Sally giggling, her ponytails wiggling.
Roger nodding, his long grim face bobbing.
Michael cackling, his knuckles crackling.
Susan farewelling, her weeping eyes swelling.
Desmond gloating, his fat tummy bloating.
Frances dancing, her style so entrancing.
Warren pouting, his shiny head doubting.
Sheila wailing, to no good availing.
Thelma yearning, but never returning.
Drawing by Marcus Ten Low
I’m fully into soccer –
a real enthusiast.
I like to watch. I like to play –
to give the game my best.
It’s something teachers praise us for-
enthusiasm’s great!
But in the eighteenth century
it simply didn’t rate.
Enthusiasts were crazy folk
who’d somehow lost their wits.
They raved and had no self-control –
strong feelings were the pits.
This was the Age of Reason –
of cool and measured thought.
But soccer’s more than well-planned moves-
it’s heaps of fun! It’s sport!
So naturally I’ll yell and scream –
and help my team to win.
Enthusiasm’s what they need –
so everyone, join in!
Image from Pixabay
How awful
that awful
means awful,
when once it meant
full of awe!
How silly
that silly
means silly,
when once it meant
happy and blessed!
It’s awfully silly
how meanings have changed,
and what we say now
has to be re-arranged.
Like, once the silly
filled us with awe,
but we’re not in awe
anymore!
The Journey of a Word
Image from Pixabay
Jump on a cloud; let’s go for a race.
Mine’s an elephant with a smiling face.
Yours is a dolphin leaping over the waves.
He seems a bit wild; I hope he behaves!
Let’s race to the rainbow, glistening with light.
We’ll count all the stripes – so fun and so bright!
Then leap onto colour, floating down with a flutter
To land in the prize – a pot of golden butter.
Artwork: STARING AT CLOUDS by Jennifer Barrand
https://www.jennibarrand.com/
Poem inspired by August Picture Poetry Prompt.
A famous word in the dictionary
one that’s exceedingly long
renowned for many reasons
including a famous song.
Originally college slang
coined by students in ’31
meaning extremely wonderful
they spoke it out in fun.
Next came Mary Poppins
released in ’64
the word in song a legend
quickly woven into lore.
It’s believed to be an expression
for all that’s fabulous they say
singing it extremely loud
will brighten up your day.
“Can you say it backwards?”
Mary Poppins once said with a wink
Isn’t that going a bit too far?
What do you actually think?
Journey of a Word
Image from Pixabay
By day you see gnomes standing still.
At night a different role they fill.
Without their care and helping hands
All gardens would be barren lands.
They go about their tasks with glee
Requiring total privacy.
All was well till William Soames
Stayed up one night and saw the gnomes.
Then gnome-observing fast became
His newest hobby, like a game.
He hunted out their hidden places
Where they played and washed their faces.
Wrote up notes on what they wore…
The gnomes, annoyed, began to roar:
‘He must be stopped! This is quite wrong
We don’t like being spied upon!
Why does he probe and pry and peer?
We cannot work when he is near.
Can’t wash the roses, shoo the bugs
Protect the plants from snails and slugs.
Our secret work is secret, not
The business of some human tot!’
After much deliberation
Argument and altercation
The gnomes decided what to do.
‘He needs to understand our view!’
Into the house that night they crept
And onto William’s bed they leapt.
A spell was cast, quick as a wink.
The sleeping boy began to shrink.
Was horrified when he woke up
The size of a small drinking cup.
Angry gnomes tried to explain
Why Will’s surveillance caused them pain.
‘Leave us be! Beg our pardon!
Else we’ll abandon this fine garden!’
Fists were shaken, tears were shed.
Before he was returned to bed.
Later, now his normal size,
He told his Mum and Dad some lies
But not the truth of where he’d been
Or what he’d heard and what he’d seen.
Or that he’d learnt more spying would
Shrink him again — this time for good!
Will binned his notes, surprising all.
And took up playing basketball.
Photo taken by Linda Davidson
Captain R Jaken
Likes to have fun
So with his eyes
He wears a patch over one
Sometimes on the left
Sometimes on the right
Sometimes in the day
Sometimes at night
Captain R Jaken
Likes to say Arrrgh
And shiver-me-timbers
And get-on there Jack-tar
Sometimes he shouts
Sometimes he mumbles
Sometimes he sings
Sometimes he grumbles
Captain R Jaken
Likes reading maps
And looking for treasure
And setting-off traps
Sometimes he gets gold
Sometimes he gets muck
Sometimes he gets lost
Sometimes he gets stuck
Captain R Jaken
Likes to be brave
Exploring dark places
And cold slimey caves
Sometimes he struts
Sometimes he sneaks
Sometimes he’s bold
Sometimes he shrieks
Captain R Jaken
Likes to tell tales
’bout treasures and battles
And krakens and whales
Sometimes he wins
Sometimes he’s beaten
Sometimes he escapes
Sometimes he’s eaten
Captain R Jaken
Likes sailing at night
He sailed to Lands-End
And then on out of sight
Sometimes he’s seen
Sometimes he’s not
Sometimes he’s remembered
Sometimes he’s forgot
Captain R Jaken
Likes these things and more
As long as they all
Can be done from the shore
Sometime in his heart
Sometimes in his head
Sometimes in his chair
Sometimes in his bed.
Image from Pixabay
Adeline Rose just loved to pose,
Her mum would say, “eyes this way, chin up, that’s my girl.”
Every chance she got
Whether it was inconvenient or not.
Adeline Rose would rise to the occasion
Never once flinching, posing without persuasion.
This went on for quite some time,
Until one day, Adeline Rose refused to obey.
She had had simply enough.
No cajoling, pleading or bribing would make her sway.
Adeline Rose turned her back,
This Instagram lark was merely a hack.
Her mum was devastated but what could she do?
If Adeline Rose refused her birthday party too?
Food and drink were already bought,
“It cannot just grind to nothing – to nought?”
But Adeline Rose stuck to her guns,
No party or posing – she was done.
Adeline Rose was keen to restore
Her life as a dog and nothing more!
Image from Pexels
Little square shapes and fancy, round twirls;
nestled in boxes with ribbons in swirls;
joined in arrays like crossword puzzles;
sprinkled with cocoa and formed into truffles;
rolled in nuts and melted on sticks;
soft, creamy centres with crunchy bits;
shaped into rabbits, koalas and frogs;
poured into moulds and rolled into logs.
Chocolate, oh chocolate, so delicious, so sweet!
Pull off the wrapper! Come on, let’s eat!
Image from Pexels
Who can smell the farthest,
an animal or us?
Like, I can smell a meat pie
from the back seat of the bus!
But that isn’t very far,
for when I looked up all the facts,
we can smell about five feet —
that’s one point five metres max!
Dogs’ noses are much better —
they can sniff scents near and far,
about two thousand metres
away from where they are!
But the elephant beats all,
sniffing scents twelve miles away,
that’s nineteen thousand metres,
on any given day.
Now if I could grow a trunk,
I’d increase my sense of smell,
but I think I’ll keep my nose —
it fits my face quite well!
Image from Unsplash
Australian Children’s Poetry 