A selection of poems for National Poetry Day

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Paula Green shares eight poems for children from Roar Squeak Purr: A Treasury of New Zealand Animal Poems.

In 2013, I launched Poetry Box, an online poetry page for children in Aotearoa. I wanted to create a meeting place for children, teachers, parents, writers and readers who love reading and writing poetry for and by children.

I think a poetry box has lots of secret compartments because there is no end to what can fit in it. That goes for poems and that goes for poetry tips.

My very first tip is an oldie but a goodie. If you want to get good at writing poems you need to read other poems.

Read all kinds of poems. Poems that make you laugh. Poems that make you a little sad. Poems that make you think. Poems that puzzle you just a little. Poems that tell a story. Poems that are so short they are over in the blink of your eye. Poems that are so long they might fit along the Great Wall of China. Poems that are really easy to understand. Poems that challenge you. Poems that rhyme. Poems that don’t rhyme.

Poems that are so long they might fit along the Great Wall of China.

I love writing and reading all kinds of poetry. Sometimes I like to sit curled up on the sofa. Sometimes I like to read under a tree with the bush tūī listening as I say the best lines out loud.

Every Monday on Poetry Box, I post a poem challenge for children, and every week I post book reviews (across genres) and special features with the help of authors in Aotearoa.

Editing Roar Squeak Purr: A Treasury of New Zealand Animal Poems (Penguin, 2022), with Catherine O’Loughlin, children’s publisher at Penguin was absolute joy. Seeing the illustrations that the fabulous Jenny Cooper did was also joy. Scouring for animal poems, and inviting children to write some was solar system joy. The anthology contains more than 200 poems by some of New Zealand’s best writers along with poems by children. So, to celebrate NZ Poetry Day I have picked eight poems from the animal anthology, and I invite you to open the poems and go exploring. 

Wake up Call 

Hey, rooster, 

What’s the big idea? 

Don’t you know what time it is? 


First you wake me up 

at 3 and 4 in the morning 

with your noisy crowing. 


Then you let me sleep in for school, 

and you strut round 

like it’s not even your fault.


What kind of alarm clock 

are you?

Philippa Werry

Stray Kitten 

with my pleading grey eyes 

and my pitter patter paws 

I wooed you 


with my hide-n-seek tricks 

and my funny antics 

I amused you 


with my ‘so cute!’ purr 

and my cloud-soft fur 

I knew you 


would cuddle me 

adore me 

feed me 


but 

ha-ha! 

you can never 

own me 


you think I'm your pet 

but dear human 

you're mine! 


me ow!

Vasanti Unka

The Dictionary Bird

Through my house in sunny weather

Flies the Dictionary Bird

Clear to see on every feather

Is some outlandish word.


‘Hugger Mugger’ ‘gimcrack’ ‘guava’

‘Waggish’ ‘mizzle’ ‘swashing rain’ 

Bird — fly back into my kitchen, 

Let me read those words again.

Margaret Mahy

A Farmyard Spell 

The ducklings waddle, clucking 

The turkeys strut and quack 

The rabbit gobble-gobbles 

While the chickens hop and flap


The whole thing happens in a flash 

It’s got a magic feel 

When Mum says, “Let’s talk turkey”

She doesn't mean for real! 


Now, grass looks kind of yummy 

The horse snorts, “Hi! Gidday!” 

And when I go to greet him back 

My “Hey there!” sounds like 

N e-e-e-e-eigh

Elena de Roo

Lick Lick Riff 

I’m a lick lick dog 

I’m a quick quick dog 

I’m a spinach ravioli dog 

I’m a cream cannelloni dog 

I’m a beach flying dog 

I’m a hide and seek dog 

I’m a chase the ball dog 

I’m a hear the call dog 

I’m a sweet sweet dog 

I’m a meek meek dog 

I’m a mushroom pizza dog 

I’m a zooming cheetah dog 

I’m a cheese spaghetti dog 

I’m an extra raggy dog 

I’m a tail flick dog 

I’m a chew the stick dog 

I’m a fetch the glove dog 

I’m a loved loved dog

Paula Green

At the SPCA 

she is tiny, arched 

against the wire 

straining, purring 


the sign says no touching 


her blue eyes beg otherwise. 


you strain too 

your brown eyes beg 

you read her name 


‘Sally, Sally, Sally’

purring 

all the way home.

Renee Liang

Queen Pudding Face

Our dog,

Queen Pudding face,

Likes cakes on a plate

Nothing else will do


She’s brown and white

We called her Patch

But she answers only to Queen

Nothing else will do


She sleeps inside

Between Mum and Dad

On her own feather pillow

Nothing else will do


She takes the air

From the comfort 

Of my old pram

Anything else is too much


She’s our dog.

Even though she’s so fussy

We all love her

Because nothing else will do

Melinda Szymanik

Birds

Flock

at sunset,

message flung skywards,

shreds

into the dark

alphabet

David Eggleton

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