Category Archives: Poetry

Arbutus Tree

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By Clover Burgess

Arbutus Tree

Ocean breeze, Qaanlhp trees
High upon a rocky outcrop.
Robin and wren, making friends,
Eating berries red, can’t stop.
Winds will blow, bark will grow,
Crimson peeling bark on top.
Evergreen all seasons seen,
Green leathery leaves will drop.
Twisted branches, long and wild,
Perfect for a place to stop.
Build a nest, take a rest,
Baby Birds soon will hop.
Ocean breeze, Arbutus tree,
High upon the rocky outcrop.

With children you might add these movements:

Arbutus Tree

Ocean breeze, Qaanlhp trees (Children stand like trees balancing)
High upon a rocky outcrop.
Robin and wren, making friends, (Children pretend to be bird eating berries)
Eating berries red, can’t stop.
Winds will blow, bark will grow, (Children blow like the wind)
Crimson peeling bark on top.
Evergreen all seasons seen,
Green leathery leaves will drop. (Children fall like leaves)
Twisted branches, long and wild,
Perfect for a place to stop. (Children make branches with their arms)
Build a nest, take a rest, (Children rest on the carpet)
Baby Birds soon will hop. (Children hop like birds on a branch
Ocean breeze, Arbutus tree,
High upon the rocky outcrop. (Children are trees once more)

Meal Time Journey

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By RoseMary Antony

Setting the mood
Little feet tap with excitement,
Little eyes wait with longing,
Few little minds forget its coming,
‘Its time for snack’ as the teacher remarks.
The gates open to meal prepped tables,
number of little feet scramble to spot their seats,
oh , the joy to see the familiar(their snack boxes),
‘Its time for snack’ as the teacher hums.
The mood is calm, the mood is focus,
munching into their snack with a sense of purpose,
a spill or two is cleaned with care,
‘Its time for snack’ as the teacher smiles 🙂

The choices
From cottage cheese to applesauce,
to crackers and sandwiches.
The choices are one too many,
For little minds to fathom hastily.
A spoon, a bib, ”I’ll open it” an excited friend speaks,
the cold strawberry yogurt is savored with every spoon.
Across the table a little friend perplexed,
pushes away all the choices with a sudden reflex.
A patient educator with a calm and softness in her tone,
offers time to process the choices that lay forth
a momentary pause later a decision is made,
‘I want this’ the little finger points to the quinoa salad that awaits.

The closing
” I want something else”,
“I’m done”,
Few little fingers play with an empty container in sight,
Snack time is coming to an end
Let’s get you cleaned up,
Here’s a wet cloth and a wipe,
Little hands wipe and clean themselves
I want water, I want milk,
Little faces and tummies flooded with joy,
“I want to go play again”
As tables and chairs creak across the floor,
Little friends are excited to return to play,
A teacher stays back, humming a rhyme,
as she wipes and cleans every little crumb.