Last night we had a dinner guest.
The food was such a treat.
I know you’ll all be so impressed
with what we had to eat.
A light and fluffy cheese soufflé
then lobster thermidor
And for dessert, a crème brûlée,
the best I’ve had, for sure.
But now it’s back to snags and chops,
to carrots, rice and beans
to tasteless soups and other slops,
to normal food routines.
A dinner guest, it seems to me
is all you really need.
to skip an uninspiring tea
and get a decent feed.
Jeremy James Johnson was a very naughty boy.
Fatty fried junk foods were all that he’d enjoy.
Now Jeremy had a little dog, his name was Mut.
He sat under the table, his mouth never shut.
Mut liked cauliflour, carrots and celery stewed,
He ate every scrap because he just liked food.
Mut even ate cabbage and broccoli as well
Although why he liked them no one could tell.
So Jeremy was able to show a plate scraped clean,
And demand two helpings of chocolate ice cream.
He got away with this for month after month,
Jeremy got skinny and Mut strong and plump.
Jeremy looked at Mut who shared his day,
And saw how fast he ran around to play.
“Mut’s not tired and runs faster than me.
Why does he still have so much energy?”
His father with glee got to Jeremy at last.
“Mut eats all your vegies that’s why he’s fast.”
Jeremy James Johnson is now very very good.
He eats all his vegies as every child should.
And fatty fried foods make him feel very sick
Because Jeremy is now on a fitness kick.
Jeremy can now run very very fast
So his little dog Mut often ends up last.
In the Land that Never Was things were very strange because
People who were living there used to have quite messy hair
But this no longer is the case but still it is the weirdest place
The folk there act peculiarly for they stand on all they want to see
Stand on anything they need stand on books they want to read
Stand on people when they talk like they’re the ground on which they walk
Stand on mirrors to brush their hair stand not sit upon the chair
The reason why they stand is clear it’s so that things won’t disappear
The people remember very well the day the goblin cast his spell
Saying “what they saw would go away only that on which they stood would stay”
He was thinking of the land for this is what he hope and planned
That all the folk would walk around looking only at the ground
One day a clever person thought “In this spell a lesson’s taught
Anything I wish to see must be stood upon by me”
He found a friend – pushed him down and stood on him which made him frown
Then shouted so that all could hear “LOOK HE DOESN’T DISAPPEAR”
Quickly then he went around throwing people on the ground
To show them how there was a way to change what the goblin had to say
Soon everyone in every street heard how things placed under their feet
Remained – even if they were looked upon whether pen or paper dog or swan
So now in the Land that Never Was though things are still quite strange because
They stand on everything that’s there and at least they don’t have messy hair!
In the Land that Never Was something’s very strange because
Everyone who’s living there always has quite messy hair
In this land as you look around things disappear without a sound
So you must be careful where you look which makes it hard to read a book
A spell was put upon this place by a goblin mean with nasty face
Who people tried hard to avoid which made the goblin most annoyed
So angry did he get one day he said “I’ll make these people pay
Since they refuse to look at me I’ll take away all that they see”
“Gingel gangel gungel gel” went the nasty goblins spell
“to smell and taste and hears’s okay but where they look will go away”
“All except what they stand on this will always carry on
The ground will always remain there as one safe place for them to stare”
It didn’t take the people long to realise what was going on
They’d look in mirror to brush their hair and find themselves no longer there
And so with family and friends one look would surely mean their end
Thus they learnt to move around looking only at the ground
Mirrors had to be thrown out and people soon forgot about
The need to brush their hair each day for no one would see it anyway
The goblin clapped his hands with glee and said “Oh clever clever me”
Which made everybody look at him and that removed his nasty grin
Now the ugly goblin’s gone but his spell still lingers on
And the people still have their messy hair because there are no mirrors there
A rambling path
I chose to take,
until at last it led me to
a secret magic lake.
Trees formed walls
on every side,
and there a little bridge
I spied.
It crossed the moat
to a fortress green,
where adventures waited —
perhaps a submarine?
I closed my eyes
and made a wish
that my backyard
could look like this!
Teacher’s note: This lake is located in Red Cow Farm, Sutton Forest, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. The farm boasts a series of different garden “rooms”.
stretch out your toes,
as far as it goes!
let your long fingers
out, so each one lingers…
breathe from down low,
let the good air flow!
jump like the stars,
or leap over the bars!
lie down on the mat
and arch like a cat!
or extend a leg or arm,
and sway slow like a charm!
stretch every good muscle
slooow…among others’ hustle –
don’t forget to drink water,
and cooling down after!
to get fit needs routine
to get muscley and lean –
whether morn or afternoon,
please do come again soon!
Picture a pretty villa
built with Tuscan stone,
sitting in an olive grove
with lemons nearby grown.
The skies are puffed with cloud,
the wooded hills are steep,
and in the afternoon
the people love to sleep.
The province paints your dreams
with ancient hilltop towns,
whose battlements stood guard
for many noble crowns.
From far away resounding,
a church bell chimes the hour,
its drowsy notes a-floating
from a lonely tower.
Teacher’s note: This villa is located in the village of Montanare, close by the enchanting hilltop city of Cortona. Florence (in Italian, Firenze) is the capital of Tuscany, whose other famous cities include Siena and Pisa.
The rain is dancing down the street,
across the park and up the lane.
It’s teeming where I stand to meet
the clickety-clackety morning train.
The rain is hammering on the rooves
and causing such a fuss.
It’s drenching where I stand to meet
the braking quaking bus.
The rain is splashing on the ground
creating puddles deep.
To get to where I need to be
I’ve got to hop and leap.
The rain is filling all the creeks.
The gutters run with foam.
It’s wet day lunch at school today,
I think I’ll just stay home.
Getting sick of summer?
I found just the spot
to cool off really fast
when you’re feeling hot.
The water’s like a mirror,
instead of sand there’s snow;
but how deep is the lake?
You don’t want to know!
Teacher’s note: This lake is one of twenty favourite tourist spots located in Germany’s Black Forest, where hiking and swimming are popular. One lake is 40 metres deep.
I could have gone for a morning walk
but I just stayed in my bed.
I might have seen the sunrise
but I dreamed a dream instead.
I could have run a marathon
but I’m a bit slow on my feet.
I might have won a medal
if there weren’t so many to beat.
I could have painted a masterpiece
if I had the motivation
I could’ve been known far and wide
but I lacked the application.
I might have been a master chef
as I’m one who’s out to dine.
I could have prepared a delicious meal
but I just ran out of time.
I could have done a lot of things
but I have a plan instead.
I’ll just sit here with my cup of tea
and perform them in my head.
Australian Children’s Poetry 