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
Rhymes and poems from Joe
You are never too old to be a kid.
Sunday 20 July 2014
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!
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!
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