Tag Archives: children’s poetry

Letter “C”

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LETTER “C”

 

C them there on windows,

C them there in stores,

C them up all over,

C them now because…

 

 

C is for Christmas cards!

 

 

Christmas cards with holly,

Cards with silver bells,

Cards with laughing Santas,

Cards that wish you well.

 

Christmas cards with angels,

Cards with trees and snow,

Cards with candles burning,

Cards that gleam and glow.

 

Christmas cards with reindeers,

Leaping through the sky,

Up there on the mantel —

Christmas Day is nigh!

 

Christmas cards with sparkle,

Heartfelt cards so true;

Why can’t all that goodwill

Last the whole year through?

 

 

James Aitchison

Poem of the Day

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The Bike Ride

by N. McMullin

 

On my bike,

I pedal fast.

Building speed,

My heart swells,

The wind whirls,

Tugging at my clothes,

Whipping, snapping,

Ticking spokes,

Quicken down the hill.

I’m racing,

I’m in front.

Wibble, wobble,

I straighten in time.

Wiggle, squiggle,

I keep my line.

Low on the handle-bars.

Hang on,

Hunker down!

Jiggle, joggle,

I’m in the gravel!

Swish swoosh,

Look how fast I travel.

I’m flying,

I’m flying in the sky.

Up on my toes,

Pushing, pulling,

Puffing panting,

Legs burning,

Lungs bursting,

I see it,

I’m so close,

At last, my destination –

The ice-cream shop.

Poem of the Day

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Do Not!

by Dianne Bates

 

Do not pat a cranky cat!

Do not jig with a pig!

Do not steal a seal!

Do not lick a chick!

Do not wear a llama’s ‘jamas!

Do not dine with swine!

Do not stare at a bear!

Do not smile at a crocodile!

Do not force a horse!

Do not pull a bull!

Do not twirl a girl!

Do not annoy a boy!

 

 

 

Poem of the Day

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Night invader

By Jenny Erlanger

 

I’m woken by a presence

in the middle of the night.

I’d scream to get attention

but I’m paralysed with fright.

 

There’s something like a zombie

shuffling slowly round my bed.

Its eyes are staring wildly

from a vacant-looking head.

 

The figure edges closer.

and I’m just about to pray

then I recognise its features

and the terror drains away.

 

I’m glad it’s not a monster,

not some evil-minded creep

but I wish my little sister

wouldn’t wander in her sleep!

 

 

Poem of the Day

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Heartland

by Irene Buckler

My home is not so much a place

Places are for others and not for me

Home is the love on my mother’s face,

A look of love that sets me free

 

My home is not the sum of stuff

My stuff adds up to nothing much

Home is a bond when times are tough,

My hand in my father’s hand, a touch

 

My home is not where I sleep at night

I rest in darkness, sleeping anywhere

Home is trust and sharing the light

And staying warm with those who care

 

My home is a memory, fading fast

Faraway whispers, remind me of when

I lived in a home, a time long past

With friends I will never meet again

 

My home is in transit; we travel alone

Towards a new life, a new land, a new start

Through spaces and places with faces unknown

My home is within me, deep in my heart.

 

Poem of the Day

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The Forest

 

Silent as a mosquito whine just beyond hearing.

A lizard lies languid, tastes the air with its thick blue tongue.

A goanna runs up a gum tree, claws digging into bark.

 

A scrub turkey dashes across the path.

I sit on the timber seat halfway up the mountain,

careful of the red-back’s nest underneath.

 

Leaves dance with the first drops of rain. Birds call out.

A tree dribbles sap, sticky as honey. The downpour starts-

I am drenched in the forest’s earthy scent.

Anna Jacobson

Poem of the Day

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The Big Black Cat

 

The big black cat crept across the road,

and finished up under a semi’s load.

It was feeling stiff and sore,

but that’s what cat’s nine lives are for.

So even though it took a whack,

the cat bounced back.

 

The big black cat crept across the street

and finished up under a giant’s feet.

There were guts and there was gore,

but that’s what cat’s nine lives are for.

So even though it took a smack,

the cat bounced back.

 

The big black cat should have never played

With an Army tank parade.

 

Dianne Bates

 

Poem of the Day

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Out of sight

 

You’re clearly still dizzy

from spinning around,

from constantly stumbling

and hitting the ground.

You’ve slipped on the carpet,

bumped into the chairs

collided with pillars

and tripped down the stairs.

You’ve toppled the urn

that was next to the door.

There are slivers of china

all over the floor.

You’ve booted the table,

knocked books off the shelf.

Consider the trouble

you’re causing yourself.

This game’s a disaster,

so may I advise

you take off the blindfold…

and open your eyes!

Jenny Erlanger

 

Weekly updates

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Here are this week’s updates.

 

Articles:

‘A meeting with Max Fatchen’ by Janeen Brian

Link at: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/articles/a-meeting-with-max-fatchen/

To view a list of all articles, click on the Articles heading.

 

News

Susan Stephenson who runs the blog site The Book Chook provides a link to her article ‘Ten Top tips to engage kids with poetry’.

Click on News or the link here for the direct link to her article: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/poetry-news/1359-2/

 

Poets A-Z

A new bio has been added to our growing list of talented Australian poets.

Katherine Gallagher

Link at: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/australianpoets/f-j-2/katherine-gallagher/

All listed poets can be viewed here or via the drop down menu (Poets A-Z).

 

That’s it for this week.

 

Di  Bates

Writers Sought

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Just lately I have been advertising for researchers and writers for the Australian Children’s Poetry blog site. As usual, I am keen to receive articles about anything related to children’s poetry (such as teaching poetry writing, compiling a collection, poetry book reviews and so on). But what I am particularly keen on are people who would like to research and write biographies about deceased Australian children’s poets to add to the A to Z of poets.

So, if you are interested, you might like to choose one (or more) of the following poets and get to work. The biographies would include the dates of birth and death and an overview of their life as poets as well as including three of their poems for children (citing publication details). If you can find any pictures (of the poet and/or their books), please send as jpgs.

Here is a list of the poets. Some of them, such as Michael Dugan, wrote exclusively for children; other poets, such as Kevin Gilbert, wrote mostly poems for adults but also wrote poems published in anthologies for children

Clive Sansom
Kath Walker
Ronald Strahan
Colin Thiele
DH Souter
Spike Milligan
Kevin Gilbert
Roland Robinson
Irene Gough
William Hart-Smith
Robert Gray
Mary Gilmore
Eric Rolls
Lilith Norman
Patricia Wrightson
Isobel Kendall Bowden
Ruth Sansom
Geoffrey Dutton
Elizabeth Riddell
Cathy Warry
CJ Dennis
Andrew ‘Banjo’ Patterson
Henry Kendall
Henry Lawson
Barbara Giles
Jenny Boult (also known as MM Bliss)
Daisy Utemorrah
Flexmore Hudson
Michael Dugan

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!
Di Bates