Category Archives: Australian children’s poetry

I Could Have . . . by Pauline Cleary

Leave a comment

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.

My Excuse (for not keeping my 2024 New Year resolution) by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

I made a resolution

to keep the whole year through.

I wrote it down but lost it,

now I don’t know what to do.

I’ve searched but cannot find it,

no matter how I strive.

Oh well, I’ll make another one

in twenty-twenty-five.

The Haircut by Warren Cox

Leave a comment

The barber said “A dollar a cut,
that’s all you have to pay.
And everyone you pass will smile
so sweetly and they’ll say,

Oh Mrs Brown what a beautiful boy,
he looks just like his dad.
Could you have guessed that you’d be blessed
with this happy and handsome lad?”

Then Mrs Brown with a frightening frown
on the barber did wildly whirl.
“Open your eyes you silly man,
he’s a girl. Can’t you see? He’s a girl!”

Krakow Under Snow by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

It’s wintertime in Krakow

and by the castle wall,

the snow is fresh and deep

from this morning’s fall.

The city seems in silence,

the trees are black and bare,

and I can hear my heartbeats

in the frozen air.

Teacher’s note: Krakow is the second largest city in Poland.  Its existence can be traced back to the Stone Age.  The Old City and Wawel Castle are heritage sites. Krakow boasts one of the world’s oldest universities, and of course it is famous for Oskar Schindler’s factory which is now a museum.

Krispy by Jeanie Axton

Leave a comment

Krispy’s now a famous bear

who could not believe his luck

right there in town late one night

an open door on a donut  truck.

Well, he licked his lips and in he went

chocolate, cinnamon and sprinkles galore.

Krispy just couldn’t get enough

two in each of his furry paws.

However, he was caught red handed

told to leave the truck quick smart

but not before the film crew arrived

Krispy played the perfect part.

He smiled right into the camera

showing of his sugary grin

then waddled back to the woods

to boast of his big win.

Alas, the other bears

hearing the truck was securely locked

grumbled and grunted loudly

“ Why did you not bring us a box!”

This poem was based on a CBS news article from Alaska https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/bears-caught-camera-raiding-krispy-kreme-doughnut-van-alaska/

Seagull Saga by Monty Edwards

Leave a comment

While I was walking by the sea
A seagull chose to follow me,
But soon one gull turned into two,
Then three, then four, began a queue!

When five or six swelled to a crowd
Their conversation grew quite loud.
This made it clear I’d have no peace
Without some way to make them cease.

I clapped my hands and stamped my feet,
I waved my cap, but faced defeat:
A few wings fluttered, webbed feet shuffled,
But squarks continued, quite unmuffled.

Seagull numbers kept on mounting!
It was then I started shouting:
“Please, I yelled, “Please go away!”
Not one gull did. They chose to stay.

Quite suddenly I had a hunch
That what they wanted was my lunch!
Can a seagull lick its lips?
Yes, it will, for fish and chips!

So off I ran to grassy ground,
There with seagulls all around,
I unwrapped lunch and chose to share:
Whoosh! Gulls arrived from everywhere!!

Pigeon by Michael Buckingham Gray

Leave a comment

after lunch

in the lull of mid-afternoon

you start cooing…

and

lure me

from the sunlight

into the shadows

into the shadows

of sleep

Sea Gazing by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

I wonder what’s out in the ocean,

hiding under the sea?

A coral reef or a pirate ship,

with a chest full of treasure for me? 

I wonder what’s out in the ocean,

hiding under the waves?

A great big whale or a dolphin,

or an octopus in a cave?

I don’t know what’s out in the ocean,

it’s too far away to reach.

So I’ll just close my eyes and dream

here on the soft sandy beach.

The Evolution of the Resolution by Jacinta Lou

Leave a comment

It’s a new year and I’m supposed to make a resolution.
A promise to myself to do better –
to continue my evolution.
Eat less sugar.
Do my homework on time.
Less screen time –
no I don’t think I’ll promise that.
But then I heard people say, new year’s resolutions only last a few weeks.
A month at best!
So I’m going to start a revolution and do away with new year’s resolutions.
Unless it’s eating more chocolate.
And more screen time.
And maybe more books.
Happy New Year!

At The Dinosaurs’ New Year Parade by Katherine Gallagher

Leave a comment

Dandy dinosaurs dancing

Dreamy dinosaurs drinking

Dexterous dinosaurs dinking

Dainty dinosaurs dazzling

Devilish dinosaurs diving

Dozy dinosaurs dallying

Delicate dinosaurs dawdling

Dimpled dinosaurs drooping

Image courtesy of Vector Stock