Killi Koala

Killi Koala

sleeps most of the day

on his mother’s back

as she scampers away

up and down eucalypts

the whole night through

finding special leaves

for them both to chew

©Katherine Gallagher

Red Admiral

In mid-January a Red Admiral butterfly

flew in front of the Lygon Street bus,

past crowds of summer shoppers

and the searing sun.

Dust was rising, mixed with smoke.

I wondered what would happen to the butterfly

as it flapped and flapped around curves of air.

Butterflies are not confident

in the way a bus is confident,

and Lygon Street was no place for a Red Admiral –

all that summer traffic and not a stinging nettle in sight.

At the Dinosaur Picnic

Dandy dinosaurs dancing

Dreamy dinosaurs drinking

Dexterous dinosaurs dinking

Dainty dinosaurs dazzling

Devilish dinosaurs diving

Dozy dinosaurs dallying

Delicate dinosaurs dawdling

Book spell or how books keep me happy during the holidays

My room is always lined with books

full of adventures, animals and strange characters.

Books, they’re my friends, hiding in nooks,

giving me surprises

Before I know it, I’m caught just fine,

in the mysteries of a book.

I don’t know why I’ve got feet

when I could have had wheels,

for wheels go so much faster.

Imagine me flying down our street

not in my trainers or boots

but on wheels, with my ghetto-blaster.

Imagine people turning to stare

and all telling me to slow down

before I caused a disaster.

Imagine me gliding off into space

with a quick little nod to the Moon,

then simply going straight past her. . .

©Katherine Gallagher

Published in Through a Window, Longman, 1995)

Teacher Notes

Students might like to write a poem about something that belongs to them (for example, a bicycle,  an old car,  a scooter, a broom)  which suddenly takes off into space.  Describe the journey. Did they have any accidents? What did they see? smell? touch? hear? taste?

List everything that happened, using rhyme or free verse. Make it surprising and exciting.

Humpty Dumpty

jumped in the sea.

Humpty Dumpty

sank instantly.

All the young mermaids

and their mermen

couldn’t get Humpty

to surface again.

©Katherine Gallagher,

blazing wattle –

the splendour

of yellow

a ladybird

on the mock-orange

finds the sun

in the distance

the stillness

of trees leafing

Count up to spring,

it’s time to sing

with wattles golden, bright

and magpies – what a sight

as you’re walking through the bush –

such a perfect hush

and you want a lyrebird to surprise you

along with maybe, a kangaroo.

© Katherine Gallagher

Moon-talk

Moon, creamy white stone,

precious . . . Stick with the legends –

better at a distance.

My litany could go on –

I don’t want to visit,

take a machine-ride against gravity

brain-open.

But if I change my mind

Moon won’t have any

say in it.

©Katherine Gallagher

(Published in The Eye’s Circle, Rigmarole Press)

I’m mad about . . .

I’m mad about honey

that’s runny and funny

I’m mad about cheese

that grows on old trees

I’m mad about chilli

that’s spice-cool and silly

I’m mad about eggs

and rainbow-striped veg

I’m mad about jam

on speckled green ham

I’m mad about pepper

the hotter the better