TWO THOUGHTS FOR PAULINA AND WILL

1

The seamstress sea edges the beach

with a trim of lace,

then quickly takes it back again

to sew white ruffles on the breaking waves.

2

There can be no finer meal than this —

fish-and-chips on a sunlit beach

with you–

and just a pinch of sand.

© Anne Bell

Uncle Quimby’s Quandock

Uncle Quimby had a quandock – a champion of its breed;

he fed it tripe and honey; exercised it on a lead.

But quandocks can be vicious pets, as everybody knows,

and Uncle’s crimson quandock liked to chew on human toes!

It all became too much for him.  So, hobbling into town,

he swapped it for a snoogle — vegetarian and brown.

Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti

(First published in The School Magazine – Countdown, June 2007 [Vol. 92 No. 5] Acknowledgement requested if published elsewhere)

The Best Dog in the Universe

Found in a quarry

Of origins unknown,

Turbo is his name – he is

TURB-tastic, TURB-acious, TURB-iffic!

A tail-chasing tornado,

An explorer of backyards, own and other,

A maker of many friends – he is

TURB-tastic, TURB-acious, TURB-iffic!
A lover of sticks and twigs in fact

Branches of any kind, hurled or lobbed,

An Olympic canine paddler – he is

TURB-tastic, TURB-acious, TURB-iffic!

Stretched out on the terrace watching the stars

He protects, a snake-alert cat alarm,

Waiting for snacks, for pats and to play – he is

TURB-tastic, TURB-acious, TURB-iffic!

© Louise Molloy

A Crackerjack Party

Near Trickle Falls where gums grow tall

And lacy tree ferns grow

A cheerful chap, Wally Wombat

Met Crackerjack the crow.

‘Come in. Come in’ he beckoned his friend

‘Please won’t you stay for  tea’

Crackerjack just  tipped his cap

And accepted graciously.

There they sat, they had a chat

And sipped their billy brew

And as the sun was going down

The evening shadows grew,

The crow he sighed I’m not yet tired

Let’s throw a fancy ball

With silverware and fancy fare

And fancy dress and all

‘A splendid thought, I think we ought”

Said Wally in a flash

‘My costume’s grand, best in the land

I’m sure to make a splash’

They chose a place, they cleared some space

The animals soon arrived

In costumes they’d had ready made

Or simply had contrived

The bilby was a bumble bee

The possum was Tarzan

A numbat was  a birthday cake

Wrapped in marzipan

The blue tongue skink was draped in pink

Red kangaroo in blue

Exactly what the dingo was

No one really knew

Crackerjack, with coat and hat

Was dressed as  the Mad Hatter

The wombat offered fairy bread

Served on a silver platter

Wally stood out, walking about

In the costume that he wore

With a toothy grin and tiny limbs

A T-rex dinosaur

The big bush band took to the stand

And rocked out loud and strong

The bowerbirds knew ever word

And they just sang along

It was an awesome do, the animals knew

And some were heard to say

Without a doubt the best night out

Since the Bush Week Jamboree

They sang and danced and laughed and pranced

Until the night was through

And in the morn they all went home

Through mist and morning dew

‘Well that was fun, now that it’s done’

Wally whispered to his friend

Let’s invite them back, dear Crackerjack

And we’ll do it all again’

© Allan Cropper

January 2015

The Great Sock Hunter

Some cats like catnip,

some like toys with bells,

but I like socks

and their funny smells.

I catch socks from the laundry,

or from under the bed,

from the neighbour’s sock drawer,

or from the line instead.

I stalk, then pounce –

the shocked sock has a fright

and doesn’t put up

much of a fight.

I carry my prize

back to my lair,

behind the curtain,

there’s a mountain back there.

Then I hear my mistress,
“Have you seen my socks, John?

That’s the fifth pair this week.

Where have they all gone?”

“I don’t know dear.

Socks can’t just disappear.

We’ll have a good look,

they must be ‘round here.”

But I’ve outsmarted them all,

I think you’ll agree,

for I am the Great Sock Hunter.

No sock is safe from me!

© Vanessa Proctor

Mighty Marron

In the fresh cool water

of the swimming hole

lived a mighty marron

‘bout ten years old

He’d seen it all

this wily thing

round netted traps

bacon dangled on string

“Come on little yabby”

he’d hear them call

“Come taste this bait-

it’s nice and raw!”

But this smart crayfish

knew better than that

he’d sniff a trick

in two seconds flat

He’d lay down low

on flat dark rocks

waiting sleepily

tick-tock, tick-tock

He’d heard the tales

of cooking pots

of melted butter

and eschalots

Of bisque, étouffée

a sauce from roux

of crawfish boils

all this he knew

So careful he’d be

when things came close

to tempt him out

for lobster roast

‘til one cloudy day

at that swimming hole

when someone sat down

and dangled their toe

It looked so strange

that rounded thing

so pink and plump

no sign of a string

So up he crept

that tricksy marron

with one great claw

he pinched right down on

“Yeow!” it cried

“Something’s bitten my toe!

“There’s a creature in there!

Quick catch it!” So…

That crafty marron

he let go fast

of that plump round toe

that clever cast

Another trap!

this one was new

but there was just no way

he’d be yabby stew!

© Kristina Hoy

Melbourne GP and poet wins “Book of the Year” at Tamworth with book for children

A Melbourne GP and poet, Stephen Whiteside, has won a Golden Gumleaf for “Book of the Year” at the Australian Bush Laureate Awards.

The announcement was made at a special awards ceremony at the Tamworth Town Hall last night. The ceremony takes place during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

The book, The Billy That Died With Its Boots On and Other Australian Verse, was published by Walker Books Australia in May 2014. It contains 65 poems over 150 pages, and is targeted at children aged 9+. The poems are all in rhyming verse, in the style of ‘Banjo’ Paterson and C. J. Dennis. There are also a number of elegant paper cut out illustrations by first time book illustrator Lauren Merrick.

Whiteside said today he was thrilled to have won the award. “It is particularly pleasing, because the Bush Laureates’ “Book of the Year” is not specifically an award for children’s books. To win against books written for adults is especially gratifying.”

The Billy That Died With Its Boots On had a long gestation. Whiteside commenced writing it in 1990, twenty-five years ago.

It contains the poem “The Sash”, which won a Golden Gumleaf for “Children’s Poem of the Year” in 2013, and tells the true story of how a young Ned Kelly was awarded a bright green sash after saving a younger boy from drowning in a flooded creek.

Further information can be found here:

http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Books/The-Billy-That-Died-With-Its-Boots-On-9781922077431

Tree-School

I spend all of the school day

Just waiting for the bell

But still there’s no time for me –

I’ve got homework as well!

I’d rather be out climbing

Or riding on my bike

I’d like to tell the teacher

To go and take a hike:

She could use the exercise

Without a shadow of a doubt,

Sitting at a desk all day

Has made her kind of stout.

If she moved about a bit

She’d have a healthy heart,

Fresh air and some exercise

Would make her very smart.-

I’m sure she’d come to realize

How good outdoors can be

Perhaps then we’d have lessons

Sitting in a tree.

© Debra Tidball

Gecko

I see you

frozen

on my bedroom wall,

doing your best

to pretend

you’re not there at all.

It’s okay;

you can stay.

Sally Murphy