“Feet” by Robyn Youl

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Quatrain Poetry celebrates the number four. It is easy and fun to write:

A Quatrain poem is a four-line poem that rhymes.

There are four ways to organise a Quatrain rhyming scheme.

1. a/b/a/b/ rhyming scheme
2. a/a/b/b/ rhyming scheme
3. a/a/b/a/ rhyming scheme
4. a/b/c/b/ rhyming scheme
1. Cat Feet are neat & round. They need less energy to lift during movement. They grip on rough terrain. They are paws for endurance, not short bursts of speed.

Cat Feet: Rhyming scheme: a/b/a/b/ Four lines

 

Not for speed, not for the race

Not for the swift or fleet

Steady the rhythm, steady the pace

Arched and round cat feet.

 

2 .Hare Feet require more energy for locomotion, but are designed for speed. The two centre toes are longer than the outside toes and the toes arch less. Designed for running with short, high bursts of speed.

Hare Feet: Rhyming scheme: a/a/b/b/ Four lines

 

Two centre toes, long and strong

Grip the ground, speed me along

Race with me if you dare

Mine is the fleet foot of the hare

 

3. Webbed Feet are for swimming to retrieve birds or drag fishing nets ashore. The toes are connected by membrane similar to that of a frog to assist with locomotion in water. 

Webbed Feet: Rhyming Scheme: a/a/b/a/ Four lines.

 

Bred to swim, bred to achieve

Webbed feet through the water cleave

Downed birds and fishing nets I carry

My goal in life is to retrieve

“2019 Year of the Pig” by Robyn Youl

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 2019 THE YEAR OF THE PIG 

 

A lunar year

Puts the earth in the centre

Measures time

As the moon goes round

Different way of thinking

Chinese New Year

            2019

The Fifth Day of February.

 

Chinese Jade Emperor 

Organised a race

First to reach the Celestial Palace 

Would be first to guard

The Heavenly Gate 

 

Twelve animals had a river to cross.

Rat said to Ox

You do the swimming

I’ll sit on your ear

Just to be sure the way is clear.

 

Rat cheated.

Won first place

Generous Ox did not mind at all

 

Tiger and Rabbit tried hard to win

Tiger beat Rabbit for Third

 

Dragon was fifth.

Jade Emperor said: Where is your son?

Snake replied: I’m the one.

Snake was sixth

 

Horse and Goat arrived together

Horse was Seventh.

Goat was Eighth

 

Monkey came leaping in

To be Ninth

What a racket.

What a din!!!

 

Rooster was next.

Dog and Pig

Got distracted on the way

A Celestial Race

Was a time to play

Dog was Eleventh

Pig was Last.

 

Twelve Zodiacs

In a twelve year cycle

Born in 

           2007?

You will really dig

            2019

Another Year of the Pig

 

“Year of the Pig” by Robyn Youl

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Two Christmases by Robyn Youl

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Grandma D has

A real pine Christmas Tree.

At the very top

A Silver Star of the Nativity.

On her mantelpiece

A Stable where Jesus was born.

Santa sacks hang waiting

For Christmas Morn.

 

Great Gran’s in a Home

They call it Aged Care

She’s wrinkly and bent,

It’s hard not to stare.

She’s Grandma D’s Mum.

She didn’t stay.

Pa just picked her up

To spend Christmas Day.

 

It was not the right day.

It was not Christmas Morn.

Wise Men still travelling.

Baby Jesus not born

Father Christmas still

At the Pole with his sleigh.

He leaves Christmas Eve,

To arrive Christmas Day

 

 

Great Gran’s 93

That’s awfully old

She really believes

Everything she is told.

She mutters and mumbles

Doesn’t call us by name.

But she buys great presents

… just the same.

 

With too much to drink

Grandparents talk funny

Making jokes about “Mum”

And spending her money.

If her old brain

Is so addled and queer

How come she could buy

All that food wine and beer?

 

Great Grandma’s mind

May have gone far away

But she’ll wake up alone

On the real Christmas Day.

Robyn Youl

 

Feathers Fur or Fins by Robyn Youl

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Vertebrates are covered

In spikes, feathers and scales

Most mammals wear fur

Skin covers humans and whales

 

With skeletons covered

In scaled skins.

Fish breathe under water

And glide with their fins.

 

With skeleton covered

In thick armored plates

Eyes and nose above water

The crocodile waits

 

With skeleton covered

In skin soft and cool

Tadpoles become frogs

In creek, river and pool.

 

With hollow skeletons

And fragile feather

Birds swoop and soar

In flocks together

 

With skeletons covered

In thick fur or fine hair

Bats, seals and elephants

Share earth water and air

 

The Love of Eggs by Robyn Youl

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Mother Emu lays her eggs

Disdainfully walks away

Emu father tends their eggs

Turning each one every day

 

Echidna mums lay just one egg

In her pouch it hatches

When puggle starts to prickle

It’s evicted ‘cause it scratches

 

Mother Trapdoor loves her eggs

With silk she lines her nest

She sometimes gobbles up the dad

Mum Spider really does know best

 

Sea Horse Dads carry eggs in pouches

From eggs tiny foals break free

Sea Dads’ pouches stretch and stretch

Until Dads give birth in the open sea

Poem of the Day

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MY

Being.

Blossoming Blooming

Balanced Bedazzling Ball-of-Fire

Being Befriended, Beloved By

ME

Robyn Youl

 

  • Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #29

Robyn said: Nearly a Diamante! Every child is a diamond. Some need love to polish those prisms so they can shine. Poetry in kids’ prisons would help! What a marvelous thing for kids to do – create positive poems about themselves using this pattern!

 

Yesterday by Robyn Youl

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 I am 72 today,

Yesterday

In Grade Two

The Hobyahs came to stay.

They came through the gloomy gullies

Creep, creep, creeping.

They came through the grey gum-trees

Run, run, running.

They came into my dreams

Skip, skip, skipping.

The Little Old Man

Cut off Little Dog Dingo’s tail

And Little Dog Dingo’s legs

And Little Dog Dingo’s head

To stop Little Dog Dingo barking.

To frighten the Hobyahs away

The Little Old Man

Hid under the bed

When the Hobyahs took

The Little Old Woman away.

The Little Old Man

Was very sorry.

He took Dingo’s tail and his legs and his head

And gave them back to Little Dog Dingo.

Little Dog Dingo saved the Little Old Woman

Little Dog Dingo ate up every one of the Hobyah’s

I am not so sure

There are no Hobyahs now

Even now

Now I am 72.

See for yourself.

Today.