Category Archives: Australian children’s poetry

Anyone for Oysters? by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

Oysters, oysters,
fresh from the bay,
their shells are shining
in the sun today.

They’ve been growing
for one whole year;
the time to eat them
is almost here.

Oysters taste slimy,
some people say.
But I think they’re great,
any old day!

Teacher’s note: It takes a year for an oyster to grow before it’s ready to eat.  People either love them or hate them.  How many students in your class like oysters — and why?  How many know where they come from?  In the photo, the yellow “fingers” are visible — that means the shell has further to grow.

Inspecting oysters at Mooney Mooney, Hawkesbury River. Photo by Ginette Pestana

Captain R Jaken’s Ship by Andrew Plant

Leave a comment

Captain R Jaken owned a ship 
Named the Spick-n-Speck 
Cleaner than clean he would tell one and all 
“Argh you can eat lunch of t’ deck’ 
And that’s exactly what they did 
The Captain and the crew 
Ate all their meals off the deck 
Which meant – no washing up to do. 

Captain R Jaken often said 
“Argh clean ship sails t’ quickest” 
So come storm or calm he always made sure 
His was the speck and spickest 
Thus every day the crew would clean 
The ship from top to tail 
Dust, polish, vacuum, mop 
And even iron the sails. 

Captain R Jaken had a first-mate 
The crew all called him Splosh 
Who day after day and week after week 
Simply refused to wash 
After a while Splosh really stank 
So the Captain shouted an order 
“Take him and make him walk the plank 
Into a barrel of hot soapy water!!” 

Captain R Jaken recalls with a shiver 
The terrible day of Tyrone 
Storming through harbour and on to the ship 
With the whirl and the swirl of cylcone 
Dashing and splashing, tipping and flipping 
Dumping seaweed, sand and bog 
The crew mopped and swabbed but no matter what 
They could not control this dog. 

Captain R Jaken loved how sun 
Made Spick–n-Speck shine-n-shimmer 
And more than the gold and jewels of his dreams  
How the moon made it glisten-n-glimmer 
This sparkle-n-glow had so won his heart 
Spick-n-Speck never left dock 
And to ensure the ship would stay clean 
It was moored with big a chain-n-lock. 

Image from Pixabay

Legs In The Air (Anaphora) by Jeanie Axton

Leave a comment

What have you been eating Brock?
That is causing quite a stink
Was it green and red
Or yellow, brown and pink?

What have you been eating Brock?
The smell is really bad
Was it a piece of carrot cake
You stole from snoring Dad?

What have you been eating Brock?
The whole house it does reek
Was it from the garbage bin
That’s been sitting there all week?

What have you been eating Brock?
Your gastric juices churning
One whiff and we will leave the room
Today, not be returning.

Brock, your plan is very clever
As you work your inner gut
To get your favourite seat at home
You whistle out your butt!

Image from Pixabay

Granny’s Elixir by Nicola Phillips

Leave a comment

Granny yelled crossly, “what’s all that commotion? I can hardly think. 

Come inside at once, sit down and have a drink! 

But first of all, go and wash your hands

Who knows what germs you’ve picked up playing in the woodlands!

So, what have you got to say for yourself my little rascal Dan?

I saw you pull your sister’s hair before she ran and ran and ran!

And you my little doll face throwing sticks is just not on,

You could have taken his eye out and we’d have Pirate John!

For the sake of world peace and anything else that matters,

You must learn to get on together or you will find your world in tatters!

Now have a cup of granny’s tea and a pumpkin scone,

You will find that after sharing a cuppa all your problems are gone!

International Day of Peace was 21st September 2026

Image from Pexels

Peace (Anaphora) by James Aitchison

1 Comment

And did they sing in Gaza?

And did they dance in Israel?

And did they harvest in Vietnam?

And did they love life in Cambodia?

And did Koreans yearn for freedom?

And did they live without fear in Germany?

And did they pursue a better life in Russia?

And did Armenians pray for their survival?

And did we all love peace?

And did we close our eyes to tyranny?

And will we ever do it again …?

Image from Pexels

International Day of Peace. https://internationaldayofpeace.org

2026 Theme: Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day

Teacher’s note: Anaphora is a literary device where a word or phrase is repeated at the start of successive lines or sentences. By repeating the sequence of words, students can add emphasis to their poetry. Poets.org states: “Not only can anaphora create a driving rhythm by the recurrence of the same sound, it can also intensify the emotion of the poem.” 

Spring has Sprung by Jeanie Axton

Leave a comment

Put the devices away I say

a new season has begun

It’s time to shake off winter

and have some springtime fun

Go out and smell the flowers

see the butterflies appear

landing, drinking nectar

while fluttering quite near

Take the dog for a walk

play with the cat on the grass

head to the local park to play

be pleased that winter’s past

Watch for buzzing bees as well

but please I say ‘No fights’

these fuzzy golden insects

have quite a nasty bite

Put the devices away I say

a new season has begun

It’s time to shake off winter

and have some springtime fun

Image from Pixabay

Master Billy Joe by Toni Newell

1 Comment

As brown as a block of milk chocolate,
Eyes yellow as egg yolks,
A coat of curls feels soft to the touch,
My Billy Joe who I love so much.
A tail that wags with great delight,
A dog so bright
That he can almost read my mind,
Knows when it’s walking time,
Without a word, just a glance
And off we go
With love so simple, so pure,
Filled with trust,
My best friend, my confidant,
He doesn’t judge or criticize,
He is always there by my side.
What words can totally express
The relationship between man and dog?

Image supplied by Toni Newell

Our Coat of Arms by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

The kangaroo and emu 
are Aussie through and through.
No other country has them,
and the whole world knows that’s true.

Is that why they’re our symbols,
because they’re ours alone?
No — kangaroos and emus can’t
move backwards, it’s well known!

That’s why they’re on our coat of arms,
the fact can’t be ignored:
they symbolise a nation 
that’s always moving forward.

Read more about the Australian Coat of Arms here:
https://kids.kiddle.co/Coat_of_arms_of_Australia

Image from Pixabay