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!
Tag Archives: James Aitchison
“Kickflips in Vienna” by James Aitchison
Leave a commentKICKFLIPS IN VIENNA
Vienna’s railway station,
the Vienna Hauptbahnhof,
is not just very modern —
it will blow your socks right off!
The roofs go up,
the roofs go down,
the greatest ramps in town.
As trains pull in
and trains pull out,
you can slide on down.
Achtung, achtung!
Do an ollie!
Then a darkslide,
Ja, ja, ja!
Goofy-Foot and fakie next,
Vienna’s station is the best!
Translation note: in German, a Hauptbahnof is a city’s main train station.
“Archie” by James Aitchison
Leave a commentARCHIE
Christopher Robin went down with Alice
To see the new baby at Buckingham Palace.
There they found Archie,
Dressed in Versace,
Having his tea with the Queen.
Prince Harry and Meghan were there in style,
And you should have seen Her Majesty’s smile!
It was a great date
To come celebrate
The cutest baby they’d seen.
James Aitchison
”The Paper Boy” by James Aitchison
Leave a commentThe paper boy
A boy on a bike
through leafy streets
delivers the papers
while we are asleep.
Who hears the squeak
of his speeding wheels?
Not us, not us,
for we are asleep.
Who sees the sun
glint on silver spokes?
Not us, not us,
for we are asleep.
The paper lands
with a thud beside
a garden gnome
who peeks inside.
How well-informed
is that old gnome!
How lazy am I
in my bed at home!
“Living Spaghetti” by James Aitchison
Leave a commentLiving spaghetti
Wriggle wriggle, squirm squirm,
Here comes a nice long worm.
Like spaghetti come to life,
What a busy earthworm!
Watch it slide and slither,
Oops, it’s in a dither.
Pick it up now if you dare,
Dangle it in the air.
Wriggle wriggle, squirm squirm,
Thank you, thank you, earthworm!
You let our soil grow good things,
Such a helpful earthworm!
“March Madness” by James Aitchison
Leave a commentMARCH MADNESS
A hippo hopped happily
off to the zoo.
A red rhino ran rudely;
what will I do?
Rich rhubarb blew raspberries
at my dessert.
They bounced off my spoon and all
over my shirt.
March madness is followed by
April Fool’s Day;
And that’s not all folks — there’s more
mayhem in May!
“A Summer Ottava Rima” by James Aitchison with Teacher Notes
Leave a commentA 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:
- Each stanza has 8 lines
- You can create one stanza as a stand alone 8-line poem, or write multiple stanzas
- The first six lines have an a-b-a-b-a-b rhyme scheme, capped with a c-c couplet
- 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 commentThe 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 commentA 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.
Australian Children’s Poetry 