I like thinking big,
by imagining a future
doing ALL the things we dig.

I might be a figure skater,
and invent the flying car,
start a business selling cupcakes,
then become a football star!

Tess could be a brilliant doctor
(maybe operate on brains),
play the keyboard in a band, and
spend the weekend flying planes!

Jingyi wants to dig for fossils,
run a kitten shelter too,
show his skills at table tennis
and then join a hip-hop crew!

A detective scuba diver,
or an astronaut who sings….
what do you think YOU’D be doing
if you could do all the things?

Image from Pexels by Collin Guernsey