Winter in Australia by Linda Davidson

Leave a comment

Winter in Australia is varied that’s true blue,
From snowy mountain ranges to temps of thirty-two.
Winter begins when the month of June has arrived.
And the nights are usually cooler, no matter where you reside.
Winter nights make clearer air, so the stars twinkle brighter
While winter days are shorter and the sun appears calmer.
Winter is great for drinking hot chocolate that is steaming
And snuggling with blankets while reading and dreaming.
Winter is a time for jackets, socks and beanies to be worn,
And bonfires on the beach are a fun way to stay warm.

Image from Pixabay

Captain R Jaken’s Adventures by Andrew Plant

Leave a comment

Captain R Jaken 

Likes to have fun 

So with his eyes 

He wears a patch over one  

Sometimes on the left 

Sometimes on the right 

Sometimes in the day 

Sometimes at night 
 

Captain R Jaken  

Likes to say Arrrgh  

And shiver-me-timbers  

And get-on there Jack-tar 

Sometimes he shouts 

Sometimes he mumbles 

Sometimes he sings  

Sometimes he grumbles 

Captain R Jaken 

Likes reading maps 

And looking for treasure  

And setting-off traps  

Sometimes he gets gold 

Sometimes he gets muck 

Sometimes he gets lost 

Sometimes he gets stuck 

Captain R Jaken 

Likes to be brave 

Exploring dark places 

And cold slimey caves 

Sometimes he struts  

Sometimes he sneaks  

Sometimes he’s bold  

Sometimes he shrieks 

Captain R Jaken 

Likes to tell tales 

’bout treasures and battles 

And krakens and whales  

Sometimes he wins 

Sometimes he’s beaten 

Sometimes he escapes  

Sometimes he’s eaten  

Captain R Jaken 

Likes sailing at night 

He sailed to Lands-End 

And then on out of sight 

Sometimes he’s seen 

Sometimes he’s not 

Sometimes he’s remembered 

Sometimes he’s forgot 

Captain R Jaken 

Likes these things and more  

As long as they all  

Can be done from the shore 

Sometime in his heart 

Sometimes in his head 

Sometimes in his chair  

Sometimes in his bed. 

Image from Pixabay

Adeline Rose’s Birthday Party by Nicola Phillips

Leave a comment

Adeline Rose just loved to pose,

Her mum would say, “eyes this way, chin up, that’s my girl.”

Every chance she got

Whether it was inconvenient or not.

Adeline Rose would rise to the occasion

Never once flinching, posing without persuasion.

This went on for quite some time,

Until one day, Adeline Rose refused to obey.

She had had simply enough.

No cajoling, pleading or bribing would make her sway.

Adeline Rose turned her back,

This Instagram lark was merely a hack.

Her mum was devastated but what could she do?

If Adeline Rose refused her birthday party too?

Food and drink were already bought,

“It cannot just grind to nothing – to nought?”

But Adeline Rose stuck to her guns,

No party or posing – she was done.

Adeline Rose was keen to restore

Her life as a dog and nothing more!

Image from Pexels

The Frozen Garden by Gemma Creegan

1 Comment

I see a robin shelter in a tree

His beady eyes look down on me

A little red breast up on high

As he swoops from tree to sky

The frozen ground, the trees are bare

Winter has arrived without a care

Striking us with pellets of rain

The song birds and their sad refrain

A ray of sun, a bulb in the ground

Signs of Spring will soon rebound

A sense of hope returns to me

Winter soon a distant memory

Artwork by Gemma Creegan

An unfamous Australian by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

Sir Cyril Street was the first Australian

to fly round the world upside down.

So famous was he that you can see

his name on signs all over town.

He was all the talk when he reached New York,

thousands of people came out to gawk.

He landed in Delhi in such a hurry,

his propellor sank into someone’s curry.

He narrowly missed the Eiffel Tower

and set Big Ben back by an hour.

He crossed the Arctic, his wheels in the air,

where polar bears came out to stare.

What a hero was this aviator

that his fame has still persisted,

though no one knows when he died

because he never really existed.

Image from pexels

Oh Chocolate! by Pauline Cleary

1 Comment

Little square shapes and fancy, round twirls;
nestled in boxes with ribbons in swirls;
joined in arrays like crossword puzzles;
sprinkled with cocoa and formed into truffles;
rolled in nuts and melted on sticks;
soft, creamy centres with crunchy bits;
shaped into rabbits, koalas and frogs;
poured into moulds and rolled into logs.
Chocolate, oh chocolate, so delicious, so sweet!
Pull off the wrapper! Come on, let’s eat!

Image from Pexels

Night Sounds by Frankie Rose

Leave a comment

Some of our fauna have it right
They sleep all day and rise at night
Some are shy, others proud
Some are quiet, others loud
Learn to recognise the sound
It’s nice to know who is around.

Curlews chat, some night birds cry
Cattle low, and the bats whoosh by
Green frogs drop from hiding places
To commence their nighttime hopping races
The froggy chorus by the dam
Informs all their friends, “I am around.”

Tell the dogs no need to bustle
When hearing gentle thumps and leafy rustles
That’s the macropods up near the house
And a swooping owl catching a mouse.

WAIT the chooks are cackling – that’s not right!
A snake is sneaking in this night
I‘m racing there to get him out
“Not my chooks, you hungry lout!”

But soon the sky begins to lighten
Pull the blankets right up tighter
Bird chirps start to fill the dawning
It must be time to rise for morning.

Poem inspired by July poetry prompt from artwork titled, NIGHTSOUNDS by Amanda W Johnson

https://amberwjohnson.wixsite.com/illustration/about-me

Whose nose is nosiest? by James Aitchison

2 Comments

Who can smell the farthest,

an animal or us?

Like, I can smell a meat pie

from the back seat of the bus!

But that isn’t very far,

for when I looked up all the facts,

we can smell about five feet —

that’s one point five metres max!

Dogs’ noses are much better —

they can sniff scents near and far,

about two thousand metres

away from where they are!

But the elephant beats all,

sniffing scents twelve miles away,

that’s nineteen thousand metres,

on any given day.

Now if I could grow a trunk,

I’d increase my sense of smell,

but I think I’ll keep my nose —

it fits my face quite well!

Image from Unsplash

The Princess Hunt by Pauline Hosking

Leave a comment

There was a girl called Manda Lee
Who binged-watched far too much TV.
Especially those series where
Contestants all had sculptured hair
And rippling muscles, teeth like pearls –
That was the boys, also the girls.
How Manda wished that she could be
Like these, a famed celebrity.

A ‘Princess hunt’ throughout the land
Was what some TV bosses planned
To publicise their latest show
About a princess and her beau.
When Manda heard she gave a shout
‘I must impress the talent scout!
But every princess I have seen
Has yellow hair and is quite lean.

‘My hair is black. I’m overweight.
I’ll get to work and change my fate!’
She poured peroxide on her hair
And planned her meals with extra care.
Then joined her dad, who for a lark,
Ran twice a day around the park.
When TV cameras reached the town
Her weight was less, her hair pale brown.

Manda pouted at the lens
As if they were the best of friends.
To no avail – she was rejected!
After some time feeling wretched
TV fame lost its appeal.
She looked around for something real.
Remembered how much fun she’d had
Exercising with her dad.

Began to train, picked up her paces
Started winning sprints and races.
Manda found her ever after
Sharing chats and laps and laughter.

She never watched the Princess show.
Her hair grew black. She let it grow.

Image from Pixabay