Do children’s calls
and laughs get past
this giant plate
of strengthened glass?
Do fish hear words
or muffled hums
inside this
grand aquarium?
Aquarium Query by Celia Berrell
Inspired by March Picture Prompt
AQUARIUM by Kaushani Mufti
Dynamic birds in black and white
with flapping wings zoom by.
Darting, diving, chasing prey …
can penguins really fly?
Their thin small wings are more like fins.
Their bodies, large and plump
have webby toes and stubby legs.
Poor penguins barely jump!
Their sturdy bones can help them dive.
Their plumpness keeps them warm.
Eight hundred times as dense as air
the seas are where they roam.
Penguins can’t fly in the sky
but fly in oceans blue.
Darting, diving, chasing prey …
so, do the fish fly too?
Aqua Dynamics by Celia Berrell
First published in Science Rhymes in the Sea
Celebrating SEA WEEK!
Image from Pixabay
There’s motion in the ocean
where these little boats just bob afloat.
Their sailors rarely see us
as they venture most along the coast.
But down, below those choppy seas
and sloppy waves that slap that hull,
you’ll find us playing happily.
Our vibrant lives are rarely dull.
Always active,
never still.
See Sea’s Secrecy by Celia Berrell
Artwork: YOU ARE HERE by Hayley Gillespie
I had a dream the other night.
At first, it gave me quite a fright.
I thought the Moon was falling, ’til
it landed on my windowsill.
She fluffed her fur and shook her head
then gracefully leapt onto my bed
It’s not the Moon, it’s not a spider.
Instead, a silver Greater Glider!
At 12pm, the midnight hour,
a clock struck twelve. A sense of power
shimmered through her moonshine coat,
as she began to grow and float.
“Climb aboard”, she said with pride
and took me on a midnight ride.
Swooping through the starry night,
two new-found friends in sheer delight.
from the painting TIME TO GROW by Sharon Davson
I’ve got a kite
whose tail’s quite white.
It’s strong and light
in colours bright.
With wind just right
my kite gains height.
The string’s pulled tight.
My kite’s in flight!
But my delight
soon turns to plight
when wind-gusts bite
with forceful spite
and push my kite
with such great might
the string can’t fight
and snaps in fright.
My falling kite’s
no more in flight
and lost to sight
as day turns night.
Image by Pixabay
Eight hours, eight hours of sleep is best
to keep us healthy. Give us rest.
Eight hours brings opportunities
to strengthen our immunities.
To fight off winter’s colds and ‘flu.
Protecting us from cancer too.
For young and old; both short and lanky
lack of sleep can make us cranky.
Take away that eight-hour chunk
and brains act like they’re getting drunk!
Eight hours, eight hours of sleep a day
helps keep us well, live long and play.
Image from Pixabay
LOTS to celebrate in December! Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, St. Nicholas Day, Bodhi Day, Las Posadas and of course the summer/winter solstice. Wherever you and whatever you celebrate let us know by sending in your poems to ozchildrenspoetry@gmail.com.
Please note the website will not be checked regularly over the Christmas/New Year period but will start up again around January 10th.
And this will be my final post before handing over the reigns to the very capable hands of Linda Davidson and Celia Berrell. Both have been staunch supporters of ACP and have contributed some wonderful poetry to the site.
Thank you to everyone who has posted, liked or subscribed over the past two years! Keep your wonderful poems coming in 2026 and beyond. Have a safe and happy holiday season.
Photo from Pexels by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto
A Sawfish has a flattened jaw
which points its mouth towards the floor.
That saw-like snout we can’t ignore –
but what’s that awesome saw-snout for?
A Sawfish wouldn’t roar or snore,
but could it use that saw to gore
or dig and poke prey near the floor,
could that be what that saw-snout’s for?
A Sawfish snout has scores and scores
of electronic sensing pores
detecting fish-food no-one saw
when water’s muddied more and more.
So now we know that saw’s contour
is something Sawfish will adore.
It helps them catch small fish galore.
And that’s what Sawfish snouts are for.
Photo from Pexels by Shuxuan Cao
October 4th is Sawfish Day. Sawfish numbers are sadly declining. Nowadays, sawfish are only reliably found near Florida USA and around northern Australia. Sawfish, like their shark relatives have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone. Question: how can you tell the difference between a sawfish and a sawshark? Answer: by looking at its gills. Sawfish gills are underneath their body, next to its mouth, while a sawshark’s gills are found on the side of its head.
Plants have no brains
but scientists find
that trees seem to think
and weeds change their mind!
Mimosa we know as a
sensitive weed.
It folds up its leaves
when a threat is perceived.
Repeatedly dropped
on a soft mat of foam
Mimosa stops folding
as foam does no harm.
Days and weeks later
no folding leaves shows
when dropped on soft foam
Mimosa still knows!
Image by Leopictures from Pixabay
Australian Children’s Poetry 