ISBN 0-9580342-0-6

Extracts from
poems

Giggles & Woes
& Anything Goes

Authors:

Illustrated by Dulcie Meddows
161 poems by three Australian authors
192 pages (for children 5 - 95)

Poems are graded, beginning with junior
themes and progressing to comical and
lyrical works and performance poems of
interest to teenagers.

Includes biographies of authors and
informative reviews.

THEMES INCLUDE: action poems, animals, Christmas, Easter, family and friends, fantasy and magic, nature, patriotism, rap, school and learning, sport, tolerance, and lots of "characters".

PETS by Annette Kosseris
We went to the pet shop.
I bought a white mouse.
My brother bought a guinea pig
With its own little house!
We earn our own money
Doing housework, see.
They cost us twenty dollars,
(Including G.S.T.)............(p.9)

FUNNY TASTE By Joyce Trickett
A couple of cannibals
Eating a clown,
Both wear on their faces
A questioning frown.
As they savour the flavour
And relish each chew,
Say, "Does this clown taste
FUNNY to you?.......................(p.9)

PLAYMATE by Dulcie Meddows
I jump on the wind! It blows on my toes!
I breathe its cool air,
It tickles my nose!
I race it, I chase it, it tugs at my hair.
I push it, I shush it,
We play 'Do or Dare'!
It huffs..................(p.15)

WHO AM I? By Annette Kosseris
I am a bear. A grizzly bear.
I like to growl, and sit and stare
At you, and you, and you… and YOU!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I am a little kitten,
With fur that's soft as silk.............(p.17)

THERE'S A CROCODILE IN MY SOUP
By Annette Kosseris
There's a crocodile in my soup!
There's a crocodile in my soup!!!
Mummy has chicken soup,
Daddy has lamb,
Granny has beef,
Grandpa has ham,
But - LOOK!
There's a crocodile in my soup!
See! He's swimming round my.(p.19)

PRETTY PATTY POTTER
By Dulcie Meddows
Pretty Patty Potter in her purple pinafore,
Put a penny in her pocket
Where her pennies number four.
Patty pocketed the pennies
In her purple............................. (p.63)

TURTLES By Annette Kosseris
I feel sorry for mother turtles.
They lay their eggs in sand,
But they never see their babies,
Or are there to lend a hand.
They leave the sea and waddle
Up a slope away from waves -
I think they'd be much safer
If they laid in sandy caves.
But they don't. They dig.....(p39)

RAPPING JACK BROWN By Dulcie Meddows
Rapping Jack Brown
Is slapping them down,
Midtown and downtown,
Around town and uptown.
He's happy, hand clappy,
Toe tapping, feet rapping..................(p.56)

EASTER STORY By Annette Kosseris
On Thursday
they shared a meal.
Subserviently He washed their feet.
He did His Father's will.
On Friday
He was crucified.
He had dragged His cross through the street,
And up Golgotha Hill.
On Saturday.............(p.66)

MY BOOMERANG By Dulcie Meddows
Kangaroos go hop! hop! hop!
Goanna's claws scratch! scratch!
I've a brand new boomerang I'm trying to catch.
Boomerang! … Zoom-zoom! Zoom-zoom
Go circle wide and free.
Zoom out and around, boomerang. That's it! That's it!
BUT - You're supposed to come back to me!
Wallabies..................(p.69)

CAPTURED By Annette Kosseris
Last week, our dad got stuck on our roof!
He'll try to deny it, but I have proof!
We'd heard a noise up in the ceiling.
Pattering feet. And the ceiling was peeling.
Dad said "Dash it! I'll get them today!
Those ruddy possums! They're not gonna stay!"
Mum said "Don't lose your temper dear
In front of the children!" But we gave a cheer -
"Possums!" we cried. "Can we help you get them?
We've seen you do it.............(p.72)

KING OF THE STREET By Dulcie Meddows
I'm a hip-hop kid
And I'm on your block.
My tag is Groove,
I'm a hip-hop Jock!
Banging on a can, man.
Drumming out a beat!
Anywhere I can, man. Rapping on my feet!
My music comes......................(p.84)

FIRE VOICES By Joyce Trickett
Eyes closed,
I listen to the many voices of the fire -
And hear within its heart far forest sounds,
Whirring of wings and dead leaves stirring,
The thud of stealthy footfalls,
And the quick moist breathing of creatures unseen;
Sharp cracks of a whip lash
Repeated and repeated.
Suddenly...............(p.75)

GETTING HELP FROM MRS BROWN
By Annette Kosseris
Oh, I'm glad you're home Mrs Brown!
… Pardon?
No. I'm not going to town,
I need to ask a favour…
…Ice cream?
No. I don't want an ice cream
Of any flavour - thank you.
I want to ask you
Can I please use your PHONE!
… Dog's bone?
No. We don't have a dog.
Our phone won't....................................(p.98)

TO EACH HIS OWN By Annette Kosseris
My sister's good at school
In everything she's taught;
Reading, writing, arithmetic,
But me - I'm good at sport!

I play amazing cricket,
And I can kick a ball
Right through the goal posts,
Or over the school hall!

I'm a long distance.............(p.91)

TRIM By Joyce Trickett
The great explorer Matthew Flinders
Possessed a cat as black as cinders…
White patch on chin, white star on chest
And four white paws beneath the rest.
Five years this cat companioned him
And Matthew Flinders named him … Trim

As Flinders faced...............(p.114)

I DON'T REDUCE By Joyce Trickett
I can do my daily dozen,
Go for long walks with my cousin;
But it's not a bit of use -
I don't reduce.
I can rock 'n' roll 'n' rhumba,
Live on lemon and cucumber,
But my angles are obtuse -
I don't reduce.......................................(p.146)

THE ACTOR'S LAMENT By Annette Kosseris
I wanted to play Romeo
To Shakespeare's Juliet,
But they said I wasn't ready.
How 'ready' can you get!
I auditioned for Macbeth,
(The battle scenes and plunder)
They put me on to Sound Effects -
I had to make the thunder!

Then - "Mid Summer Night's Dream"..(p.150)

TOLERANCE By Annette Kosseris
I wasn't eavesdropping,
because that's listening secretly
to a private conversation,
and I wouldn't do that -
But whilst travelling on a train yesterday,
I overheard two men
discussing our Multicultural Nation.
It made me sad.

If everybody tolerated 'em
there'd be a greater sense of unity!
one of them said, importantly.
Yeah. That's what....…(p.174)