Student poems
-
Slither
By Ned (Year 5, Wollongong Public School)The rainbow snake slithers
Makes paths that have meaning
Rivers and lakes, they trail you
The shh, shh, shh of sand -
Gumtree-Music
By Antigone (Year 11, Roma Mitchell Secondary College)Country sounds like people. People sound like poetry. Poetry is music. Poetry is
Scratched letters in paperbark slivers down by some secret place
Behind the crunches of khaki and bare feet in dry leaves that fell from the canopy, the sky
I + U = the great big wide open space. -
Growling Swallet
By Cawaner (Year 9, Homeschool)Curious explorer
Questioning the landscape
I wander through rainforest
To the cave that swallowed a river. -
Nature, Animals and the Sky
By Riley (Year 3, Oatley West Public School)The trees stretch their handsome neck
Reaching for the sky ahead
Around the bush, the leaves rustle
As the trunks of trees -
The Sound of Country
By Rico (Year 3, Oatley West Public School)I see the swaying gum trees
full of minty eucalyptus leaves.
I see the blinding sun where birds hang.
I hear the swishing and swaying of gum trees -
Kambalda Crescent
By Hannah-rose (Teacher, Wollondilly Anglican College)At 101 Kambalda Crescent, summer started in cicadas,
their rasp cancelling conversation in the scribbly gum.
We worried Granny’s back-gate lock,
wriggling until the bolt clicked free, -
Bush
By Isaac (Year 2, Cringila Public School)Bush sand burns your feet as you walk
Up is a kookaburra flying over the sea
Sour eucalyptus from gum trees
Hissing snake, a pot of boiling hot water.
-
When I was young I pretended the trees could talk
By Yumi (Year 10, Meriden School)and so I pressed my cheek to their furrowed trunks
paused—breath bated eyes fixed.
Nothing, only the rain and my mothers voice calling me inside.
Eight summers later I wound up in a park with you, watched you peel off -
Floor Time
By Mitsuki (Year 11, Lindisfarne Anglican School)scrap metal biding time for rust in lime-shallows
acidic from the mangroves pointing their toes
askew; coarsing over, reddening with corrosive breath-
lessly stolen by water from the dirt pile to waste -
Amaroo
By Layla (Year 7, St Columba Anglican School)Amaroo. A beautiful place.
Monarchs dance to Fur Elise in patchwork paddocks,
Foxes silently follow frightened rabbits. -
But, 'shh', says the water.
By Sophie (Year 2, St Michael's Collegiate School)Shh says the water
Zoom zoom goes that bike
Crunch crunch go people's feet on the rocky foot path
Clank clank goes the collar of that dog -
She took us from the earth in an anodized shuttle.
By Blake (Teacher, St Michael's Collegiate School)My mother was showing us the world one plaza at a time.
A covered parkade. A series of serried travelators.
The south-westerly squall, blown in and tuned to a comfortable seventeen.
My mother was showing us her dreaming - middle class cleanliness and order. -
Animals Have a Voice
By Marley (Year 2, St Michael's Collegiate School)Rushing water as loud as a lion, the leaves rustling in the breeze.
Playful dogs bounding up and down the sidewalk.
Birds sing their song with grace peace and love.
The bees busily buzzing away their honey and hives. -
Acrostic Country
By Kaysen (Year 3, Epping Public School)Sea shells clatter under dumper waves
Outside the city, sandstorms howls
Under the clouds, thunder prowls
Naughty birds chirp their song -
Windy Place
By Isabella (Year 6, Kelvin Grove State College)Bricks and concrete powder,makes us shout out louder.Why destroy this green space with your powerslamming down like a golden mace?
Bricks and concrete powder,the ticks keep sounding louder.The time is running out to save this green place.
-
Koori Kookaburra
By Kyole (Year 3, Glebe Public School)They have been here way before Aboriginal people
beautiful sounds at 7 in the morning
some people don't like it
I like it. -
A Bird?
By Coco (Year 11, Byron Bay High School)What does a bird sound like?
A bird?
A bird.
It’s been so long. -
The Symphony of the Skies
By Lucas (Year 6, Murray Farm Public School)On a cloudy morning, the thunder starts,
to rumble, grumble, a fire ignited within.
The shouts of birds, desperation calling,
on a cloudy morning in my backyard. -
The crops
By Ali (Year 6, Giralang Primary School)The crops are starving, thirsty but still wait.
Looking behind seeing others give up.
Still waiting, having hope that'll never wear out.
All of them sleep in dispare. -
Algal Blooms
By Aqsad (Year 4, IQRA College)I'm running around surrounded by death,
A dead fish washes up on the shore.
I stare for a moment, transfigured by the fish,
Its lifeless eyes bore into my soul.
