Category Archives: Poem of the Day

“My Secret Friend” by Margaret Pearce

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MY SECRET FRIEND

 

My secret friend

So fat and round

Under my bed

Was often found.

 

My secret friend

Liked being alone

Avoids emails

And mobile phone.

 

My secret friend

Never idle

Can walk up walls

With sideways sidle.

 

My secret friend

With legs of eight

And web well made

Prepares to wait.

 

My secret friend

Clears my room

Of flying pests

His web their tomb.

 

My secret friend

Costs nothing to feed

He always finds

The food he’ll need.

 

My secret friend

So black and furry

After he’s fed

Is almost purry.

 

My secret friend

So very lovable

Mum believes

He’s only trouble.

 

My secret friend

Had got to go

Mum thinks spiders

The deadly foe.

 

My secret friend

Doesn’t have ears

But very hurt

About Mum’s fears.

 

My secret friend

Was so bereft

He packed his bags

And quickly left.

 

My secret friend

So fat and round

Under my bed

No longer found.

 

oooOooo

 

© Margaret Pearce

“Pet Rex” by Celia Berrel

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Pet Rex

 

Some animals

don’t make good pets.

And one of them

would be T rex.

A dinosaur

so tall and wide

there’s no way

he could live inside.

 

Tyrannosaurus rex

is large.

His head would fill-up

your garage.

Twelve metre driveways

would be great

to fit his tail

inside the gate.

 

With stinky breath

from eating meat

you’d want to clean

his big strong teeth.

He’s got bad manners

when he’s fed.

His tiny arms

can’t reach his head!

 

first published in CSIRO’s Scientriffic magazine issue #77 March 2012
with illustration by Science Writer Mike McRae

“Planet of the Dogs” by Jeanie Axton

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Reverse our worlds

and you will see

That you dear human

can learn from me

 

A few simple commands

will have it down pat

Human Obedience class

get it right, get a pat

 

Here’s our training

my faithful friend

Planned by me

from start to end

 

Command 1: Get up

 

Get up Get up

sleepy head

The sun is up

get out of bed

 

Command 2: Walk

 

Walk time next

but no doggy lead

I’m ready now

and will not plead

 

Command 3: Heel

 

Heel no way

let me run

Training a human

is lots of fun

 

Command 4: Stop

 

Stop right now

yes at that tree

Every day

for my morning pee

 

Command 5: Talk

 

Talk to me

say nice things

I’m a good boy

among other things

 

Command 6: Sit

 

Sit on down

in front of me

Scratch my belly

if you please

 

Command 7: Wait

 

Sit there nicely

wait for a command

I may have a snooze

don’t be alarmed

 

Command 8: Drop it

 

Drop the book

you now are reading

Observe my eyes

see them pleading

 

Command 8: Bark

 

One bark means bacon

two barks a meat pie

Three barks a lie down

then a contented sigh

 

Command 9: Couch

 

Shift over a bit

I need more space

And a lambs wool rug

in my comfy place

 

Command 10: Bed

 

No longer I’ll sleep

in a box outdoors

Or in the winter

on the cold laundry floor

 

Command 11: Move over

 

Move over move over

on our king size bed

Let me stretch out

and please scratch my head

 

Command 12: I love you

 

I love our routine

Commands to impart

Human being playmates

Are really very smart

“My Dog Jed” by Margaret Pearce

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MY DOG JED

 

My dog Jed

Is never trouble

What killed that hen

Was his double.

 

This Jack Russell terror

Known as Jed

Into mischief and error

Is never led.

 

My dog Jed

With teeth so white

Doesn’t chase cats

Who want to fight.

 

My dog Jed

So loyal and sweet

Not near the bed

With its ripped sheet.

 

My dog Jed

Is very athletic

Running ahead

To beat the traffic.

 

My dog Jed

So very good

Turns up to be fed

When he should.

 

My dog Jed

Is never blue

As around he’s led

To sniff quoll poo.

 

My dog Jed

Is not argumentative

And can’t be said

To be offensive.

 

My dog Jed

Doesn’t cause trouble

Damage alleged

Was caused by his double.

 

My dog Jed

Loves to roam

Is selectively deaf

About coming home.

 

My dog Jed

So very courageous

In disgrace in the shed

I think it’s outrageous

oooOooo

 

© Margaret Pearce

“Flying Tale” by Julie Cahill

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Flying Tale

The most favorite pet we ever had 

was little ‘Peanut,’ named by Dad

The tiny fit upon my hand

soon sprung out 

like a rubber band

When laying, he was Peanut Paste

fortunately without the taste

When chasing ‘Fly,’

our other dog 

t’was left behind at every log

We watched Fly in the longest grass

grass that bent

while Peanut chased his . . . tail ?

Julie Cahill 

“Europa’s” Secrets by Celia Berrell

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Europa’s Secrets by Celia Berrell

 

There’s hope Europa has a sea

where living things could really be

because this moon of Jupiter

has lots of solid ice water.

 

The pictures of Europa show

a crusty surface white as snow

with many lines and ridges mixed

like ice sheets that have cracked and fixed.

 

As Jupiter’s great gravity

distorts Europa’s cavity

that energy and friction heats

and melts some water underneath.

 

We think this frozen water layer

could make a sea that’s hiding there.

So just below that crusty shell

it’s possible some microbes dwell.

 

Or what if it turns out to hold

some animals both weird and bold

that roam Europa’s chilly sea.

True aliens to you and me!

 

First published in Scientriffic (March 2011)

Reproduced with permission of CSIRO

www.doublehelix.csiro.au 

Discovering life exists in places beyond Earth – like Jupiter’s icy moon Europa – could be a reality in our lifetime.  Thinking about it makes my imagination run wild!  What will these creatures be like?

Teacher Notes by Jeanie Axton

Heres an interesting article from the NASA website

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/europa/in-depth

As far as poetry goes this topic stimulates the creative imagination of us all. Ask students to brain storm possibilities and then come up with a list of describing words that could be used to match their ideas. An acrostic could be an easy form of poetry to start with on this topic and then move on to other ways of presenting ideas in poetry. Have Fun.

“Dad’s Barbecue” by Ron Marsh

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DAD’S BARBECUE

My father had a bullock,

I don’t know where he found it,

The council man came by one day,

And said he must impound it.

Now Dad said that it can’t be done,

Because he’d asked a few,

Of his friends and relatives  

To a barbecue.

The bull heard this, and with a roar,

He headed for the hills,

He had no plans for barbecues,

And salad for the frills.

So dad and all the family,

And some of his good friends,

Had barbecue of vegetables,

And other odds and ends.

“Song of the Wood” by Julie Cahill

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’Ssssshhhhh!’ the trees whispered

and the children froze 

absorbing sounds; standing up on their toes. 

‘Ribbit!’ The sound of a deep voiced frog.

‘What’s that?’ asked a child, hiding under a log.

‘Ribbit!’ said the deep voiced frog again.

‘Get lost’ said the girl in the wooded glen. 

‘Ssssshhhhh!’ said the trees

and the frog cleared his throat. 

‘Ribbit ribbit . . . riiiiiiiiiiiiiibit!’

‘Chchchchchchchchch  ‘ – a cricket tuned. 

‘Riiiiiiiiiiiibit’ the frog sung, renewed.

The wood came alive with wondrous ballett.

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ – the string quatet.

‘Chomp chomp chomp’ went the hungry deer. 

‘Ribbit.’ ‘Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp.’

‘Ribbit’. ‘Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp.’

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ ‘Chomp chomp’

‘Chchchchchchchchch’ ‘Chomp chomp’

And a boar joined in- bold and brave.

‘Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp.’

‘Ribbit!’ ‘Stomp!’ ‘Ribbit!’ ‘Stomp’!’

‘Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp!’

‘SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!’