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Tuesday 29 October 2013

Komodo Dragon



Bet you didn’t thnk dragons were
Real.
Hmmmm?

Ssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeee we are
 SO!
Don’t come too close because we
BITE!
And we have
VENOM!

Do you want to come and see us?
We live in the far
East
In only a few islands in
Indonesia.
Where are we on a map?
Can you find our home island?
Here is a clue:
It is called
KOMODO!

We come from a family called
Monitor Lizards.

We can grow to be 10 feet long!
That is higher than a school classroom!
And longer than a big SUV!

We have sharp claws and lonnnnngggggg
Tonnnggguuuueeeeeeessssss

When we move we shake our heads to taste the air
Then we can find our
DINNER
Yummmm

Our skin is made of scales with armour and even bones
This makes us very rugged and strong.

We like to live in hot, dry places like grasslands and savannahs.
We sleep in the night and run in the day.
We can run VERYFAST.
(But not for long)

Did you know that dragons were
Real?
Hmmmm?

Well now you do!

Monday 21 October 2013

The Ballad of John the Woodcutter

John was a woodcutter
He did nobody harm
Every day he cut his wood
And kept his cottage warm
And kept his cottage warm

Deep in the midwinter
Just before the dawn
The trees creaked as the wind whipped up
Its passion for the storm
But inside, it was warm

But John slept on, regardless
Of the horrendous morn
He’d gathered wood from far and wide
To weather any storm
To keep his cottage warm

The wind blew long and violent
The rain raged down with scorn
Lightning flashed, and thunder cracked
It was a hellish storm
But inside it was warm

It worsened, and it worsened
But John was not forlorn
Outside his cottage he could see
The havoc of the storm
But inside he was warm

He sat there with his porridge
His bread, his simple corn
But John was sad, he wished he had
Someone to share his corn
Someone to share the warm

Go out! Go out!
Go out! Whispered the wind.
Breathed the wind.

So John put on his overcoat
And opened his rough door
He shivered as he staggered fast
Enveloped by the storm
But inside it was warm

He could not see the woodpath
The rain had lashed it all
Through mud he trudged, he knew not where
His steps would take him on
But they would take him on

Come here! Come here!
Sang the wind
Beckoned the wind

The rage and rain and thunder
Made John’s face red and raw
His back was bent, but on he went
Toward the wind god’s call
It was the wind god’s call

The wind god blasted, angry
That John could stand at all
For years the god had tried to blow
John’s house away, but no
The house stood proud and tall
And inside it was warm

John was weak and hungry
And lost inside the storm,
But he buttoned his overcoat
And inside he was warm
His coat would keep him warm

Dusk fell; the wood bruised blackly
Sprites danced, and cackling called
Across the dark, foreboding night
Ungodly noises all
The soundtrack to a storm
The wind god blew in thrall

Lay down, lay down
Said the wind
ordered the wind

Underneath an oak tree
John fell, discomfort raw
He had to sleep, he could not keep
His journey evermore
His tiredness was his all
Exhaustion made him fall

The wind god smiled, victorious
As if the game was won;
But John had closed his overcoat
And, buttoned, he was warm
He dreamt he was at home
Cause inside it was warm

And in his dream he saw her
As always he had thought
He knew her name, but not her face
He dared not look at her
In case she disappeared
He trembled in his fear

His arms reached out toward her
But, laughing, she ran off
John gave a frown, a tear ran down
His cheek, unkissed and rough
It was his lonely lot
But inside he was warm

The storm roared all around him
A wind god’s tantrum fought
To wake John up, but still he slept
Searching for his love
If ever she would come
To fill his heart with warmth

Wake up! Wake up!
Shouted the wind
Screamed the wind

John awoke, in pitch black
Surroundings, as if born
And as he yawned, in front of him
Trembled a tiny fawn
It shivered and it called
In need of hope and warm

John cried once more, with sadness
At this poor creature’s pain
And tenderly he opened up
His coat as round it rained
And beckoned to the fawn:
Inside this coat is warm

He held the creature closely
Protected from the storm;
“Tonight,” he said, “the two of us
Will keep each other warm
For inside it is warm
My coat will keep us warm.”

The wind god raged and blustered
This would not do at all
With mighty effort he blew direct
Onto John and the fawn
They kept each other warm
But vicious was the storm

I hate you, I hate you
Spat the wind
Hated the wind

And suddenly, the mighty force of the wind found a weakness
For John had opened his coat and he could not button it back tightly
The fawn, restored, skipped away from the raging wind
And the wind god had his prize as he blew John’s coat to the furthest corner of the forest
John shivered as he slept, and in his dream his love was also gone as the storm came to its head and danced death upon the forest

John woke, exhausted, hungry
With fever from the storm
He could not walk, he could not sit
His bones were fused and torn
His body racked and worn
His tears horror-borne

Delirious and dying
He shouted and he called
But no-one came, they were all safe
And sheltered from the storm
Keeping their families warm

Sleep death, sleep, death
Cackled the wind
Croaked the wind

John closed his eyes, defeated
And ready to move on
He made his peace with god and man
Ready to breathe his last
He felt his time had past
But suddenly light flashed

He knew not if he lived or died
Or if it night or morn,
Somehow he opened up his eyes
To see the lovely fawn
Who’d come back through the storm
For he had kept her warm.

She spoke to him, voice crystal
Like fresh dew was her song
“You must take your axe,” she said
“And kill me for my warmth,
My fur will keep you warm
My meat will spur you on.”

John said, “But I have saved you.
I cannot kill you now;
Leave me to die, it is my time
But you are young and strong
And life will carry on.”

The fawn said, “John, you do know
That this is fair and just
You must not think me dead,” she said
“So do just what you must -
Remember me at dusk
Remember me at dusk.”

So John struck once, and it was done; and the wind dropped forever
But the skies broke, and rain lashed down, deep and prismic. There seemed to hold a thousand nights of sadness in each single raindrop
John ate of the fawn’s meat, crying with every mouthful
Then he skinned the fawn and fashioned a coat
And trudged off back to his heavy-fashioned, sturdy cottage with the woodpile by the fire, and he fell into sleep

John, John
Whispered the wind
John, I am sorry
Breathed the wind

John dreamt of love and magic
And sharing warmth and corn
His love came back, and he looked up
And saw her eyes were warm
The eyes of John’s dead fawn

She smiled and spoke with crystal
A dewdrop in the sun
“I always loved you too,” she said
“But I could never come
For I am not the one.

“My father is the wind god
My mother is the storm
One night I had on this green earth
Disguised as a poor fawn
And John, you kept me warm.”

“And now you must not dally
Tomorrow you must go
To town, and find yourself someone
To share your life and love
Someone to share your warm.”

“But one thing I will tell you
Is when it’s said and done
Let love be your overcoat
And it will keep you warm
And always you’ll be warm.”

And with that she was gone
Her song was fully sung
Inside his heart was warm
Inside his heart was warm

Thank you, thank you
Said the wind
Cried the wind

And when he awoke the next day he skipped into town on the wings of a caressing breeze
He stopped by a tavern, and heard voices and laughter
And as he peered into the unfamiliar heady haze he caught the eye of a maiden
“Hello” she said, in a voice as crystal clear as the dew, “What’s your name?”
 __________________________________________________________________________


Bonk from Clonk


A young lad who lived in Grand Cayman
had a dream that he was a spaceman
He flew in the skies
to the planet of pies
Where he met an octopus-faced man



On the planet were wondrous things
like a doughnut-shaped dog made of strings
And a green-haired baboon
who lived on the moon
And bounced around daily on springs



There were blackberries bigger than trees
and everyone had fifty knees
Sixteen eyes and a nose
and eleventy toes
And fingers they counted in threes



The friendly alien Bonk
said the planet’s name was clonk
The spaceboy replied
“Do you think that is why
When I walk my spaceboots go ‘donk’?”



Bonk replied, “Yes, it is true
that those noises are coming from you
But they’re not from your feet
because just for a treat
We have given you magic donk shoes”



Now the shoes had five wings on each side
cause the people of Clonk realised
That getting around
without making a sound
Was easier if everyone flied



(because in Clonkety language
 that’s sometimes how things were established
If they knew not a word
 it was never absurd
To invent one, and then make a sandwich)



So the boy said, “thank you Mr. Bonk
how can I repay planet Clonk?”
And Bonk said, “It’s easy:
just sit in the breezy
And together we will sing a sonk



It’s the national anthem of Clonk
this easy and squeezy old sonk
Are you ready my friend?
Let us sing to the end
Our wonderful loverly sonk”



(are you ready? This is how it goes…)



A-Bonkety bonkety bonk
clonkety clonkety clonk,
Donkety donk,
e- flonkety flonk,
Gonkety gonkety gonk.



Honkety honkety honk,
 i-jonkety jonkety jonk,
Lonkety lonkety,
monkety monkety,
Nonkety nonkety nonk.



O-ponkety ponkety plonk,
quonkety quonkety quonk,
Ronkety ronkety,
sonkety sonkety,
Tonkety tonkety tonk.



U-vonkety vonkety vonk,
wonkety Wonkety Wonk,
Xonkety, xonkety,
yonkety Yonkety,
Zonkety zonkety…


Clonk.

Guinea Pigs




Jenny is a Guinea Pig
Her feet are small and her nose is big
She likes to scritch and scratch about
And sniff things with her funny snout

At meal time I give her food
And little treats, if she is good.
I clean her cage and then we play
And that’s what we do every day.

Jenny likes to sing with me
And sits on my lap to watch TV
She has a friend called Danny Dig
Who also is a Guinea Pig

Cause critters feel just like us,
We all need people we can trust
Someone to feed us, play and sing
Someone to share in everything

So be like Jenny, Dan and me
And make a friend immediately!
School is cool with lots to do,
You might find someone funny too!

We can all learn from Guinea Pigs
Though we are small and teachers are big
Once  they were little,  just like us,
They just grew up and lost their fluff.

Shake hands with a new friend today!
But wait!
There’s more!
Don’t forget to shake hands and say,
As loud as you can…

Hip

Hip

HOOORAYYYY!!!!

The Siberian Tiger



The snow is white, crinkled, hugging empty branches. I sit, steady and solid, warmed up by my fluffy winter coat. I am waiting.
Across the vast tundra of whiteness I spy a movement. Yes, there, in a copse, behind an evergreen tree. There again, a scrape, a momentary flicker of orange and black, tricky to pick out against the woods but unmistakable if you know what to look for.
I creep closer and as I do so, the figure also stops. This giant, magnificent cat with ice blue eyes and haughty demeanour shows me his teeth. He shakes his mighty head and does not bother with a roar because he knows his own power already. Not today, his gaze says as he stares into my soul.
We share the same earth, now and forever.

As he pads off into the trees I wonder whether we all have a tiger within us.

Cheetah



ZOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!
That’s all you’ll notice!! I am so fast I can run faster than your car!
75 Miles Per hour!! Can’t catch me!! I can even do it in metric! 120 kilometers an hour!
MIAAAAOOOOOWWWW!!
You could say that!!!
I am a very big fast cat!
I get my name from Sanskrit. That is a very old language from India! WOW!
That’s where I like to live!
And in Africa!
That is a very big continent made up of over 50 countries!
Africa is bigger than United States, Europe, China, Mexico, India and Japan all put together!
WOWEEEEEE!!
Once there were many more of us but now we are vulnerable because bad people try and take us as pets and sometimes farmers want to shoot us in case we eat their animals. BOOO!!
But now good people help us find special  protected places to live in Africa!
Where we can run!
And run!
And
ZOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!
I have spots! But I am hard to spot!
MIAAAAOOOOOWWWWW!!!

Can’t catch me!!!

Manta Rays



I am a giant.
I do not swim, I fly through the briny deep.
I am warm here in my watery house.
My body is flat, my fins are gentle; I can duck, swoop, shimmer and speed in three dimensions.
If you were underneath me, you’d see me as a kite, playing on currents of restless energy as I make my way through life, happy in my place, ready for adventures.
When it’s a full moon for us Manta Rays, it’s time to find a partner and fall in love. About a year later, new baby rays will appear. They are small but ready to fly too.
Sometimes fishermen sweep us up in their nets by mistake and sometimes they do it on purpose. We are not meant for eating; our skin is tough and we do not taste good.
We are giants.
We only want to fly and swoop.

We are Manta Rays.

Spidge and Spodge



Spidge was a little ginger cat
His friend was Spodge, who was white and black
They loved being friends and making a fuss
Of each other, and grooming, and eating food up

They awoke with the rising sun one day
Spidge was alert and he wanted to play
But Spodge was still sleepy and wanted to snooze
He yawned and turned over and snored like a moose

Spidge said 'Spodge, wake up, it's time for some games'
But Spodge was fast asleep and lost in his dreams
Spidge jumped on the bed and bounced like a ball
But still Spodgy snored and would not rise at all

Spodge opened one eye and said to his friend
'Spidge, let's play something. I recommend
A special game of hide and seek.
I will count to a hundred and seventy three

You go and hide,
And I will try
To see if I
Can find
You."

So
Spidge tried
To see if he
Could go and hide
Somewhere behind

The sofa, where nobody else could be seen
But in a game of hide and seek
It was a bit obvious that he would end
Up in such a hiding place. Meanwhile, his friend

Curled up once more in a comfortable ball
Cheeky Spodge was not intending at all
To find little Spidge! He was only, it seems
Pretending to play so he could go back to sleep!

Three dreams later, Spodge thought he would choose
To wake up, and decided to eat his catfood
So he miaowed for Spidge, as if to say
That it was time for them to eat then to play

But Spidge didn't hear, because he was curled up
On a cushion and Spidge did not want to wake up!
So little Spodge, who was white and black,
Purred and curled up next to the ginger Spidge cat.


Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Polar Bear



I live in the icy place way up North. 

I swim in the sea and I stay undercover,
I run on the land and I stay warm, of course,
Because of my layers of lovely blubber.
I look white but really my fur is transparent
(My guard hairs on top make me appear that way)
And when I am hungry my nose is apparent,
I can smell a juicy dinner seal from a mile away!
I am huge and muscled and have massive power;
It helps me survive in these arctic conditions.
A blizzard to me is simply a quick shower,
And sometimes reveals my prey’s positions.
But climate change is melting my home
And if we’re not careful one day I’ll be gone.

I come down to Canada sometimes to visit
To Norway and Sweden in the Arctic Circle,
I do sometimes live in zoos as an exhibit
But I’d rather be running free away from people.
My cousins are brown bears, we’re nearly the same
We met up and danced with a fierce, great grace.
But over the years, as we wandered and played
Us polar bears moved up to this cold, lovely place.
We don’t want to hurt anyone, unless we’re threatened,
We’re huge and top predators, so beware if you see us.
We don’t like the men with their rifles and weapons,
Try taking us on if you cannot believe us!
There’s room for us all on this beautiful planet
But only if we all work hard to conserve it.

(I’d like to see a polar bear.
But only if he didn’t see me!)

Grandad Pat The Travelling Man


Grandad, why have you been away?
Where have you been?
Where did you stay?

Grandad, I thought that you would never leave.
You liked your armchair,
Your nice cup of tea.

And watching the quiz shows on the TV,
Shouting out answers
Much quicker than me,

Your comfortable slippers with wooly inside,
Chip supper on Friday,
A fish on the side.

Grandad, why did you travel abroad?
What did you see there?
Please tell me more.
Well, lad, I thought it was time for a change
Time to do something
That felt new and strange;
I went to the land of the Clangbacklecloo
The eight-footed Gaggler
That smells like beef stew,
I talked with a Dolphinasaurus called Jim
He swam when he spoke
And I really liked him.
I climbed the sweet-mountains of Pickamix Land
Where everything’s edible,
Even the sand.
I sang with the snaggletoothed lemon-soaked pies
Who all have green bellies
And seventy eyes.
I waved at the glitter filled waterfall tree
It smiled and giggled
And waved back at me
I swam in the dark until it all came clear
I swam all the way
From there back to here
Grandad, whyever did you want to go?
Did you not like it?
Here back at home?

Ah, lad, I loved it in my nice warm house
With slippers and fires
And love all about
But years ago I made a promise you see,
To a lad, just your age,
Just your height, too, I see.
Grandad, what did you say to that lad?
Was he your friend
Was he my dad?
I said that one day, that I would go away
And paddle in
The brook of Bombay
I told him that when I was old enough
I’d ride on the dinobeasts
They’re not so tough
I’d dingle the dongle of Waggleface Womble
I’d dance on the head
Of the giant called Fred
I’d play darts with Goggle and soccer with Swoggle
I’d drink from the lightning
In the land of Spoggle
I’d climb to the top of the Bagabag bush
Which only has one fruit
As big as a brush
I’d do all these things because life should be fun
Because you don’t need reasons
To do what you’ve done.
Grandad, you do like to talk in riddles
It’s making my head hurt
Although just a little;
But why did you only just go on your travels?
Not when you were younger
It’s quite the kerfuffle.
Ah, well, you’ll find out one day
It’s sometimes hard
To get away
Because you’ve got to work and earn enough money
To pay for your house,
And your bread, milk and honey.
I wasn’t so careful, at least so it seems,
Because decades went past
And I forgot my dreams.
But then I remembered what your Grandma said
One morning at breakfast
Over jam and bread.

She said,

‘Grandad Pat, whatever happened to
That lad that we used to know
Where did he go?
Oh
He was a lovely
Adventurous boy
I remember him well. He was a joy.’

Grandad, do tell me more
What happened to that lad?
The one she adored?
Well, young man, it seems that he faded away
We lost touch you see,
Somewhere on the way.
Whilst I was too busy with numbers and figures
And desks, and telephones,
Ringing and ringing
And clients, and suits, and pleasing the boss
Then on the weekend
Trying to just relax
And then Monday’d come and it’s more of the same
More sheets to fill in,
No time for games.
So that lad and I didn’t speak for forty years
It wasn’t an issue
There weren’t any tears,
Then your Grandma said,
Granddad Pat. Why don’t we see
If that boy is still around.
He was fun,
Hmm?
I am sure
He would love to laugh
With you again about adventurous stuff.'

But I wouldn’t listen, because I was too busy
Writing reports,
Getting in a tizzy
Then one day my boss, who was younger than me,
Who wore shiny suits
And had a degree,
Said .
‘Pat, we’d like to thank you
For your service,
But your time is through.
You have reached retirement age
And we’re retiring your job
Think of the money
That
The Company
Will
 Save.’


Then your Grandma said,
‘Pat, you gave them nothing but your best
But now it’s time
To reflect
On
What you want
On what you said
To that young lad we used to know.’


Oh Grandad, what a story, What a tale!
Who was this lad?
What did you say?
Well, lad, I took a while
To remember his face
To remember his smile.
And I looked in the mirror
And despite all the years
I could remember his eyes
His nose, and his ears.
I remembered the promise I’d made way back when
And I reached out and called him
And heard him again!
I told him, ‘Young fellow, I’m going abroad
With Grandma Victoria
We’ll fly with the birds,
We’ll gronk with the gakalak bokabadoo
The spingly spongles of Kalamazoo
And zoom down the ice slopes at Bangor-On-Toast
Your Grandma and me
Will see who
falls
over
 the
 most.
We’ll laugh and we’ll play like never before
We won’t be distracted
By silly suits any more.'
So we travelled and travelled and ignored the women and men
Who said we were old
And were no good to them.
We took a slow boat on the fast lane to Clang,
We got tangled in branches
And fell in a can,
And hid from the ravenous Fastflippy bird
Who’s short-sighted enough
To think we were served
For his dinner, or luncheon, or double-time tea
Well a supper’s the last thing
We wanted to be!
Grandad, I am sleepy And ready for bed.
But before I go up
Will you tell me the rest?
Just one more thing, for now, then, you curious lad.
Because you enquired
And because you asked.
That young man I mentioned, right at the start
About your age,
With a good mind and heart.
I will tell you his name, and soon enough you’ll see
That the boy was called Pat.
That the young lad was me.



_____________________________________________________________________________