At the Park

Great sticks in hand

we marched along

in lines as straight as roads

heading to the forest

where trees stand tall in rows

A sudden halt

I ground my stick

look back way o’er my shoulder

he follows,  s l o w

stick trailing now

behind my little brother

“Come on!” I cry

to speed him up

one last green stretch to cover

not knowing what the forest holds

it’s best we stayed together

He caught up fast

stick raised up now

and pointed like a sword

quietly we crept along

eyes peeled as we moved forward

tip-toe

tip-toe

tip-toe

tip -

We stop again

feet poised and still

and listen to the breeze

it brings the sounds of something

that lives within these trees

We feel it getting closer

hot breath and heavy steps

sniffing those who trespass

growling

then he leapt!

The fury of the dragon

was felt in flames of red

firing from his toothy mouth

smoke swirling round his head

We squeal as terror finds us

deep in this tree-lined forest

swords waving ‘round

as high-pitched cries

and beating wings surround us

Running hard

we stumble t’wards

the lit end of the path

an exit from the danger

a dragon’s angry wrath

Feet flying now

we cross the grass

and flop onto the mat

relieved, and breathing hard

we laugh … should we go back?

*This poem was featured as "Poem of the Day" on the Australian Children's Poetry site here.

Classification

Whether we go to the beach or the park, 

we always seem to come home 

with a bag (and pockets) 

full of treasures. 

Sorting them is just as much fun as finding them...

one, two

this one is blue

three, four

it’s shaped like a claw

five, six

long, pointy sticks

seven, eight

lay them out straight

nine, ten

a mangled old pen

eleven, twelve

shiny rocks on the shelf

thirteen, fourteen

these leaves are green

fifteen, sixteen

white shells washed clean

seventeen, eighteen

seeds shaped like a bean

nineteen, twenty

treasures a plenty!

The Whale Shark

Swimming with a whale shark is just one amazing adventure 

that can be had at the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.
We did this as a family on our recent trip to Exmouth, far north WA,
and it's an experience that my kids will always remember!

Deep out in the ocean

in waters clear and warm

swims a gentle giant

large and grey in form

Bigger than a bus

w i d e r  than a whale

three ridges on his side

lead to a pointed tail

Moving oh so smoothly

mouth open wide to feed

he swims about the water

gathering plankton that he needs

Rows and rows of tiny teeth

fill up his gaping smile

but they’re not used for eating-

just elements of style

Filter feeding on small things-

krill and red crab larvae

tummy full, he turns and winks

Would you like to play now?

I’ll lead you through the water

Swim with me in the sea

The vast blue of the ocean

is where I love to be!

I smile because I’m happy

I swim because I’m free

People come a long, long way

to snorkel next to me

And so I swim beside him

admiring all his spots

arranged in special patterns-

a giant dot-to-dot

His size makes me feel tiny

His girth makes me feel small

This friendly gentle giant

The most magnificent fish of all!

PS. While on our whale shark dive, we were lucky enough to meet Jana, 
one of the founders of the Hearts for Sharks foundation 
that aims to raise awareness of the true nature of sharks and their conservation. 
Click here to read all about this awesome cause.

Autumn

It’s colder now as summer’s sun

moves north of the equator

rays filter out in evening skies

“Goodbye! We’ll see you later!”

And so the plants prepare themselves

for seasons creeping in

The cold and dark of winter

where few new shoots have been

Food production in the leaves

shuts down and closes doors

green fades out to yellow

red and orange galore

We watch the rainbow show

still clinging to the trees

offering frost protection

‘til blows a little breeze…

Shivering they brace themselves

for what’s about to come

no blankets or hot milo

for warmth as cold winds run

“whooooooooosh!”

“owooooooooooo!”

“arrooooooooosh!”

Deep within the ground

others fill with nutrient stores

enough to last through winter

tubers, bulbs and corms

And like the trees, they dig in deep

alarm clocks set to ring

when winter’s passed

sun shining bright

to mark the first of Spring

Tick-tock

Tick-tock

Tick-tock