Have you ever been to Muck?
Or to the island of Eigg?
Perhaps you’ve been to Rum?
No, I’m not pulling your leg!
Three islands lost in the mist,
Just off the West Scottish coast.
That’s where you can eat haggis
Or black pudding served on toast.
Houses dot the lonely coves
Where sea eagles swoop and call,
And when the gale comes howling
You’ll see nobody at all.
Muck and Eigg and Rum, oh aye,
Three little worlds of their own.
So hop onto the ferry,
And you too can call them home.
I have a pet canary,
I call him Yellow Jack.
He has white feathers on his wings
and yellow on his back.
I love my pet canary,
I feed him every day.
I put fresh seeds into his bowl;
he pecks them straight away.
My dearest pet canary,
I love to hear him sing.
He chirps and cheeps to me each day
and even more in spring.
My lovely pet canary,
I watch him day and night.
Today I watched him lay an egg.
Oops!
I think her name’s not right!
One sunny afternoon
on the footpath
near my home
a snail left a trail
of green and blue and black
which grabbed the attention
of both the art world and
the snail community
more and more snails
began to leave their
own winding trails of
every colour and hue
and soon there was
an abstract masterpiece
stretching all the way
from the hills to the city
which was front page news
all around the world
How will you travel, on foot or by train?
What if it’s cold, if it threatens to rain?
When are we likely to see you again?
Do you know when you’re going to be back?
I think that the tram and the bus would be good.
I’ll pack an umbrella and coat with a hood.
I’d give you a date if I thought that I could
but it might be a year down the track.
Won’t you be lonely with nowhere to stay?
When are you leaving, what time of the day?
Why are you planning on moving away?
Is everything really that bad?
I’m taking my toys. I’ll have plenty to do.
I’m banking on leaving the house around two.
And now that you ask, I’m escaping from you!
Your questions are driving me mad!
No is a magical word.
It has power.
No means I am in control.
I don’t have to be a people pleaser.
It’s good to say no.
But don’t overuse it.
Or you’ll end up all alone.
Use no wisely.
No is one of the first words you learn.
It’s mightier than two letters.
Don’t throw it around just anywhere.
No used at the right time gives you a happy heart.
Thank you to John Williams for this illustrated poem.
Prawns,
floating commas in
the tidal way of things,
eyes bulging the full stop
as the net drops.
We complain
sweet morsels are
a pain to peel,
much like meaning in
conversation over dinner.
Just don’t forget
to take the rubbish out.
Dead prawns like tide and time
wait only for
the exclamation mark.
Hi everyone, here’s a visual prompt for you this week. What thoughts and feelings arise in response to ‘texture’? I’m really looking forward to seeing what wonderful poems you come up with … it’s always exciting to check my in box and read the latest submissions. Remember, you’re writing for children. A big thank you to everyone who’s been submitting regularly. Your support for this site is much appreciated. Please keep your contributions coming in. Send poems to me at teenawriter@gmail.com as a Word or Text file attachment and add a few lines about your writing process.
Happy writing!
Teena
My mother’s voice was loud and clear:
No use pretending not to hear!
I knew the words that soon would come.
They always left me feeling glum.
“No, no, no!
I said you may not go.
Unless you clear up all your mess
You will not hear me answer ‘Yes’.
Now pick those clothes up off the floor
And put them in their proper drawer.
Then, all your toys must be away
And after that, yes, go and play.”
Mum’s tone of voice left me no choice,
But task once done, meant play and fun.
Monty says: “Despite some changes in parenting styles over the years, I suspect many children (and parents) would still be familiar with a rule of this kind and its benefits.”
There’s an elephant hiding in the fridge?
How can you be so sure?
There are footprints in the margarine
and eggshells on the floor.
How did an elephant manage
to get himself inserted?
It must have been a treat to see
the skill that he exerted.
Its elementary, my friend,
he slid inside with ease.
He clearly used the margarine
as lubricating grease.
Australian Children’s Poetry 