Animal Poem Competition Entries - Age 9 to 11
In previous poetry competitions the 8 to 11 age group has always produced the most entries and been the most hotly contested, which is why we moved the goalposts this year to make the category for children aged 9 to 11. Despite this, we've had 35 brilliant, imaginative, funny, touching and highly original poems submitted by young poets in the 9 to 11 age group:
Sea Anemone
by Delayna
My animal is a sea anemone
snail and fish is its enemy
i use my tentacles to sting my pray
an animal in my habitat is a sting ray
it lives underneath the sea
it can lay up to a thousand babies
its body has no bones
sea floor is were it roams
I wrote this poem to write about facts about sea anemone into a rhyming poem :) i chose it because it a un-normal creature that lives in the sea! And no my teacher didn't force me it was all on my own :)!!! Delayna is 10 years old and comes from Farmington, Minnesota USA
Thanks, Delayna, for a really lovely and informative poem about the sea anemone, which is indeed a most unusual sea creature.
Animals Can Be Mean
by Jaxon
Dogs are nice; dogs are kind
until they bite, your behind.
Cats are sweet
Cats like their meat
But beware
they might take
Your special meat treat.
Mice are cute. They eat their poop
But if you have sense
you will keep your distance.
Because they will bite your nose
along with your tiny toes.
I wrote this poem because I have a cat two dogs and a mouse. I�ve had many great memories with them, but a few not so good ones too. By Jaxon, age 11, from Monroe, GA USA.
Jaxon's has written what is really a cautionary poem for pet owners, based on his own experiences as owner of a small menagerie. It's a great poem with which I can readily identify, as Timmy is inclined to give the odd bite or scratch if he isn't getting the attention he feels he deserves.
Sheepy McSheepster
by Jake
Sheepy McSheepster
Fell on his keister.
He is not rhyming today
He doesn’t deserve a hooray.
He bounced high,
he bounced low
Where did he go?
No one here knows!
I wrote this poem because it was recommended by my teacher to enter it. I was inspired by a picture of a sheep in my classroom. Please choose my poem. Thank you. By: Jake from Conyers, GA, USA
For those unfamiliar with the term, keister means bottom or buttocks. Have put that behind us, we discover Jake's written a really brilliant poem which plays with the whole notion of poetry. I love the deliberate self-contradiction of the couplet 'He is not rhyming today / He doesn�t deserve a hooray'. Great work.
I want a monkey
by Dantazia
I want a monkey
Monkeys are funky
There’re always off the ground
They like to jump around
Some are even grumpy
If I don’t get a MONKEY
It will not at all be FUNNY
If I do we are going to play
Play with clay all up and through the day
We will even play in the BAY!
I wrote this poem because I really, really like monkeys. I also like to climb trees, be off the ground, play with clay, and be in water a lot. THANK YOU! By Dantazia, AGE 10, Rockdale County, Conyers, GA
A poem full of passion from Dantazia, who really likes monkeys. The best poems are always the ones you write about things you really love, whether there pets, people, pastimes or pastries.
Pat
by Delaney
I had a cat named Pat
He was a brat
How ‘bout that?
He was very shy
But, quite a mean guy
Oh that cat Pat!
He loved to eat rats!
I have a cat and he is very much like this!!! By Delaney, who is 11 Years old and from Conyers, GA USA.
I really enjoyed Delaney's poem inspired by his own cat, although I'm not sure I'd approve of Timmy eating rats. He did once catch a squirrel, but it was touch and go who was going to win that particular battle.
My Pet Gnat
by Gracie
Once I had a pet gnat
He liked to play with a cat
He was very monsterish
Especially when he ate fish
He loved Mario
Which made things hardio
He loved rats even more
Which made him a complete bore
I decided to write about a gnat because I love soccer and when I play, there are a lot of gnats. That’s why I decided to write about a monsterish gnat! By Gracie, age 10, from Conyers, GA, USA
From the sublime to the ridiculous, as Gracie treats us to a poem about a pet gnat. I would definitely class Gracie's poem as nonsense verse, and a very good example of nonsense verse it is.
Yorkie
by Charisma
I want a yorkie very bad,
If I don’t get one, I’ll be mad.
If I get one
I’ll dress it in plaid,
if it doesn’t like it,
Oh well to bad!
Yorkies are cute, and they love to play,
So maybe I’ll take it, to the park one day.
When we get home,
I’ll leave her alone.
So that she can
Chew on her bone!
I wrote the poem because, My cousin and I love yorkies. We are also going to get one when we get older. By: Charisma, Age:10, Conyers G.A.
Yorkies are really cute little dogs that lend themselves very well to being dressed up, as we discover in Charisma's excellent poem. I hope you don't have to wait too long, Charisma, before you get your own yorkie.
Animals are mean
by Calabria
Animals are mean,
So, what have you seen?
They chew all your clothes
Then bite all your toes!
Now they are one too many,
Because they aren’t worth a penny
So, remember these words that I say,
Don’t get one, no way!!!
The reason why I chose to write about this was because I have a pet dog that always deceives me! By: Calabria, 10 From: Conyers, GA, USA. Written November, 2011.
Oh dear! Either Calabria has been badly traumatised by her deceitful dog or she is a master of irony. I really liked the poem, but I do hope that Calabria was being ironic.
I would like...
by Bryson
I would like a pet one day
Maybe a dog that likes to play
Maybe a cat that likes the light
Or maybe a hamster that’s always right
Dogs are happy, cats are sad
Hamsters, are always mad
I would like a pet one day
Maybe today will be the day!!
I wrote this poem because I have a dog and my mom is trying to give him away so I was thinking of getting another dog for him to play with so he would not be so lonely, and I was thinking of my friend�s cat and hamster. They are both very clever. Bryson, Age: 11, Conyers, Georgia, U.S.A.
There's something rather sad underlying Bryson's poem about wishing for a pet, but the poem itself is very bright, upbeat and a great read. I love the idea of 'a hamster that's always right'. Well done.
Pounce!
by Grace
Peering, scowling through the trees
Only looking moving in the leaves
Until he attacks then looks for more
Now everything he sees ends with gore
Cunning, charming it seems ok at first
Everything’s fine until it’s the end…
Written by Grace, aged 9, from Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom.
A intriguing poem by Grace, in so far as the predatory animal which is the subject of the poem is never named. The poem is all the more powerful for this deliberate omission, which adds to the feeling of unease and sense of suspense. Well done.
Zebra's
by Jennifer
Zonure's are scaly
Elephant's are too big
Bear's are obsessed with honey
Rodent's are dirty
Ant's are too small
But I think Zebra's are perfect.
I have done Zebras because they are my favourite animal in the whole world. I love writing poetry so does my older sister Holly (author of the Lemur acrostic poem in the 12 and over age category). Jennifer is 10 and lives in Fleetwood.
We've had quite a few acrostics submitted to the competition, but Jennifer and her sister Holly are clearly masters of the art of creating acrostics. Well written, witty and wonderfully inventive, I loved Jennifer's Zebra poem, although Timmy was a little mystified how someone could choose a zebra as their favourite animal. One thing you can be sure of, nobody would choose a zonure, which are really ugly lizardy creatures.
Wanting a Pet
by Amy
I really want a pet of my own
I have been pestering my mum and won’t leave it alone
I really want a big, brown horse
But I would need a stable, of course
I would love to have another dog
But I would need to walk it, or even jog
I would like a pet monkey
For they are big, cute and funky
I would love some kittens
So I could dress them up in cute mittens
I would really like a hamster as my pet
But my dad hates small things and he’ll fret
So maybe wanting a pet
Is the worst idea I’ve had yet!!!
I wrote this poem because I really want another pet besides my Labrador dog Bella and my hamster Bubbles!! I really want to be a poet when I am old enough, it would be really great if I won this competition, it would be one small step to being a poet! Amy is 11 years of age and lives in Chorley , Lancashire, England.
A poem which would certainly win the heart of my niece Hannah, who always wants another pet however many she has already. Her current menagerie is one dog, one rabbit and two rats, but she'd really like a cat, or a small dog, or a guinea pig, or all three. So I know that Amy's poem is heartfelt as well as funny. Very well done.
A Monster Named Muffin - A poem for my Mum
by Niharika
Beware behind these gates
Especially for you a monster awaits
He knows all your fears
Ready to pounce and ready to tear
Do not mistake his innocent look
For behind those eyes, lies a crook
His breath can make you faint
for it smells worse than paint
Are you willing to risk it?
If you are, with you take a biscuit
For the one and only who is inside
Loves to play seek and hide
No, he isn't a ghost or phantom
Or a vampire with a tantrum
Nor is he a giant puffin
Now, you guessed right,
He is your one and only, MUFFIN!!
My name is Niharika, I am 11 years old and live in Gurgaon, India. I am sending a poem which I wrote about my dog (he is a golden retriever and he is 2 and a half years old), the poem was written for my mom. I wrote this when I was 10 years old.
I'm finding to hard to believe that Muffin, a young golden retriever, could be be quite as monstrous or smelly breathed as Niharika suggests, but Timmy assures me it's certainly the case and that he's met dogs much worse. That aside, Niharika's poem is brilliantly written, gloriously funny and exhibits a really extravagant use of language. A great poem form a very talented young poet.
THE KINGFISHER
by Charlotte
Sitting by the riverside,
O what did I see,
Sitting in the old hide ,
Are my eyes deceiving me.
A flash of blue white,
Diving into the water green,
It sure gave me a proper fright,
It was like I saw what was unseen.
Bringing out a little fish,
Swallowing it down whole,
It was like my last wish,
Stuck inside my sole.
It moved so fast ,
Flying down the riverside,
As it zoomed past,
The old abandoned hide.
I was inspired to write this poem when I saw a kingfisher go fishing by a lake and as the sight was so wonderful I wanted to share it with the world.
WILD
by Charlotte
Galloping through the night,
What a wonderful sight,
Grazing now and then,
Staying away from men.
But men took their chance,
They didn't expect quite a dance,
But in the end they won the war,
And they were theirs forever more.
Made too run free,
Can anybody see,
That they are not slaves,
Can't party in the waves.
Weren't made too hold men,
Don't ask me when,
Were whipped and beat,
Weren't made too look neat,
Some are treated fine,
But only four out of nine,
Are they really glad,
Or our they just sad.
Horses were made too be wild
I love horses but some are unfortunate and are treated bad so I wanted to express my feelings. Charlotte is 11 years old and lives in Bewdley, Worcstershire.
Two poems from Charlotte about respectively a kingfisher and horses. Charlotte writes with real passion and a great eye for detail. Her kingfisher poem brings the lakeside scene she witnessed vividly to life, while 'Wild' carries a strong message about the way humans (mis)treat horses.
THE MAJESTIC LION
by Pooja
The lion looks so majestic
In his coat of bright yellow,
And with his golden mane to add on,
He really looks like a handsome fellow.
He looks very regal and royal,
And to his own family he is ever so loyal.
The lion can walk enormous strides,
And is always seen in groups called prides.
The lion is a very clever animal,
Soon you’ll find,
He’s got an innovative way to catch his prey
He pounces on them from behind.
The lions a very ferocious animal
Is something that I can say,
But remember lions are endangered species,
So help protect them in each and every way.
THE GREAT FIGHT
by Pooja
“ROAR” a great thunderous roar,
Echoes through the forest causing great uproar.
All the animals are running
Here and there,
Ranging from the tiny mouse to the gigantic bear,
All of them are running but no one knows where!
All of them gradually run away,
One remains and he decides today is the lions last day.
He stands back and decides ( he’s an elephant)
To have a fight,
And then he tramples the lion with his feet,
Oh! What a sight.
The king of the jungle is finally dead,
So mighty and cruel, one whom even the humans dread.
All animals are happy, they rejoice,
They all celebrate the lions death and have fruit juice.
Here's another two poems MR. Timmy. I wrote about these animals as they are amongst my favourite animals, and also I entered this competition because I want to become a professional poet some day. Two more poems by Pooja, author of 'My pet bird Billi'.
Two starkly contrasting poems by Pooja about the lion. The first extols the creature's majesty and vulnerability, whereas the second relates how the lion loses his position as 'King of the Jungle' in a fight with an Elephant. Great poems from Pooja.
Harry The Hippo And His Dancing Shoes
by Rosanna
Harry the hippo and his dancing shoes,
He's dancing around like mad tap shoes,
Everyone is talking about him why would they not,
He's going crazy like a mad mascot,
He likes to twirl, leap and jump,
But when he lands there's a big thump.
I wrote the poem about a Hippo because I think they are funny animals and I really enjoyed writing it. Rosanna lives in Ewhurst, Surrey and is 9 years old.
A marvelously inventive and very funny poem by Rosanna about 'Harry the Hippo' and his dancing mishap. Rosanna must have known that hippos are one of favourite animals and that I'd be completely bowled over by a humorous hippo poem.
Jess
by Sam
People say that when you get old
Your face gets all wrinkly or so I am told
But I have a friend who is younger than me
And when people see her they tend to flee.
Her wrinkles stretch from ear to ear
Eye’s black and staring, they will fill you with fear.
Her nose is big and black as coal
Sometimes it even gets stuck in her bowl.
She likes to sleep and snore and grunt
Her claws worn down all jagged and blunt.
She likes to trot on grassy banks.
When given treats you can almost hear her say thanks.
You may be wondering what she might be
All soft and wrinkly even a bit cuddly.
I would like to introduce you if I may
To my best friend, Jess, my Shar Pei.
I wrote the poem about my Dog Jess. Not a lot of people like her because she is grumpy. But I love her. She is always my best friend even when I am in trouble with everyone else for getting up to mischief. Sam is 10 years old and lives on the Wirral.
An excellent and really touching poem from Sam about the bond which exists between a dog and its owner (or perhaps co-owner). I don't think Jess looks grumpy, but I'll take Sam's word for it.
My pet bird Billi
by Pooja
One really lazy afternoon,
I finished my homework very soon.
I looked out of the window searching for my friend,
But he couldn’t be seen,
Though generally at this time, he is at the window
In his furry coat, ever so green.
He has a beak redder than a carrot,
Yeah you guessed it right he’s a parrot.
I call him Billi,
And he loves to eat hot, spicy chili.
He can even greet people “Hellooooooo”
Isn’t he a clever fellow?
I’ve got to go now,
Here comes Billi,
I’ve to give him his supper
Of guavas and green chili.
I wrote this poem because everyone around me says that I'm a good poet and also when they saw the details of this contest online, they advised me to send a poem for the same. I actually took this theme of a parrot because I love nature and wildlife and have a lot of pet birds and Billi is one of my favourites. Pooja, aged 11 lives in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.
An enjoyable and exotic poem by Pooja about her pet parrot Billi. One of the things that I love about the poetry competitions is that I learn so much. Who would have dreamt that a parrot would eat guavas and green chilli!
The Dinosaurs That Are Forgotten
by Caitlin And Ben
I would like to say there are a lot of dinosaurs in the world that nobody
knows ‘cos they were forgotten
Here are just a few examples
The rock-o-sauras
The intelligent-o-sauras
The wonkywalk-o-sauras
The shy-o-sauras
The forget-o-sauras
and that is all that you need to know!
Our names are Ben and Caitlin. We live in Greater Manchester and we are aged 11-9. We wanted to do this competition because we like to do alot of schoolwork outside of school so please enjoy our dinosaur poem.
I really loved Ben and Caitlin's poem, firstly because it made me laugh, secondly because it's an example of siblings cooperating (rather than fighting like cat and dog) and fourthly because they clearly have understood that poetry has no rules - or if it has rules, you're allowed to break them. I'd dearly like to meet a wonkywalk-o-sauras! A great idea and a really great poem.
My Wonderful Dogs
by Alex
Murphy the younger one is part kangaroo,
He jumps and slobbers all over you,
He runs round wild,
Like a mischievous child,
But when it’s time for bed,
He then gets fed,
And finally goes to sleep,
Barney the older one is part pig,
He likes to munch on fallen twigs,
He’s kind of mature,
But he eats lots of manure,
In his dreams,
He thinks of ice cream,
And gravy bones as well!!
I wrote this poem because my sister entered a poem before me, and I want to try and beat her. I chose to write about my dogs because they don�t listen to anything and they are troublesome. But I still love them because they are cute and cuddly. Alex is aged 9 and comes from Leicestershire.
A great case of sibling rivalry, as Alex's older sister Maddie sent me her 'Sneaking Snakes' poem and within 24 hours Alex had responded with his poem, 'My Wonderful Dogs'. The good news for family harmony is that they're in different age categories, so both could win a prize. Anyway, it's a wonderful poem which bring Alex's dogs Barney and Murphy vividly to life. A bit too vividly, perhaps, if you don't like being slobbered over.
Snowy Owl
by Rebekah
Gliding gently on soft silent wings,
Waiting for an unfortunate victim,
To scurry across her view.
Finally, a large vole makes his mistake,
She swoops down, making no noise,
Suddenly, sharp claws rain down on the voles back,
And now he is no more.
Snowy floats up, her prey clasped in her claws,
Toward a hole in a large tree,
She lands, hears a chirp,
And tiny little feather balls,
Rush out to meet her.
She downs the vole in one,
Regurgitating it to each in turn,
After the vole had gone,
She snuggles her babies close, until nightfall comes again...
'I found out I could write poems when I wrote a poem last year about the Journey of the Magi. My R.E. teacher encouraged me to write more and more poems. This is the second poem I ever wrote.' Rebekah is 10 years old and lives in Devon.
I loved Rebekah's poem about a Snowy Owl for its honestly and its mastery of the English language. Rebekah doesn't shirk from the fact that nature is often gruesome, as snowy owls kill to feed themselves and their young, but the overall tone of the poem is warm and uplifting (unless you're a vole). The opening line, 'Gliding gently on soft silent wings' has examples of alliteration that would warm any teacher's heart. A very well crafted poem.
Flossie the cat
by Emily
Funny little Flossie is the cutest cat ever
Loves the attention and to be stroked
Out of every cat Flossie is the funniest
Silly little cat thinks she’s a dog
She wags her tail when she’s happy and it stays still when she’s sad!
I love Flossie she’s so cute
End of my poem but proud to say she’s my funny rescued cat
I wanted to write this poem about my cat Flossie because she is just so funny. I recently got her from Animals in distress (with her daughter called Roxy). She really stood out for me because she is so cuddly and cute. She is tabby and white and is getting quite big as she pinches Roxy's food!
I write poems all the time and even have a folder to collect them in. I write about three a day. No one makes me write them. I first wrote poems in English and discovered I like poetry. Now I write them for fun. I hope you like my poem. Written by Emily, age 9 & 2 months, from Newton Abbot, Devon.
A lovely poem by Emily about her cute rescue cat Flossie. I really enjoyed Emily's poem and particularly the notion that Flossie thinks she's a dog and wags her tail to show she's happy. But Emily's poem has a surprise in store, beacuse it's also an acrostic poem - read down the first letter of each line and it spells out 'Flossie'. Congratulations, Emily, for writing a really clever acrostic poem about your really cute cat.
Rock Wallaby
by Jaime
Tattered ears, dark eyes
Clumpy fur from many wars
Distantly staring
Here is my poem. I wrote it because we had a wallaby that lived around. She had babies and then we never saw her again. It is a haiku... Jaime is 10 and lives in Mareeba, Australia
Some people think that haiku are easy to write, because they are short. In fact, they're much trickier than long, rambling poems. Jaime's haiku is a triumph: natural, narrative, and lyrical in its use of language. Many adult poets, myself included, would be proud to have written it.
Boastful Rhinoceros
by Jaime
Boastful rhinoceros,
He thinks he is the best.
Lion’s the king,
Who will dare him to a test?
Rhino is ready,
But Lion thinks he needs a rest.
Competitors are ready,
The challenge is on!
Rhino shows his muscles,
And Lion dares him come.
Will Lion be forced to leave his throne?
The final scores are announced,
Thirteen to twenty – two.
Lion keeps his throne,
Shame for Rhino, true!
'I know that everyone says that the lion is the king of the jungle here and I thought of a poem to go with the statement... I hope you like it.'
A second poem by Jaime of Rock Wallaby haiku fame. This second poem has echoes of an Aesop's Fable, recounting the tale of the boastful rhinoceros who challenges the lion to a content for the title 'King on the Jungle'. I'm pleased to say it has a suitably moral (and happy) outcome. Another great poem. Well done Jaime.
Tango the Mare
by Jaime
Guess who I am,
What can I be?
I am an animal,
That ends with an e.
I start with a h.
My name can sound funny,
Until you see me!
My name is Tango,
Which rhymes with Mango!
Now that you've given up,
All I can say.
Is that I am a horse,
Neigh, Neigh, Neigh!
I wrote this for our cheeky mare who if she could speak, would probably say that....!!!!
Jaime's final poem is a tricky little riddle to get you thinking. I say tricky, but the aren't too many types of animal whose names begin with an 'h' and end with an 'e'. In fact, the only other one I could think of was the hybrid hippopotamouse, but I'm sure there are a few more.
I wrote a poem about an Owl for my English Teacher last week and my mum says she thinks it's brilliant so I thought I should enter this competition. I have attached a copy which I scanned.
I chose the owl to write about from looking through my best book about animals which has lots of photos in it. I loved the photos of the owls and I think they are amazing mysterious creatures. I think because they look nice people think they are lovely birds but they aren't friendly or cuddly at all and I have tried to show this in my poem. I hope you like it. Holly is 10 years old and lives in Penn, Buckinghamshire.
I didn't just like Holly's poem, I loved it. The Owl exhibits wonderful use of simile and metaphor. It also succeeds in showing the non-cuddly side to owls, which was Holly's intention. A really masterful poem.
I Looked Out
by Anni
I looked out the window and saw a robin there
I don't know how or when it got there
I knocked on the window
tappity-tappity-tap
and it flapped its little brown wings
flappity-flappity-flap
It looked up to the window, through it to me
and said 'little child - what do you see?'
I said to him 'I see you'
and the robin said 'wrong - you see a friend that will love you through and through'
'When I looked out of the window in the morning, I saw some birds in the garden. That inspired me to write the first poem.' Anni is 9 years old and lives in Glasgow, UK.
Little Black Cat
by Anni
A little, little black cat is so cute,
A little cutsey fluzz ball so soft and smooth,
But not anymore it's not, Oh No!
It's a BIG Scary mean witches cat,
Yes, a mean witches cat.
When the rain batters down she lies flat,
on the witches broom,
That's all the room...
that they have.
Yes, a big Scary Witches cat, a witches cat, a witches cat...
'The second poem was inspired by a black cat who lives in the neighbour's house and comes to see us, he adores us and we adore him back.'
Lemon Curd
by Anni
A bird, a bird, a big fluffy bird,
sitting on a fence post, eating lemon curd.
A blue tit flies along
singing his song,
And says: 'can I have some,
sitting in the sun?'
A swallow swoops in,
he says something
'tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet
'Can I have lemon curd to eat?'
And that is the story of the three fat birds
(After they've eaten up all the lemon curd!)
The third poem - I was coming back from Estonian poetry reading with my dad and I saw a bird sitting on the fence post, and I thought of lemon curd for no reason at all, and that inspired me to write that poem.
Anni had submitted three wonderfully imaginative and quite different poems for the competition. The first is a heartwarming poem about an encounter between a young child and a robin. The second poem begins as a cute poem about a little black cat, but the mood changes as the little black cat is transformed into a big scary mean witches cat. Anni's final poem is a great example of funny nonsense verse, involving three lemon curd eating birds. Three really fine poems by a young poet of considerable talent. Congratulations.
Dogs
by Paige
A dog is someone you can talk too,
Someone you can share your secrets to and they won't tell anyone else.
Someone you can cuddle,
And loves you without wanting something back,
you can always rely on them to love you unconditionally.
They help you when you're sad,
and when you feel blue,
they don't need much,
just a cuddle or two,
but boy oh boy do they give lots too you.
They warm you up when you're feeling cold,
And keep you company when you're old.
They have so much love,
for you inside,
we can't offer this,
they're to special.
Paige is 11 years old and live at Kings Heath.
Paige's poem about dogs vividly brings to life the canine companionship and love that dogs owners experience. Sadly, this is something that cat owners have to forego from their independent minded feline friends. Well done, Paige, for writing such an enjoyable poem.
'I wrote the first poem, The Striped Tiger, because I had just read a book about some poachers who shot a family of tigers in the jungle apart from 2 of the cubs which 2 children found and protected.' Caitlin is now 11, but wrote this poem when she was 9. She lives in Colwyn Bay, Conwy.
I wrote the second poem because everyone always expect the best out of me and to never get things wrong, but the day before my birthday I got something wrong in maths and everyone was disappointed. So when I got home I started the poem and finished it the day after my birthday.
Two visually arresting, but contrasting, poems by Caitlin. 'The Striped Tiger' is heartrendingly sad, whereas the poem about mistaking a hedgehog for a frog is outrageously funny. What's surprising is that the former was written when Caitlin was 9, the latter when she was 10/11. Yes, Caitlin's pulled off the clever trick of submitting two poems written when she was three different ages. Thank goodness they were all in the same age category, or my brain might have exploded.
My Pet Giraffe
by Michael
I really love my pet giraffe,
When he’s around, it’s such a good laugh,
I’ll play with him all day long,
Sometimes we’ll sit down, and sing a nice song.
Sometimes we’ll go and play sports together,
Sometimes we’ll sit and draw, depending on the weather,
Maybe we’ll just eat some caramel buns,
But whatever we do, we have so much fun.
Today, my giraffe managed to talk,
While we were out on a long walk,
‘Hello’, he said, ‘What a nice day!’
‘How would you like a game of croquet?’
I was unsure what to do at that very moment,
I could get so much money till my heart’s content,
We’d be on TV, but would we be following the right path,
No, I wouldn’t want to displease my pet giraffe!
I really enjoyed writing this poem. If I'm honest, I absolutely love writing poetry and I love giraffes! I was inspired by a lot of comments from my teachers about my talent for poetry. Michael is aged 10 and lives in Bristol.
An excellent poem by Michael about his pet giraffe, which is both funny and touching. It's not easy when writing animal poems to create a real story, but this poem has a narrative depth and ends with an interesting moral dilemma. Well done.
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