Category Archives: Poem of the Day

A Leisurely Bike Ride

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A Leisurely Bike Ride.

A leisurely bike ride along the bush track,

Nothing too strenuous – 2ks then back.

Nothing competitive; dawdling along,

Enjoying the scenery and humming a song.

 

A leisurely bike ride – me on my own,

No need to hurry, 2ks then home.

4ks in total, pedalling with ease,

One cloud of pollen watch out I may sneeze.

 

The bell birds say “tink” as I ride through their patch.

Then past an echidna having a scratch.

Butterflies easily keep up the pace.

Dragonflies hover; their wings look like lace.

 

The ride is delightful – it’s time to turn back,

But just wait a minute – what’s that on the track?

A kangaroo lazily hopping ahead.

Is it a grey or is it a red? I’ll just go and see…

 

Faster and faster I quadruple my cadence

Just scraping through a gap in a farm fence.

The kangaroo is bounding in front at great speed,

But I am the one who will soon take the lead.

 

I crank up the gears and decrease my resistance.

By crouching down low, in less time more distance.

With speed and endurance I’ve almost succeeded,

In passing a grey kangaroo unpreceded.

 

The tail wind is strong; I am zooming along,

But all of a sudden something goes wrong.

The kangaroo disappears off the bush track,

Into the scrub and doesn’t hop back.

 

I skid to a halt – my heart is arrhythmic.

I cannot believe it – oh what a mean trick!

And as the dust settles, I stand all alone,

Except for a sign that says – “20ks home.”

 

Louise McCarthy

 

I was just thinking of the competitive nature of sport weather it is with others or one’s self.

I love bike riding on the local rail trail. This is an exaggerated version of what happened on one of my late afternoon rides – which was supposed to be leisurely!

 

 

 

 

A Casual Pick

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A CASUAL PICK

 

It all began with a casual pick

by the man sitting opposite me

on the train home last night

at first hardly noticeable

it grew to be a performance

involving both nostrils

which was quite a sight

 

Some efforts were hard fought

and were flicked triumphantly

to a growing mound on the floor

while others more sizeable

were rolled into balls and

thrown high up into the air

before being lovingly placed

in a brown bread sandwich

 

All this wasn’t appreciated

by the other passengers

who were mostly aghast

but then their noses

began to twitch as well

and some surreptitiously

had a bit of a pick

and soon the whole carriage

was furiously picking away

 

And then the man’s head

started to shrink right

before there very eyes

and it soon began to

resemble a withered prune

so they all stopped picking

and felt a little bit silly

and went back to fiddling

with their new digital devices

or gazing out the train window

 

Glen Ewing

Hibiscus In A Hurry

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Hibiscus In A Hurry

 

 

The hasty Hibiscus has burst into flower.

A glamorous beauty that seems a bit rude.

Its bloom only lasts about twenty four hours

before it will wilt to a shrivelling prude.

 

Its pistil’s so long, like it’s poked out its tongue

to grab the attention of passers-by.

The tip has a group of five stigmas it’s hung

to catch any pollen before it will die.

 

Along the pink sides of its long pistil style

the anthers hold pollen that’s yellow and bright.

Like sparks flying off from a Catherine-wheel

or sparkler lit on a dusky night.

 

With silky-soft petals in reds, white or gold

they need to attract pollinators for hire.

Impatient, imposing.  They’re terribly bold.

Like flowery dragons all breathing fire.

 

by Celia Berrell

(a fancy-dress pollen party)

 

Near my home, a snowdrift of bright yellow petals rain from boughs cascading gold onto the roadside. Hibiscus flowers poke out their tongues as I walk by.  And native bees pollinate dainty flowers in what must be called “a humming-bee tree”. This is Cairns – tropical suburbia in spring!

Poetry Prompt #39 “Spring has Sprung”

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This weeks prompt is “Spring has Sprung”

Please email your contributions to: poemoftheday.jaxton@gmail.com

This weeks quote to ponder on:

“The true poem rests between the words”

Vanna Bonta (An Italian-American writer, actress and inventor)

Sunshine

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Sunshine

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Bring on the day.

We’re energetic

And we like to play!

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Play with The Deans.

The slippery dip’s scorching.

Next time we’ll wear jeans.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Climb up a tree.

Swing from the branches,

Jump down with Bree.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Race to the shops.

Buy fizzy drink

And pink paddle pops.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Drive down the road.

We’re in our cossies

In holiday mode.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Mum lets us out.

We’ve pulled up at Kurt’s.

He’s an excellent scout.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Sunbake with Kurt.

Slop on the sunscreen,

Or bodies will hurt.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Dive in the pool.

Float on a raft and

Swim to keep cool.

 

Bring on the sunshine,

Mother returns –

She steers with two fingers,

The steering wheel burns.

 

Bring back the sunshine,

It’s fading away,

Time to go home now.

Remember this day!

 

By Lynette Oxley

 

In response to Poetry Prompt#15

Full Moon

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A Spring Thing

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Lying on the Beach

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Lying on the Beach

One day I saw a bottle that was lying on the sand.

I asked: “Why are you lying?” Then I grabbed it with my hand.

The bottle made no answer and it gave a glassy stare:

It clearly felt it had a right to spend time lying there.

I saw a drip form on its lip and thought it was a tear,

Which seemed to say: “Just go away and leave me lying here.”

But I’d been taught that lying was a serious sort of sin,

So straight away, without delay, the liar went in the bin!

Monty Edwards

 

The Relay Race

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The Relay Race

 

Emu runs the fastest

when there’s nothing in the way.

Kangaroo has legs like springs

that bounce along all day.

Lizard keeps on going

when the sun is very hot.

Wombat gets through obstacles

when all the rest cannot.

 

Koala checks their timing

as the birds all cheer them on.

Platypus just watches

(as his legs aren’t very long).

And so they’ve planned their strategies

with calculated pace.

And as a team, their hopes on high,

they’ll WIN the relay race!

 

by Celia Berrell

 

An ideal sports-team will play to each member’s strengths and support each other’s weaknesses.  We all have different talents and vulnerabilities.  A caring team accommodates both.  I like writing poems, and my friend Sharon Davson loves painting.  Her art work is titled “Bush Relay”.  Together I reckon we make a good team!

THE OLD KOOKABURRA

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Apparently parrots, in parrot-like fashion,

repeat every word that you say,

but mocking birds shockingly mock with a passion,

a sarcastic mimic at play.

A lyre bird lies, and then tries to deny it,

hiding the truth from us all.

The crow lets us know he has nowhere to go,

by the long lazy tone of his call.

But the old kookaburra, such a cunning fella’,

don’t speak much, won’t sing us a song.

He just sees the humour in watching us humans,

and laughs at us all the day long.

© Allan Cropper