Tag Archives: James Aitchison

“A Summer Ottava Rima” by James Aitchison with Teacher Notes

Leave a comment

A SUMMER OTTAVA RIMA 

The crash of waves is always in the air,

And caravans adorn the crowded shore.

People roast on towels without a care,

Or find new rocky outcrops to explore.

Crunchy crystal sand grows too hot to bear,

Yet we stay: it’s what all Aussies yearn for!

In summertime, this is our golden place;

Then winter comes and banishes all trace.

                                               James Aitchison

TEACHERS’ NOTES:

The ottava rima is a very rhythmic form of Italian poetry, first written in the fourteenth century.

Lord Byron and William Butler Yeats also used the form.

The rules:

  1. Each stanza has 8 lines
  2. You can create one stanza as a stand alone 8-line poem, or write multiple stanzas
  3. The first six lines have an a-b-a-b-a-b rhyme scheme, capped with a c-c couplet
  4. Mostly an ottava rima is written in iambic pentameter or 10-syllable lines.

Have fun!

“The tale of Maximus Dunker” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

The tale of Maximus Dunker

 

A golfer named Maximus Dunker

One day shot himself a real clunker.

Hit the ball in the air

but was full of despair

When it landed down in a bunker.

”A Homeless Christmas” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

A HOMELESS CHRISTMAS

’Twas the night before Christmas and I sat alone

In my usual doorway that I called my own.

The people rushed past me, laden with shopping,

They saw what I was but passed without stopping.

Some kids laughing brightly skipped past full of joy

And made me remember when I was a boy.

Carols were playing, and we sang round a tree:

Daddy and mummy, and my sister and me.

Often I’ve wondered how it all came unstuck —

’twas sometimes bad choices, and sometimes bad luck.

But who can I blame while the world is so gay,

’cause tomorrow will be just one more lost day.

                                                   James Aitchison

A great reminder to give to someone this Christmas Eve who has fallen on hard times.

 

 

“NOT IN GOOD SHAPE FOR CHRISTMAS” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree sliding

far t o o fast

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree watch me

s a i l i n g past

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree through the

lights I’ll z o o m

I

am

sliding

down the

Christmas

tree TINKLE

SMASH AND BOOM

oh

no

what a

mess

 

   James Aitchison

“Colour (non)sense” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

Colour (non)sense

Polar bears are white

so they blend with the view.

Kangaroos are brown

so they blend in too.

But my new pyjamas —

bought in the Bahamas —

are purple, orange and blue

 

“Moandays are Weakdays” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

MOANDAYS ARE WEAKDAYS

Every Moanday I’m filled with dread,

I simply can’t get out of bed,

I pull the covers over my head,

And hope that Moanday will go away.

 

Every Moanday I’m filled with fear

The week lies ahead, bleak and drear,

I just can’t get myself into gear,

I hope that Moanday will go away.

 

Every Moanday I’m such a fool —

All my friends will be there at school!

We’ll play, have fun, and that’ll be cool —

And then I’m up, up, up and away!

                                              James Aitchison

“A SEASONAL TELESTITCH” by James Aitchison with Teacher Notes

Leave a comment

A SEASONAL TELESTITCH

 

 

The end of cold days:

Farewell! Adieu!

The sun rises warm

But expect a quick storm,

Then catch a wave —

It’s my kind of weather!

 

The sunsets glow red

Across Australia,

We’re all on holiday —

The best of all times!

               

                                          James Aitchison

 

 

TEACHERS’ NOTES by James Aitchison

A telestitch is the opposite of an acrostic.  Discover the poem’s hidden message by reading the last letter (rather than the first) of each line.

Give it a try

And most of all — have fun!

“THE SHARK IN THE PARK” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

THE SHARK IN THE PARK

 

I heard a shark bark

One night in the dark;

It was in the park,

(But just for a lark).

 

There in the moonlight,

Its teeth pearly white,

It gave me a fright

That terrible night.

 

Stop making a din!

You’d better come in,

And don’t flap your fin

At my garbage bin.

 

 

 

“O FOR AN OCTOPUS” by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

O FOR AN OCTOPUS

 

O is for Octopus

looking Ornery,

wearing an Orchid,

not so Ordinary!

 

Eating their Oranges

while they Occupy

Orbiting Organs,

look at those Octopi!

A RHUPUNT FOR SPRING with Teacher Notes by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

A RHUPUNT FOR SPRING

Spring’s colour thrills

when daffodils

and bold jonquils

burst into bloom.

 

Tulips tower,

freesias flower,

colours shower,

banishing gloom.

 

All spring we’re blessed;

bulbs give their best,

’til time to rest

in a dark room.

 

James Aitchison

 

Teacher Notes: How about trying this with your students?

 

A RHUPUNT FOR SPRING

A rhupunt (pronounced hree’-pint) is a Welsh poem with some curious rules:

  1. Each line must have four syllables
  2. The first three lines of each stanza must rhyme
  3. The final line of each stanza must rhyme with the final lines of the other stanzas (in other words: aaab, cccb, dddb, eeeb, etc)
  4. Each stanza works as a complete sentence or verse in itself.
  5. If you prefer, stanzas can have three lines (aab, ccb, etc) — or five lines (aaaab, ccccb, etc) — it’s up to you.