Category Archives: Poem of the Day

“A Clean Green Christmas” by Celia Berrell

Leave a comment

“Twas the night before Christmas.

No cards have been sent.

No presents are wrapped,

there’s no tree to augment.

No air tickets purchased

to family events.

If we choose to “go green”

well that’s what is meant.

 

Instead, give to charity,

make our own jam

to give to the family

rather than ham.

Avoid plastic tinsel.

As home decorator

only use hand-made

from wool, wood or paper.

 

The night before Christmas

we chose to go green

and help to keep Earth’s

environment clean.

 

inspired by the New Scientist’s article on how to HAVE A GREEN CHRISTMAS

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24032061-100-green-christmas-how-to-have-an-ethical-and-guilt-free-festive-season/

“1942” by Katherine Gallagher

Leave a comment

1942

They’d hoped he’d be back for Christmas –

the lights shining down on him, the tree

somehow shielding off the horror. A break.

The family hadn’t seen him as a soldier,

in his uniform, among harvested paddocks,

the dried stubble that pricked your legs.

 

Arriving home, he said Merry Christmas,

hugged people and slapped them on the back.

Wandered about the place, eyes crinkled

with strain, lines dug

into his forehead. So young, he seemed

to be either laughing or very sad

as though, in between,

there was nothing.

(From Tigers on the Silk Road, Arc Publications, 2000)

“Rain deer” by Walter de Jong

Leave a comment

Rain dear

In Australia, when it’s Christmas hot,

A farmer’s keen for a little drop

of rain from heaven, upon his roof,

of Santa’s gifts, he looks for proof

Then drumming starts above; he hears

his wife call out “It’s rain dear!”

Walter de Jong

”Kookaburra” by Stephanie Boase

Leave a comment

Kookaburra sits

On a clothes line tall,

Carefully surveying

The urban sprawl.

 

Spying a movement

In the grass,

He swoops down swiftly.

Dinner at last!

 

Won’t you laugh kookaburra,

Laugh for me?

Your life is so much harder

Than it used to be.

 

 

“NOT IN GOOD SHAPE FOR CHRISTMAS” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree sliding

far t o o fast

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree watch me

s a i l i n g past

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree through the

lights I’ll z o o m

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree TINKLE

SMASH AND BOOM

oh

no

what a

mess

 

   James Aitchison

”My Mother’s Horse Shoe Ring” by Katherine Gallagher

Leave a comment

My Mother’s Horse-shoe Ring

  (after Grace Nichols)

Sometimes when I see it

on my index finger 

I am reassured,

 

rub its ruby stone, her gift.

I need this small reminder

of her, its lucky charm

 

that catches me

like an itinerant fire

chipped from the sun.

 

©Katherine Gallagher

Published in Acres of Light  Arc Publications, 2016)

“Four Legs” by Penny Szentkuti

Leave a comment

Four Legs

 

Four legs and a tail 

it could be a dog.

Four legs and a croak?

That’s a frog!

Four legs and a hump –

it must be a camel.

Four legs and fur?

It’s some kind of mammal.

 

But four legs and a mane –

long legs for trotting,

strong galloping legs,

and a tail for fly swatting?

That’s easy now,

I know it of course!

That four legged friend

is a horse.

Penny Szentkuti

 

“Six Geese A Laying” By Kylie Covark

Leave a comment

Six Geese A Laying

 

Have you ever come across a goose who’s laid a nest of eggs?

I’ll tell you now you’d better hope you brought your running legs.

That goose will make a honking sound as loud as she can blast,

Then chase you far away from them; so furious and fast.

So it was hard to work out what my new true love was saying,

When he handed me a box containing six grey geese a laying.

It’s not a bit romantic, or thoughtful, sweet or fun,

To give someone a Christmas gift and then to scream out,

“Run!”

“Happy New Year MU69” by Celia Berrell with notes

Leave a comment

 

Notes

On the eighth day of Christmas (1st January), New Horizons (the space probe that took photos of dwarf planet Pluto back in July 2015) will be 6.6 billion kilometres from Earth, travelling at 14 kilometres per second, flying past a rock about 37 kilometres wide called 2014 MU69 (nick-named Ultima Thule) in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt.  If it doesn’t bump into anything on the way, we will receive images from its cameras just over six hours after they are taken.  This is an incredible technological adventure with cosmologically amazing consequences.  What an exciting way to start the New Year!

 

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2018/nh-ut-100days.html

 

“Sun Burned” by Julie Cahill

Leave a comment

Sun Burned

 

Sun and surf, holidays and laughter 

unless the sunscreen is slapped on after 

the sun bites in and blisters appear

our hat blow off and lobsters adhere

our tents lay flat and our drinks slide away

sand-witches zap our bread into hay

buckets grow holes and spades lose their handles 

and wouldn’t you know it, we break our sandals

our towels turn all crunchy, the barbie explodes

the tide washes out and the shore erodes

the sand grows so hot that we scurry like mice 

wishing we’d taken the experts’ advice

‘Global warming,’ they had warned us ahead 

so we tread more carefully and change the thread 

care for our planet; reap new choices we’ve made

wearing sunscreen and hats; we play in the shade

holidays arrive . . . we all survive

‘Cheers!’ A toast with cool lemonade

 

Julie Cahill