Celia Berrell

It’s a dog’s life

Quick and alert,
sincere and intelligent.
Brings things home
or stays out late.

Gets into mischief,
Sniffs-out the new.
Bolts down food
until too full to move.

Admired for loyalty,
brave personality.
Always protecting
immediate family.

Laze-round all day,
work hard or learn tricks.
Dog or dog-person
you’ll find this list fits!

Love & Money

Love is like money.
We all want lots of it.
We know we deserve it,
so throw some our way!

Sometimes we win it
but often we lose it
or spend it unwisely,
regretting that day.

Some people find it
in rather strange places.
And some even steal it,
aware it’s not theirs.

Others may wear it.
Look radiant for it
while others invest it
and show that they care.

Some people hide it.
Forget how to find it.
They know it’s there somewhere
beneath many layers.

Gets taken for granted,
abused or just flaunted.
But you and I know
that we both like to share.

Don’t Hug an Echidna

I kid ya not, Echidnas be
more strange than even you or me.
She digs a den and makes a nest
then lays an egg – like bird, not beast.

Now if you see her in the bush
don’t pick her up in loving rush.
As much as she might like a hug
to try it – well – you’d be a mug!

It’s not her teeth, her mouth’s too small.
Her snout is long, and so’s her tongue.
It’s not her claws, but DO take care.
They’re very big and like to dig.

It’s not the fur upon her belly
or beady eyes that look so merry.
It’s just her coat can never tickle.
It’s made of spikes that jab and prickle.

She’s very shy and curls up tight
whenever there’s a threat or fright.
And hidden in nest’s leafy muddle,
a hatching pudgy baby puggle.

by Celia Berrell

 Red gum; snow gum

mountain ash and ghost gum.

Smooth bark; rough bark

stringy bark and ironbark.

Eucalypts are Aussie trees

with properties to fight disease.

Their slender crescent lolling leaves

will sigh upon a lazy breeze.

But just one thing we must refute:

although a “gumnut” sounds quite cute,

these trees have seeds in hardened suits.

They DON’T have nuts.

These trees have FRUIT!

by Celia Berrell

Our neighbour has a little dog.

A cute white fluffy puppy.

It growls and howls both day and night.

Alone, it’s never happy.

A well-loved dog is like a friend

who keeps us company.

We’ll both play games and go for walks.

That’s how it’s meant to be.

I wish our neighbour’s puppy-dog

was well-cared-for like that.

No time to spend with doggy friend …

then maybe get a cat?

 The liquid metal mercury

has got a sordid history.

In Georgian times they put it in

their tonics as a medicine.

But since it’s toxic to nerve cells

it causes nasty dizzy spells

loss of sight and hearing ills.

Too much and then this poison kills!

Its common name is quicksilver.

A shining river, moving mirror

found in old thermometers

tooth-fillings and barometers.

But back in Eighteenth Century

the rich and poor thought mercury

would have a magic healing trick.

Instead it made them very sick!