Getting sick of summer?
I found just the spot
to cool off really fast
when you’re feeling hot.
The water’s like a mirror,
instead of sand there’s snow;
but how deep is the lake?
You don’t want to know!
Teacher’s note: This lake is one of twenty favourite tourist spots located in Germany’s Black Forest, where hiking and swimming are popular. One lake is 40 metres deep.
I made a resolution
to keep the whole year through.
I wrote it down but lost it,
now I don’t know what to do.
I’ve searched but cannot find it,
no matter how I strive.
Oh well, I’ll make another one
in twenty-twenty-five.
It’s wintertime in Krakow
and by the castle wall,
the snow is fresh and deep
from this morning’s fall.
The city seems in silence,
the trees are black and bare,
and I can hear my heartbeats
in the frozen air.
Teacher’s note: Krakow is the second largest city in Poland. Its existence can be traced back to the Stone Age. The Old City and Wawel Castle are heritage sites. Krakow boasts one of the world’s oldest universities, and of course it is famous for Oskar Schindler’s factory which is now a museum.
I wonder what’s out in the ocean,
hiding under the sea?
A coral reef or a pirate ship,
with a chest full of treasure for me?
I wonder what’s out in the ocean,
hiding under the waves?
A great big whale or a dolphin,
or an octopus in a cave?
I don’t know what’s out in the ocean,
it’s too far away to reach.
So I’ll just close my eyes and dream
here on the soft sandy beach.
Born in the ranges
where horses run free,
tumbling and chasing
its way to the sea.
Fed by the snows,
broadening now,
no shadow or cloud
its waters allow.
The great Snowy River,
watched by this tree,
sweeps on to victory
and enters the sea.
I wonder what the New Year will bring,
What games we’ll play and songs we’ll sing?
Will it be shiny and full of fun,
Will it look after everyone?
Will it be hopeful for every race,
Will I live it full of faith?
I think the New Year is up to me:
I’ll make it the year I want it to be!
I want a better world this Christmas,
where wars and famine end,
where light and laughter banish darkness,
where everyone’s a friend.
Instead of tinsel I’d like trust,
where fear has gone away.
And no one has to go without,
this year on Christmas day.
Photo from Pexels by Artem Podrez
It’s time to give — and forgive,
Time to put those fights aside.
Time to hold your friendships close,
Time to show you shine inside.
It’s time for second chances,
Time to show the best of you.
But why just shine at Christmas?
You can shine the whole year through.
There’s plenty here for everyone
so peck away in peace,
no need to squawk and squabble,
all fighting has to cease!
There’s lots of seed for any bird
who flies in day or night;
so use your beak to pick up food
and not to pick a fight.
I saw a curious clock
built into a wall.
It made me very curious
seeing such a clock at all.
Now, I don’t know
what’s behind it,
and I don’t know
how they wind it!
I know it’s been up there
for many, many years,
And when I heard it chime,
it was music to my ears.
Teacher’s note: Discuss the adjective “curious” with students. It can mean (1) eager to know or learn something, as well as (2) strange or unusual.
Australian Children’s Poetry 