Girls play sport and so do boys.
Teams can make a lot of noise!
Girls may squeal and boys may shout,
But winning’s not all sport’s about!
If you win, you ‘ll feel elated.
Should you lose: a bit deflated.
Never cheat. It doesn’t pay.
Work to win next time you play.
Coaches teach you what to do.
Players can give tips to you.
Team sports make you friends and fit.
That’s the most important bit!
Image from Pexels by Pixabay
When I am writing poetry
I often use an apostrophe,
Since it can help the rhythm flow
And make words fit where they need to go,
For sometimes lines will have a lump
That readers hit like a nasty bump!
Apostrophes smooth these away,
Which leaves me pleased, I have to say.
If you’re one who’s been confused
By how apostrophes are used,
I’d like to share some simple facts
So you can use them and relax.
Two words need to squeeze to one?
An apostrophe can get it done.
You don’t believe that’s really true?
That previous line shows two to you.
Another use we ought to cover
Is rather tricky you’ll discover.
If you do not, then you don’t,
But if you will not, then you won’t!
Now let’s leave the squeeze behind
For apostrophes of a different kind,
Which often come with letter s,
But does it matter? Answer: “Yes!”
Take this boy’s team as an example:
Just one boy there in that small sample,
But to show there’s two or more
Writing boys’ team, makes us sure.
So a girls’ school means girls only
And a boy there – rather lonely!
If that school became co-ed,
Boys there could relax instead.
Many words that end with s
Don’t need apostrophes, let me stress.
But with those explained above
In my view there’s lots to love!
While I was walking by the sea
A seagull chose to follow me,
But soon one gull turned into two,
Then three, then four, began a queue!
When five or six swelled to a crowd
Their conversation grew quite loud.
This made it clear I’d have no peace
Without some way to make them cease.
I clapped my hands and stamped my feet,
I waved my cap, but faced defeat:
A few wings fluttered, webbed feet shuffled,
But squarks continued, quite unmuffled.
Seagull numbers kept on mounting!
It was then I started shouting:
“Please, I yelled, “Please go away!”
Not one gull did. They chose to stay.
Quite suddenly I had a hunch
That what they wanted was my lunch!
Can a seagull lick its lips?
Yes, it will, for fish and chips!
So off I ran to grassy ground,
There with seagulls all around,
I unwrapped lunch and chose to share:
Whoosh! Gulls arrived from everywhere!!
It’s very plain that Christmas, will very soon be here:
Since shops and stores are busy and schools closed for the year:
A time we think of presents and lots of yummy food,
Yet not time to be greedy, or selfish, even rude!
Since some folk are not wealthy, nor have a lot to spare,
But still can give their friendship and show you that they care.
For God Himself’s a Giver, who gave the world his Son,
To be our sinless Saviour and die for everyone.
This Gift arrived at Christmas. It’s why we celebrate.
In churches round the nation we Christians congregate.
We like to show we’re grateful for Jesus, God’s great Gift
To focus on such wondrous news gives each of us a lift!
His Gift’s not one that ages. It’s never out of date
God wants all to receive Him before it is too late,
A gift of real forgiveness, with heaven added too!
A gift received through Jesus, God planned for me and you!
The sea can tell stories with never a word,
Yet when winter comes they are frequently heard.
Such stories will speak of both weather and wind
As dark clouds and dark seas say:
“Sun, you have sinned!”
“So retire in disgrace,
While our veil hides your face.
For this day or brief hour,
You are under our power!”
(In response to the Winter Waves prompt)
A snail once heard the story
Which is very often told:
“If you reach a rainbow’s ending,
You will find a pot of gold!”
This idea was most appealing,
(Since the snail was very poor)
And it left him with a feeling
That he couldn’t quite ignore.
Every day when it was raining,
But the clouds began to clear,
He would scan the sky for rainbows
In the hope one would appear.
Then at last he thought he saw one
In the garden hothouse glass!
To the spot he slowly hurried
Streaking silver through the grass.
But oh, what disappointment,
When he reached that special place!
For of golden coins or treasure,
He discovered not a trace.
As he turned to leave, discouraged,
Something caught his tearful eye
And a potted gold chrysanthemum
Proved the story was no lie.
Unbeatable Bananas
Bananas are the perfect fruit –
I’m sure you must agree,
But even if they aren’t for you,
They surely are to me.
They beckon with their yellow skin
And brighten up my day,
A single zip and I am in
To eat without delay,
An orange on the other hand
Will take an age to peel;
Compare banana with its zip.
It’s really quite ideal.
Now you may think an apple best
And even eat its skin,
But you won’t want to eat it all
Since there’s a core within.
A juicy pear will be the same,
With core not nice to eat,
Bananas on the other hand
You can consume complete.
Not peaches though, or nectarines:
You soon will bite on stone!
But no banana breaks a tooth.
Bananas stand alone!
If no-one’s there but you!
You certainly will need a knife:
A strong and sharp one too!
Before you even get to eat
You’ll need to cut some more,
Since you won’t want that prickly skin
Or eat the central core.
One fruit surely lead the way:
It’s soft, it’s quick, it’s sweet.
No fruit is more convenient,
Banana’s hard to beat!
Here’s a tale about a dragon
And I’m sure it must be true:
It was told me by my grandpa,
Who would do the same for you.
Now he said that he saw this dragon
When his family had a farm;
This had left them all quite worried
That their sheep might come to harm.
So each day, the sheep were counted,
But they found none burnt or fried;
Not a lamb was ever roasted,
Or the dragon just once spied.
It then seemed that only grandpa
Still believed the dragon real,
So I’m sure you can imagine
How that made poor grandpa feel!
Now, of course, he wasn’t old then:
Maybe eight or nine at most,
So his parents then suggested
That perhaps he had seen a ghost –
Of a dragon that once lived there:
One that breathed out fire and smoke.
But he said they were quite mistaken:
He’d just made it up as a joke!
Have you ever found a bottle that was lying on the sand?
Did you ever find a note in it and hold it in your hand?
Did you ever, ever wonder, who had written such a note,
As you struggled to decipher what the unknown writer wrote?
Do not worry if you haven’t. It is something rather rare,
Since most bottles found on beaches come from fools, who left them there,
Where some unsuspecting person, that could well be you or me,
Finds them broken, or half buried, in a way that’s hard to see.
If you should find a bottle lying somewhere in the sand,
Get your Mum or Dad to check it, so that no-one cuts their hand,
Or the feet that will be needed when it’s taken to the bin.
So unless you see a note in it, please go and drop it in.
One morning, on my balcony,
I missed the sight I mostly see:
The distant sea, seen normally,
Had disappeared quite totally!
As well, mist shrouded every tree
Except the tree most close to me.
It blossomed bright, defiantly.
That single tree encouraged me.
Just like that tree I want to be:
Not daunted by adversity.
Most mists are only temporary.
If not, then faith must carry me.
Australian Children’s Poetry 