Category Archives: Australian children’s poetry

An Album of Yesterdays by Celia Berrell

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An Album of Yesterdays

I caught a piece of yesterday

to share with you today.

It’s clinging to a memory

of how we laugh and play.

 

I know that piece of yesterday

will never go astray.

It’s squashed inside a heavy book.

That’s where it’s going to stay.

 

Tomorrow, when I’m old and grey

I’ll still remember yesterday

and how we used to play and laugh.

Because … I have our photograph!

Celia Berrell

Celia said: Personal pictures and photos have an almost magical connection with our memories and emotions.  And some become more precious as the Yesterdays slip by!  Do you treasure your analogue or digital album of Yesterdays?

Yesterday Today by Jeanie Axton

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Yesterday we had bacon and eggs for breakfast

Today was Coco Pops

Yesterday we had an apple for morning tea

Today was fairy floss

Yesterday we had pumpkin soup for lunch

Today was hot chips

Yesterday we had Greek yogurt for an afternoon snack

Today was a Mars Bar

Yesterday we had a roast chicken dinner with veggies

Today was a Happy Meal from McDonald’s

Yesterday we had homemade apple pie for dessert

Today was a chocolate donut

Yesterday we watched the footy with carrot sticks and dip

Today we watched with a big bucket of popcorn

Yesterday my mum was home all day

Today my dad was in charge of food

I wonder what we will eat tomorrow?

 Jeanie Axton 

Kookaburras by Bridh Hancock

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KOOKABURRAS

 

Dacelo novaeguineae

 

Ho, koo-koo-kaa-kaa,

Kookaburras,

Laughing in your trees;

No jumbuck jollier,

Gladly I’d follow yu’,

Life was meant to please.

 

Can you whistle?

Oh but this’ll

Do, for laughter’s sweet

And you could,

If you but stood

Your terribly ticklish feet.

 

Tiring is this

Wing-flap business,

But you need to fly;

For ticklish feet

Sure has you beat,

But what a way to die!

 

Bridh Hancock

Meander by James Aitchison

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MEANDER

A sleepwalker named Alexander

Left his bed so he could meander.

Eyes closed and snoring,

Arms out before him,

He ended up on the verandah.

 

But fate had in store a cruel twist

For this poor lonely somnambulist.

The next thing he knew

There was doggy-doo,

And his feet landed right in its midst!

 

So in future, my friend Alexander,

Take heed of a humble bystander:

Please stay in your bed,

Sheets over your head,

And don’t try to sleep’ly meander.

James Aitchison

Butcher Bob by Allan Cropper

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BUTCHER BOB

Butcher Bob from Iron Knob was known throughout the land

for cooking food that tasted good, with produce fresh at hand

Now, Bob he strove to get his stove to turn out something new

He’d not prepare the common fare the common townsfolk knew

 

From out the back was heard a quack, a gobble and some clucking

a chop or three, then glory be, a mess of feather plucking

It seemed absurd, he stuffed each bird into its larger cousin

and finally, he sang with glee as he shoved it in the oven.

 

With carving knife, he and his wife had settled down to tuck in

to Sunday treat, this three-way meat, he invented roast turducken

‘Next week, my dear, my next idea…the roast I will be making…

roast beef, pig too, and kangaroo…my kanga-beefy-bacon.’

© Allan Cropper

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.