My New Bathroom by James Aitchison

2 Comments

I wish that in my bathroom

I had a shower like this!

All that water tumbling —

wouldn’t it be bliss?

Cascading down my back,

in a rushing flow!

The only problem is,

where would so much water go?

I’d need a massive drainhole

to carry it away,

and one enormous tap

to turn it on each day.

Waterfall, Milford Sound, New Zealand. Photo by Ginette Pestana

Where’s My Nose? by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

My nose is buried in a book,

as I read from cover to cover,

and with every line I read,

new things I discover.

Each word makes a picture,

each picture fires my brain —

it’s such a great adventure,

how can I explain?

One day I will write a book

and everyone will read it —

an author I am going to be,

and you’d best believe it!

Image from Pexels by Min An

The Wilds by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

Out in the wilds

the daylight is dying;

the darklight is coming,

and the wind is a-sighing.

Shadows will deepen,

grow darker and soon,

with the quiet starlight,

will come the moon.

The pastures will sleep

and not waken till morn,

when at last the sun rises

and a new day is born.

North Island, New Zealand. Photo by Ginette Pestana

Nursery Nonsense by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

Mary had a little lamb,

it grew into a sheep. 

It got so big and woolly,

she gave it to Bo Peep.

Little Bo Peep was

minding the sheep,

eating her curds and whey,

when a massive great spider

sat down beside her

and would not go away.

She sent off a text

to her pals Jack and Jill;

with three blind mice,

they ran up the hill.

All the king’s horses ran away with the spoon

and the sheep jumped over the moon.

Photo by James Aitchison

Wet Feet by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

See those trees

up to their knees

in the lake.

Branches bare,

no leaves to spare,

no boat’s wake

disturbs the sunken forest,

beneath a blazing sun,

so far from everyone,

the waters are at rest.

Lake Pamamaroo, Menindee.  Photo by Ginette Pestana

Teacher’s note: Nine mainly shallow lakes make up the Menindee Lakes on the Darling River in New South Wales.  Menindee was the first town established on the Darling, on the lands of the Barkindji people.  The nearest major city is Broken Hill.

The Doctopus by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

If you’re a fish and you get sick,
who do you go and see?
The Doctopus will help you —
he’s your undersea GP.
He’s qualified to treat
watery infections,
and because he has eight hands,
he’ll give you eight injections.
From sore sardines and sneezing sharks
to tonsil-troubled tuna,
the Doctopus will fix you —
you’ll feel much better sooner.

Photo from Stockcake

The Flinders Ranges by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

The mighty ramparts rise above the plain,

where once the plains were sea.

And you might think how harsh it looks,

yet beautiful it seems to me.

A world of red soil, stone and silence,

of ancient legends told ’round fires,

of peace and fascination

to my tired city eyes.

Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Photo by Ginette Pestana

Water by James Aitchison

Leave a comment

When will water this way come
and fill this ancient creek?  
There’s been no rain hereabouts
for many a long, long week.

When drought breaks the creek will rush,
a torrent raging by,
but for now it’s turned to dust —
no clouds have blessed the sky.

While in the east, it’s flooding,
and towns and farms are lost.
Can these extremes of climate stop,
or has a line been crossed?

Dry creek bed, Flinders Ranges. Photo by Ginette Pestana