Over two billion years
back in the past
the Earth’s like a snowball
with frozen white crusts.

The carbon dioxide
levels were low
which made our world colder
and covered in snow.

Life had evolved as
small single cells.
But many would die
as the temperatures fell.

Since some could survive
that long glacier spell,
could other ice worlds
hide life-forms as well?

First published in Double Helix (Jul 2016)

Reproduced with permission of CSIRO

www.doublehelix.csiro.au

Turn me over,

Then put me down,

And watch the snow begin:

Onto trees,

And Christmas scenes,

The secret’s glycerin.

Mixed with water

Inside the globe,

It slows the glitter down,

So when it falls

It looks like snow,

Drifting all around.

A perky little Pea crab
knocked on an oyster’s door
He bellowed out for food please
then hollered out some more

The sleepy slimy oyster
didn’t really have a say
as the cunning little Pea crab
barged in to live that day

That cute and crafty Pea crab
shelter, air, and food all free
sponged of his oyster roommate
gently rocking in the sea

Queen Elizabeth II met Shetland Pone Cruachan IV, the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, during a visit to Stirling Castle.

“Earth control to Major Tom”

David Bowie sang this tune,

It helped me to imagine

The men walking on the moon.

Who would have thought it could happen?

“Not in our lifetime”, we’d say.

But it definitely did, I assure you.

Oh what an amazing day.

The furthest in space I’ve ever travelled

Was in a jumbo jet,

But looking down on those clouds

Was the closest I’d ever get.