Sailing

Some Dutch ships sailed into port last week.

When we climbed aboard, we smiled 

and knew this would be the perfect adventure.

The seas were gently rolling

to and fro from here

a quiet invitation-

Come look and find what’s near-

Come sailing on our waters

and discover things out deep-

come see the place where dolphins play,

where humpback whales sleep.

Come floating on the darkest blue

and watch the straight horizon-

for there you’ll see a water spout

as whales begin their rising.

Come navigate the bumps and planes

the moving surface offers-

come glide atop as strong winds blow-

head back; escaping laughter.

Come dip your hands in fresh, cool trails

‘aside the wooden port-

white foaming water trickling through

and splashing up on board.

Come rig the sails and watch them bloom

as sleeves are filled with air.

Stay on tack once land is seen-

the wind will take you there.

And when you disembark,

feet firmly on the shore,

you'll tell of your adventures

and know there’ll soon be more.

Sea Stars

It's always nice to visit places that bring the outside to you.

My son loves the touch pools at the aquarium.

This poem is for him.

Looking in the water

as ripples smooth and clear,

I see a star of colour

quietly appear.

Five arms that point out straight,

tough, bumpy skin on top,

little suckers underneath

help prop it on a rock.

Reaching down to touch,

I feel its roughened rays

and wonder how it finds its food

when here it seems to stay.

But sea stars are quite tricky-

they eat from outside in-

lunching on a clam or two

or fish with tiny fins.

I tickle it some more

with gentle fingertips-

new ripples start to form,

I feel the sea star shift.

Waving it goodbye-

that starry orange blur,

I know that I am lucky
to have seen what lives down there.

Seashells

Some shells have spirals that wind 'round and 'round.

Others are white and easily found.

Some shells are cone-shaped with a small, pointy tip.

Some deep like a cup, from which you could sip.

Some shells have ridges, striations of colour.

Others lined with nacre, an artwork of wonder.

Some shells are shaped like a butterfly's wings.

Each side is the same and joined at the hinge.

Some shells are big and fill your whole hand.

Others are tiny - hard to find in the sand.

And when one's discovered, it's gently removed

from the beach which it laid on - that warm comfy groove.

Washed off in the water and dried on a towel.

Taken home as a treasure... (with a very soft) "Wow!"

Twelve Treasures

My children love to go treasure hunting. 

At the beach parks, we pretend to be on a boat which stops at islands, each holding a different treasure to find. Rough things, smooth things, brown things, green things. The emphasis always on texture or colour. As they've grown older, they like to find things based on clues, so I wrote this treasure hunting poem for them. It's simple - twelve treasures - that can be found while on a walk or playing in the park. 

Sometimes I'm round, sometimes I'm  l o n g .

When the wind blows I help make a song.

I'm a ... (leaf).

I grow down low right on the ground.

Under your feet I can be found.

I am ... (grass).

I'm made of wood and thin as can be.

I used to grow up on a tree.

I'm a ... (stick).

Sometimes I'm rough, sometimes I'm smooth.

Sometimes I'm big and hard to move!

I'm a ... (rock).

I can be pink, yellow, purple, or even red.

I'm found in every flowerbed.

I'm a ... (petal).

I'm found on trees and am often rough.

Trunks need me to stay really tough.

I am ... (bark).

I wear shiny armour and scuttle about.

I have six little legs and sometimes wings that spread out.

I'm a ... (beetle).

I have woody scales arranged in rows.

Up on a tree I used to grow.

I'm a ... (pinecone).

I'm made of grains, tiny and white.

A handful of me feels very light.

I am ... (sand).

I'm round like the moon or curved like a smile.

I hold tiny seeds tight for quite a while.

I'm a ... (seed pod).

I have three green leaves, each shaped like a heart.

If you find me with four, it's a lucky start!

I'm a ... (clover).

I carry my house on my back and move oh so   s  l  o  w  .

I like it best outside when the rain starts to flow.

I'm a ... (snail).

The Pinnacles

My children are very curious. They want to know how things are made. 

So after a recent trip to The Pinnacles - 
those beautiful rocky structures in the desert of Western Australia - 

I decided it was easier to write a poem to help answer their many questions.

There's a story in the sand

of creatures long ago-

swimming in the ocean deep,

waves rolling to and fro.

Time went on - the molluscs perished

leaving just a hardened shell-

an empty hollow reminder

that here they used to dwell.

Carried on the waves

shells washed up on the shore-

the crashing Indian blue

bringing hundreds and thousands more.

Eventually the shells

broke down to tiny grains-

lime-rich sands were formed-

and on the shoreline laid.

Then suddenly the wind-

in forceful mighty gusts-

picked up those grains of sand

and dropped them in the dust.

The sand piles kept on growing

'til ample dunes were formed-

up to three hundred meters (!)

these inland towers loomed.

From here it is a mystery

(of sorts, as some may say)-

it could have been the rain

that washed the calcite away.

And while it formed a solid

on the sand that laid below,

some plants grew up on top-

roots reaching right down low.

But plants don't live forever-

they too were blown away-

leaving just the hardened rocks

that stand in the desert today.

Do You See What I See?

This poem reads best while humming the tune 

to the well-known Christmas song, 

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Said the mother to her little girl-

Do you see what I see?

Swimming in the river, little one-

Do you see what I see?

A fish, a fish

Bubbles all a far

With a tail that glitters like a star

With a tail that glitters like a star

Said the little girl to her mum-

Do you hear what I hear?

Flowing deep and fast near us, mum

Do you hear what I hear?

A stream, a stream

Water running 'long

With a current that is steady and strong

With a current that is steady and strong

Said the mother to her little girl-

Do you know what I know?

In this world around us, little one-

Do you know what I know?

A home, a home

For creatures big and small

We can watch and learn to keep them all

We can watch and learn to keep them all

Said the little girl to her mum-

I am listening to you

Our Earth is precious, isn’t it mum?

I am listening to you

The fish, the trees

Little insects in the night

We live carefully and do what is right

We live carefully and do what is right