See the flowers
all pop out.
See the leaves
grow all about.
So much colour
all around,
like a paintbox
upside down.
Tag Archives: James Aitchison
Delia’s Hairpiece? by James Aitchison
1 CommentDelia’s hairpiece?
Oh no, I tell a lie —
it isn’t Delia’s wig,
it’s a butterfly.
Delias harpalyce,
that’s its proper name.
(Harpalyce rhymes with Alice,
so say it once again.)
Their wings look like they’re painted,
and with black they’re lined,
but my complaint is,
they’re very hard to find!
Photo by James Aitchison
Teacher’s note: This butterfly was photographed by Philip Webster in his garden at Wattle Glen. The wingspan of Delias harpalyce reaches about 60–70 millimetres. The upper surfaces of the forewings and hindwings are a whitish with black margins and a row of small whitish spots on the apex of the forewings. In the females the black outer edges of the wings are wider than in males. The undersides of the wings are chequered whitish and black, with a yellow band on the apex of the forewings and a red band on the middle of the hindwings. They are found only in Australia’s eucalyptus forests.
How Long Will We Have Islands? by James Aitchison
Leave a comment“I’m rising,” said the sea,
“there’s no room for you and me…”
On Tuvalu, people fear
their home soon will disappear.
The Maldives now are on the brink,
and Kiribati too will sink.
Five Solomon islands already lost,
beneath the rising waves were tossed.
Do we ignore the ocean’s drive,
or will we help our friends survive?
One million face uncertainty,
in a global warming catastrophe.
Photo by Asad Photo Maldives
This Is My Chair! by James Aitchison
Leave a commentThis is my chair,
keep away!
It’s very nice,
so here I’ll stay.
It matches me,
a perfect tone,
so leave me be,
up here alone!
The Story of Melvyn McFigg by James Aitchison
1 CommentMervyn McFigg
lost his wig,
it blew off in the breeze.
It came to rest
in a bird’s nest,
in the highest of high gum trees.
Mervyn McFigg,
to retrieve his wig,
climbed up that mighty tree.
But at the top,
a bald bird said, “Stop!
Your wig now belongs to me!”
Yakety – Yak by James Aitchison
Leave a commentYakety-yak, yakety-yak,
is all I hear all day.
Yakety-yak, yakety-yak,
is all people have to say.
Yakety-yak, yakety-yak,
on and on it goes,
yakety-yak, yakety-yak,
see their mouths open and close.
Yakety-yak on the TV,
yakety-yak on my phone,
yakety-yak, yakety-yak,
why don’t they leave me alone!
I Spy A Funny Sky by James Aitchison
Leave a commentI bent my head
so far back,
I heard it make
a funny crack.
What a sight,
my neck is sore,
still can’t believe
the sky I saw.
It was awesome,
all because
the sky was full
of tomato sauce!
Fox Amongst The Chickens by James Aitchison
Leave a commentShe heard our roar and rumble,
from far away Australia.
She set her sights and off she went —
she had no thought of failure.
Gold’s her favourite colour,
and the whole world is impressed.
There is no doubt in my mind:
Jess Fox is jess the best!
Image from SeekLogo
Go, Glacier, Go! by James Aitchison
Leave a commentA gloomy glazier
went up a glacier
to have a look at the snow.
Without any haze
he could cast his gaze
over the icy flow.
Then down the mountain
like a freezing fountain
the ice began to travel.
Down they came,
glazier and glacier —
a mess you couldn’t unravel.
Photo by Pixabay
Why We Have Two Ears by James Aitchison
Leave a commentHave you ever wondered
why we have two ears —
they’re very nice,
one on each side —
but why do we have
only one mouth?
I asked a man called
Epictetus who said:
“We have two ears
so we can listen
twice as much as
we speak.”
Now, I wonder what he meant by that?
Teacher’s note: Epictetus was one of the great Stoic philosophers. This quote could stimulate a class discussion.
Photo from Pexels by Yan Krukau
Australian Children’s Poetry 