HOPE
Hope is the tiny flame
That flickers inside us all.
The flame that burns brightest
In times of fear and defeat.
Hope is the thread
That binds our hearts and souls.
Hope can be seen in the vast ocean;
The highest mountain;
The valley green;
The flowers bursting new in spring.
Hope is inside us all;
Hope is all around us.
All we have to do is touch it
And hope will do the rest.
On the eleventh hour
Of the eleventh day
Of the eleventh month,
1918, the guns fell silent.
World War One,
The war to end all wars,
Was over.
Lest we forget, in Flanders fields,
The poppies grew blood red,
When Aussie boys, far from their homes,
Were number’d ’mongst the dead.
They came from farms where red gums grew,
From ’neath the Southern Cross;
No friendly sun, no magpie’s cry,
Would ever mark their loss.
In ev’ry town, in ev’ry park,
Their solemn statues stand.
Lest we forget those brave young men
Whose honour shaped our land.
RATTY WRITING
Slopy loops,
O’s like hoops,
b’s like d’s,
a’s like e’s,
are they m’s?
are they n’s?
c that e?
no, it’s c,
lots of blots,
lots of dots —
what a scrawl,
can’t read at all!
Teaching tip:
Ask students to bring cuttings of spring flowers.
Then invite the class to sing and clap to the tune of
“A-weema-weh… The lion sleeps tonight”.
The Lily Sleeps Tonight
A-daffo–dil, a-daffo–dil, a-daffo-dil, a-daffo-dil
A-dah-li-a, a-dah-li-a, a-dah-li-a, a-dah-li-a
A-hya–cinth, a-hya-cinth, a-hya-cinth, a-hya-cinth
A-butter-cup, a-butter-cup, a–butter-cup, a-butter-cup
In the garden, the mighty garden
The lily sleeps tonight
In the garden, the quiet garden
Its bloom is a delight
Ca–me–lli–as, ca–me–lli–as, ca–me–lli–as, ca–me–lli–as
Ra–nun–cu–lus, ra–nun–cu–lus, ra–nun–cu–lus, ra–nun–cu–lus
A-tulip-too, a-tulip-too, a–tulip-too, a-tulip-too
A-daffo–dil, a-daffo–dil, a-daffo-dil, a-daffo-dil…
A mockery of crockery
“Hey diddle diddle,”
Said the cat to the fiddle,
“The dish ran away with the spoon.”
The fiddle said, “Yo!
“That spoon had to go,
And the dish wasn’t round like the moon.”
“Hey diddle diddle,”
Said the cat to the fiddle,
“What are we going to do?”
The fiddle said, “Man,
“Eat with your hand,
“That dish and spoon belonged in a zoo.”
Farmyard frolics
The farm wakes up to the sound of chooks,
The pigs give the cows some dirty looks,
The grumpy goose nips a sleepy sheep,
The ducks duck into the pond so deep.
The rabbits dig in the vegie patch
While the dogs wake up and have a scratch.
The horse goes for a little canter
And birds enjoy their feathered banter.
The scarecrow yawns and gives us a grin —
Even he can’t sleep through all the din!
What a busy way to start each day,
When all my farm friends come out to play.
Make reading your secret power
Wimpy Kid and Winnie the Pooh,
Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit,
Ranger’s Apprentice and Dr Who
All give you the reading habit.
The words form pictures in your mind —
Just read a book and find out how!
You will never get left behind
When reading’s your secret power!
Dizzy Disney
The Lion King got Tangled
in Cinderella’s hair,
while Pinocchio’s long nose
tripped Mulan on the stair.
Beauty and the Beast came down
to see what was the fuss,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
said, “please do not blame us!”
Aladdin called for silence,
The Little Mermaid cried,
Sleeping Beauty couldn’t sleep,
but Pocahontas tried.
Bambi ran Into the Woods
and hid behind a log,
and Dumbo was Frozen when
The Princess kissed a Frog.
If your name is Elsie Babbage,
You’ve no choice — just eat cabbage.
If your name is Arthur Ellis,
Pick green beans from a trellis.
If your name is Roger Lovell,
Dig vegies with a shovel.
If your name is Charlie Cato,
You’ll only eat potato.
If your name is Betty Barratt,
You’re destined to eat carrot.
But if your name is Russel Proust,
Sorry — you’re stuck with Brussels sprouts!
Australian Children’s Poetry 