Sunday 20 July 2014

if I'm ever

if I'm ever really dead
then grow tomatoes in my head
plant potatoes in my shoulder
as my body's getting colder

raise some cabbage in my feet
mushrooms in my, um, my seat
cauliflower for my eyes
lotus flowers in my thighs

if my bones return to dust
back to ashes if they must
nobody will remember me
but they might have me for their tea

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Season’s Greetings



Who’s happy today?
I am.
Look, I am smiling and can say
YIPEEEEEEE

Why?
Well, because December is a season to celebrate.
All
Around
The
World

December 8 is Bodhi Day,
That remembers Buddah meditating.
We can learn more about that in books and online!
Hannukah is a festival of lights
A special Jewish holiday!
What can we learn about that?

A very old festival is called Yule
Maybe you know that word already.
It is celebrated with singing and food,
A 12 day festival in December.
Christmas happens, too, we know,
At the same time of year. There’s food, and singing,
Family, too, and gifts and a baby Jesus.

Kwanzaa, that’s another one,
A great celebration of African culture,
The name means ‘first fruits of the harvest’
And cheering and happiness too.
Dongzhi Festival’s something you can see in China,
Japan, Korea, Vietnam too
It marks the winter solstice
As many people also do – what date is that this year I wonder?

For the Zuni and Hopi there’s Soyal on that date,
Bringing the sun back awake from his sleep.
It marks another wheel of the year,
Purification and blessings.
Pancha Gapati honours Lord Ganesha,
Who is important to Hindu friends.
Five days of blessings and love and hope.
Maybe we can learn more here too.

Everyone is happy
At this time of year,
Giving thanks and helping each other out,
Remembering those who have come before,
And looking forward to many more times
With family, friends
People we meet
All
Around
The
World

YIPPEEEEEEEEEE



Tuesday 10 December 2013

Waffles

There’s a country called Holland.
Stop this poem and find it on a map.
Ah hello, I see you are back.
It’s also called the Netherlands.

Next door there is a place called Belgium.
Stop again and find that place.
Did you find Belgium? That’s ace!
It’s small too, but important.

Because here in this area
Almost a thousand years ago
Was invented a delicious food
Called the waffle, yeah!

The word wafel was originally Dutch
Because they have their own language
It is a big advantage
To speak it, oh, so much.

In English, we call it a waffle
It is of course a kind of dough
Cooked in a special waffle iron, you know.
You can eat it with sliced apple

Or butter, or chocolate, or fruit
Whatever flavour that suits you, man
Maple syrup, cream, honey, jam
Whatever things you like to chew

If we may stop one last time, we
Can find California on a map
Aha you have returned, come back
All this running is making me hungry.


Wednesday 4 December 2013

Swimming



I read in a book, a book I trust,
That every single one of us
Me, you, the teacher too,
The man down the road who is eating some stew,
We all are 50 per cent water.

Not to say, to say a lie,
It doesn’t mean that you and I
Splash, walk, splosh and talk,
But that all of our cells, skin, heart and all,
Are made, in part, of moisture.

So, let’s think, think of a way
To cool down on a summer’s day
Hey, yo, why don’t we go
To a swimming pool, sometimes called a Lido
And front crawl through the water?

Which strokes, strokes to swim
Do we know, what do we think?
Doggy paddle, breaststroke, back,
Butterfly and more - just depends what
Way we want to float-a.

And in LA, LA has beaches
Perched upon an ocean that reaches
All the way to Japan! Hey
I guess it would be best
Not to swim all that way, instead
Just to enjoy the water.

We can learn, learn to swim
And sometimes use our water wings
It’s fun, and healthy, that’s for sure
I wonder if that’s all because
We’re all half made of water?



Monday 18 November 2013

Chinchilla


It’s close to dawn or dusk and something furry’s lurking in the soft light
Under the grey you see a sight that burrows in the rocks
You try to stroke it but it jumps 6ft high before you make it
You give him lots of sticks and chew toys to keep their teeth right
That’s right

It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
But keep him nice and cool cause he don’t know just how to sweat
It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
He’s native to the Andes in Bolivia, Chile, Peru, yeah

There’s two types of chinchilla, one has shorter ears and tail
They’re a bit like a ground squirrel and are rodents don’t you know
They live in mountain herds high up at 14,000 feet
They like to eat plant leaves and fruits and insects and small grubs

It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
They only eat a tiny bit of grass or hay pellets
It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
Keep away the fat and fruit because they don’t like that

Chinchillas can hear very high notes a bit like a human
Their thick fur resists parasites like fleas and itchy things
They take their baths in pumice dust made of volcanic rock
Cause water stops them drying and is real bad for their skins

It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
Don’t take them for their fur because they’re under constant threat
It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
Remember always that they like to hang around with friends

It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet
They’re happy in the mountains, but can live with humans too
It’s a chinchilla, chinchilla pet

If you look after them properly, they’ll look right after you

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Marshmillow, Marshmewllow, Marshmallow

There’s a funny little fellow
Who’s red and green and yellow.
He’s so small that his pillow
Is made of a marshmillow.

He wakes at 5am
Then goes to sleep again
He plays a tiny cello
And sits on a marshmellow.

This chap, whose name is Floo
Sings ‘Dinga donga doo’
As quiet as a bellow,
And wearing a marshmellow.

So, Floo, chew! Chomp that sugary goo! It’s not so good for you! Though delicious, it’s true!
You just can’t beat a sweet sweet treat!
Now everybody…
Stamp your feet!

Floo set up a a toy store
So he could buy some more.
Ran out of things to sell-o
And bought a new marshmellow.

He ate a hundred pounds
And could not leave the ground.
His stomach felt all ill-o
From too much marsh-a-mill-ow.

The moral of this story?
Well, try not to be naughty,
Don’t eat too many sweets
And you’ll stay on your feet!
The fluffy soft marshmallow
Is wonderful to swallow
But make sure that you chew
Or it will be the end of you!

So, Floo, chew! Chomp that sugary goo! It’s not so good for you! Though delicious, it’s true!
You just can’t beat a sweet sweet treat!
Now everybody…
Stamp your feet!
And shout! 

Marshmallows are neat!

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Family Vacations


The world.
It is quite big.
My house.
That is also quite big.
(If you are a bug.)
I wonder where bugs go on vacation.
Do fleas take the fast cat? Or the doggie fur tram?
Or even
The birdy airplane?

A vacation.
What is that?
A holiday.
Time spent, that is that.
(Away from my normal day.)
I wonder if I will see my family?
Uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins.
Maybe sometimes even nephews.
Sisters.
Brothers.

We share
These times together.
We share
Good and bad weather.
(Hopefully mostly good.)
I wonder, will we travel far?
Will we go by train? Will we go by car?
Will there be ice cream?
Or new flavours? New friends?
New places to spend
A little
Time.

The world.
It gets smaller.
Back at home
When you remember
(if you can recall!)
The things we did together
As for the fleas – well, jeez, Louise
They
Itch

Hike!