Tea and TV
‘Tea and TV’ –
that precious half hour,
the age old song,
its siren power.
Snuggled on the couch,
a snack plate to nibble,
a peep through the windows,
Teds Big and Little.
A spot of craft
and a lively tune,
a welcome diversion
in the long afternoon.
Tea and TV,
whatever the weather,
those faces were friends,
they held us together
Penny Szentkuti
Friendship 7*
‘10 seconds and counting…Godspeed, John Glenn’…
The candle is lit. Life on the line.
Locked inside, he can only wait.
An arrow aimed at heaven.
Hearts pounding. The clock ticks.
Millions watch live,
as engines roar,
‘Set us free!’
The crew:
one
hero.
…‘Lift-off!’
Copyright (Chris Owen 2019)
*On February 20th 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7. In the historic trip Glenn passed directly over Perth, WA. As a greeting to the astronaut, many of the city’s councils, businesses and inhabitants turned on extra lights. Some even created special beacons using white bedsheets and their Hills Hoist washing lines. Glenn famously acknowledged the brightness of the lights and asked that the people of Perth be thanked for their efforts.
Who Nose the Way?
Scientists find
a good sense of smell
goes hand-in-hand
with direction as well.
If spatial awareness
is one of your gifts,
it’s likely your nose has
superior sniff!
Discerning more scents
in the air we have crossed
may help with our sense
of NOT getting lost.
So “follow your nose”
as we like to say,
and “smell the roses”
along the way.
A SUMMER OTTAVA RIMA
The crash of waves is always in the air,
And caravans adorn the crowded shore.
People roast on towels without a care,
Or find new rocky outcrops to explore.
Crunchy crystal sand grows too hot to bear,
Yet we stay: it’s what all Aussies yearn for!
In summertime, this is our golden place;
Then winter comes and banishes all trace.
James Aitchison
THE OTTAVA RIMA is a very rhythmic form of Italian poetry, first written in the fourteenth century.
Lord Byron and William Butler Yeats also used the form.
The rules:
Have fun!
Mirror Image.
Looking in the mirror,
What do I see?
A very magnificent
Image of me!
Do others see me
Just like that,
Or do they see
A ginger cat?
I wish folk looked
Beyond the fur,
The very gentle
Kitty purr,
And see
The lionheart In me,
The part my human
Always sees!
Notes:
Beauty and bravery are much more than skin deep!
The poem encourages us not to be too quick to judge others, but to get to know them and appreciate the qualities that make them unique.
The people who love us are generally the ones who see our best qualities and try to help us develop them the more.
Activity:
Write a list of things that might not look particularly attractive but which have qualities we might really appreciate. Example – cocoa bean which is used to make chocolate.
Australian Children’s Poetry 