Whales

Each time we see a whale it's magical.

And last weekend was especially so.

A mother humpback whale and her calf swam right beside us 

as we walked along the Busselton Jetty.

(You can read about the jetty here)

I wrote this poem after watching this small part of their journey.

I don’t carry a suitcase

I have everything I need

for the journey to warmer waters

where I can safely breed

When summer time is over

with tummies full of krill

I swim up north with a friend or two

to oceans warm and still

I don’t need a paddle,

an oar, canoe or boat

I wave my tail up and down

moving forward as I float

My flippers help me steer

from over here to over there

I spout on the water’s surface

and breathe in clean fresh air

In the warmer waters

I like to jump and dance

breaching out of the ocean

caught in a musical trance

Then one day my calf is born

growing larger on rich pink milk

blubber forms; she lengthens out

swimming strong like whale-y ilk

Eventually it’s time to leave

for southern arctic waves

Brimming with fish and tasty krill

it’s here for the summer we’ll stay

The Forest

Hiking is an activity that engages our senses.
And often, all at once.

The karri trees grow to magnificent heights-

ninety meters straight up to where the sunlight is bright

Their branches sway gently as the wind blows through-

leaves rustling a rhythm against azure blue

The thin canopy offered the coolness of shade

whispering and dancing its serenade

Trunks tall and smooth in a pale shade of grey

formed walls in the forest we walked through that day

We saw

leaves dry and brown on the reddish dirt track

logs blackened and fallen riddled with cracks

tiny bursts of bright purple as Hovea plants bloomed

and hollowed out trunks creating dark cubby rooms

We heard

crunching and crackling as feet trod on the trail

parrots squawking and laughing – a musical gale

honey bees humming and buzzing about

wallabies spotted causing muffled thrilled shouts

We smelt

fresh eucalypt scents – piney, minty and honey

the dampness of earth kicked up by feet running

the sweetness of pollen as wildflowers flourish

kangaroo dung on the ground which it nourishes

We felt

small furry leaves

little rough stones

plants covered in prickles

and cool breezes blow

Reaching the end, light flooding right in

we felt lucky to know of the beauty within.

Nature Journal

This is for my daughter.

Who records everything.

I have a little journal

with pages smooth and white

where I can draw some pictures

and underneath them write

words that can describe

the creatures that we see

while walking through the bush land

and weaving through the trees

words that list the colours

of flowers we discover

(including all the weedy ones

picked by my little brother)

words that tell a story

of wriggly things we find-

like the squirmy, wiggling earthworm

(we left him safe behind)

I like to do some sketches

showing different kinds of leaves-

I trace around their edges

then tuck them in the sleeve

One time I found a millipede

curled in a spiral shape

but my pencil must have tickled him-

he was suddenly awake!

My favourite things to draw

are pictures of the sky-

rainbows  r e a c h i n g  outwards

and clouds that float on by

And when each entry’s finished

I put my book away

safely in the cupboard

‘til we next go out and play

Honey Bees

I wrote this for my son.

Who quietly watched some bees at work.

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

a tiny honey bee

was looking for a spot

a place where she could sit

a seat so nice and soft

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

the little honey bee

gently hovered closely to

a pretty scented blossom

with petals seeming blue

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

sweet nectar in its centre

this spot seemed just the place

for the tiny honey bee

to land with buzzing grace

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

gathering up the nectar

sweet, sticky and so runny

she fills her special stomach

all ready to make honey

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

returning to the hive

the busy honey bee

drops off her load of nectar

for other worker bees to see

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

but just before she rests

there’s one more thing to do

back on her pretty flower

she sets to work – ado!

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

she moves with elegant speed

filling baskets on her legs

with tiny bits of pollen

grains of orange and of red

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

as a special thank-you

she lands again nearby

and gives some extra pollen

to pistils growing high

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

the pollen in the basket

is mixed with honey sweet

and given to the larvae-

a yummy treat to eat!

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz hmmm

bzzz bzzz