Melvin McWhirter
had a water gun —
a super-size squirter
if I ever saw one!
One day in the pool
Melvin went barmy —
just by playing the fool,
he made a tsunami.
He squeezed the trigger
faster and faster;
the cascade grew bigger
and then came — disaster!
A wave so immense
swept Melvin from sight,
right over the back fence
and we don’t know his plight.
James Aitchison
I have a fish in my room made of metal,
(the fish, that is, not my room). The fish is
green and bold, with a mouth shaped like a kettle.
Why not a flower with a nice rosy petal?
I’m a Pisces; my fish is auspicious.
A monster lives in my Christmas tree;
he shakes the branches at half-past three.
The tinsel swings from side to side,
the decorations slip and slide,
Jingle-dingle! Jingle-dingle!
Tinkly dingles intermingle.
Even if I stand up on a chair,
I can’t see him — but I know he’s there!
Then I gave him a monstrous cake,
and now he’s got a tummy ache.
There’s no more monster in my tree
so Santa Claus can come to me!
James Aitchison
LETTER “C”
C them there on windows,
C them there in stores,
C them up all over,
C them now because…
C is for Christmas cards!
Christmas cards with holly,
Cards with silver bells,
Cards with laughing Santas,
Cards that wish you well.
Christmas cards with angels,
Cards with trees and snow,
Cards with candles burning,
Cards that gleam and glow.
Christmas cards with reindeers,
Leaping through the sky,
Up there on the mantel —
Christmas Day is nigh!
Christmas cards with sparkle,
Heartfelt cards so true;
Why can’t all that goodwill
Last the whole year through?
James Aitchison
Let’s go to Toowoomba,
The two of us by bus,
Toot, toot to Toowoomba,
We won’t cause any fuss.
Let’s all go to Weewaa,
We’ll ride there on a horse,
Whee-hee-hee to Weewaa,
I’ll bring tomato sauce.
Let’s all go to Bairnsdale,
Upon a fleecy sheep,
Baaaaaaa to Bairnsdale,
But please don’t fall asleep.
Let’s all go to Hawthorn,
We’ll ride a donkey there,
Hee-haw-haw to Hawthorn,
Without a single care.
Irving McDrane can fly a plane;
He flies it up and down again.
He flies by night, he flies by day,
Upside down or up the right way.
He loops the loop and barrel rolls,
Through the air he twists and scrolls,
Across the sky with great panache …
Look out, Irving — you’re going to crash!
SPLAT!
Irving McDrane can’t fly a plane;
Now he goes everywhere by train.
I wish I’d see a world at peace
With harmony, not strife and war;
Where we care for one another,
And nobody is sad and poor.
I wish my school would safer be,
No playground bullies anymore;
If we forgave each other’s faults
How happy we’d all be, I’m sure.
I wish I’d see our oceans clean,
Without pollution’s ugly blight.
I wish the whales would live and thrive,
I wish for coral colours bright.
I wish, I wish, for happiness
For everyone — especially you.
If you wish with me, fingers crossed,
We might just see our wish come true.
A sleepwalker named Alexander
Left his bed so he could meander.
Eyes closed and snoring,
Arms out before him,
He ended up on the verandah.
But fate had in store a cruel twist
For this poor lonely somnambulist.
The next thing he knew
There was doggy-doo,
And his feet landed right in its midst!
So in future, my friend Alexander,
Take heed of a humble bystander:
Please stay in your bed,
Sheets over your head,
And don’t try to sleep’ly meander.
What has my tummy got inside?
I often sit and wonder.
(Sometimes it makes the strangest noise,
like very angry thunder.)
Now, what did I eat for breakfast?
Not that much, as I recall.
Fried eggs, baked beans, and marmalade,
with hot porridge first of all.
And what about last night’s dinner?
That yummy seafood pasta —
With chocolate mousse to follow,
Now that might spell disaster!
And there’s something I’ve forgotten:
All those TV snacks last night —
Iced VoVos, Twisties, Jaffas —
Helped quell my appetite.
All the food that I’ve been eating
Has nowhere else to hide —
It’s all down in my tummy,
And I’d hate to see inside!
Have you ever been to Muck?
Or to the island of Eigg?
Perhaps you’ve been to Rum?
No, I’m not pulling your leg!
Three islands lost in the mist,
Just off the West Scottish coast.
That’s where you can eat haggis
Or black pudding served on toast.
Houses dot the lonely coves
Where sea eagles swoop and call,
And when the gale comes howling
You’ll see nobody at all.
Muck and Eigg and Rum, oh aye,
Three little worlds of their own.
So hop onto the ferry,
And you too can call them home.
Australian Children’s Poetry 