Being able to drive a car to get to work, earn a living or go on holiday comes with rewards and risks. Dashing across a busy street without understanding what might hit us, could be deadly. So, we keep ourselves safe by learning and following a Highway Code. We stop, look, listen and make careful judgements about when to cross. Navigating a busy road requires us to be alert and patient, whether we are a driver or a pedestrian.
Now, we also have “traffic” in the form of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Chatbots. AI functions are becoming part of our lives, regardless of whether we choose to embrace them or avoid them. Slow AI: Knowing When to Use AI and When to Leave It Alone by Sam Illingworth PhD is like a highway code of valuable points to help us navigate through AI’s pros and cons.
If you disapprove of this new technology, you will certainly find facts, stats and incidents confirming your suspicions. But there’s more. And it’s worth reading, because we are all affected by this new landscape of highway-sized hazards and havens, as it charges and changes (both “it” and “us”) almost minute by minute.
Slow AI has 7 chapters:
AI is not your friend
Good AI is excellent
AI can save you time, and it can cost you time
AI is designed to hold you
AI detection does not work
The ecological cost of AI
The humanities are the moat.
It encourages us to be alert and GO SLOW. Each chapter ends with a poetic pause for thought: a sanctuary, encouraging us to “read between the lines”. That’s something that AI can’t do! It’s a quick easy read, packed with enlightening, sensible and surprising AI-related information. Primarily aimed at higher education students and faculties, it is still relevant for all and minimally priced for broad use. I particularly appreciated its wisdom as a writer and author.
Sam Illingworth explains his book is only available as an eBook because it will need to be progressively updated. I’ve been following his posts on LinkedIn and found a recent blog about an author having his trade publisher contract withdrawn due to their suspicions that his story was created by AI.
“To AI or not to AI” is no longer the question writers need to ask. Instead, it is “To PROVE or not to PROVE that AI was used … and how it was used”. Barrelling down this latest Tech Highway, it appears that we are all labelled guilty unless we can prove otherwise … at least until AI Detectors such as Turnitin are overturned and a better way of establishing how to tell the difference between human-created and AI-created prose is realised (if that’s even possible).
So, to all my writing friends, using AI tools or not, from now-on, please remember:
Treasure that first rough draft (preferably hand-written).
Keep the messy second and further versions with time-stamps.
Log any AI use along the way, showing that you are boss of your team!
Don’t give up your ideas to a Cloud without being prepared to fight.
Even if you aren’t going to be a famous author for another ten years, it is still in your best interests to cherish all your own words through to “happily ever after”.
Thank you to the poets who have kindly shared their talents for this #ScienceWeek celebration! This year’s theme, SEEDS TO SCENERY, has germinated lullabies for trees and forests; lyrics for weeds and optimism for endangered plant species. It includes gardening fauna, fabulous fragrances and essential DNA and H2O.
In Grantville Grass Tree Forest en masse bloomed hundreds of grass trees–– maybe a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
In the spring following summer bushfires the host of creamy flower spikes attracted bees, in Grantville Grass Tree Forest.
Some blackened trunks sprouted multiple spikes thick as a woman’s knees–– maybe a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
To burned remnant native bush native orchids, wildlife returned to please–– in Grantville Grass Tree Forest.
Hundreds of grass trees stand like skirted hunters, spears to tease–– maybe a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Sand miners now expand their pit and dig up, bag grass trees, despite all pleas, in Grantville Grass Tree Forest. Indeed a once-in-a-lifetime sight?
After intense bushfires in Grantville, Victoria in early 2019, many hundreds of grass trees bloomed the following spring in the Grantville Grass Tree Forest at the Grantville Nature Conservation Reserve and sand mine on Crown Land next to it. A natural botanical phenomenon and maybe the best Grass Tree display ever seen in Australia. Much of the the ancient forest has now been dug up, bagged and translocated to allow expansion of the sand mine. Locals are fighting to ensure the rest of the forest is preserved in perpetuity.
Acacia equisetifolia is critically endangered – Northern Territory
I am a lonely little wattle shrub my family name is Fabaceae (fab-AY-see-ee) by various strange and wonderful ways, I’m related to the pea.
Peas are plentiful but my fellow family members dwindle by the day. Acacia equisetifolia is critically endangered so the scientists say.
I’d really love to have a chat calling out across the sandy ground, “Is anybody there?” then hoping for an answer to float on through the humid air.
If anyone in the big wide world would like to visit me this is where I’ll be: Graveside Gorge Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
I’ll put my yellow pom-pom blooms on show, they’re a little like dandelion clocks you know.
You’ll find me in a woodland glade of woollybutt and bloodwood trees; they’re shady, kind and friendly but far too big to be my family.
My seed pods need a fire to burst them into life, a little one will do. It rained a lot last night and I am so surprised to see, where last season I popped a pod or two a teeny tiny green shoot – a sprouting Mini-me.
When introduced plants come to our land they invade, take hold and expand
Our desert sands are chock-a-block with bright red, English Rosy Dock
Other plants, same old story like the purple Morning Glory
Tumbleweed, oh tumbleweed You roll so far and spread with speed
Lantana: though pretty you are invade weed-like so wide and far
English Ivy, sturdy and green grows like Jack’s fabled bean
Blackberry, you taste divine but oh, you’re hard to confine!
Gamba Grass and Prickly Pear change ecosystems everywhere
So, let’s clean up! Give native plants a really good fighting chance!
When Australia was colonised, many plants were brought from England and beyond to remind the new settlers of home. These plants frequently spread far and wide, irrevocably altering Australian ecosystems. These introduced plants had no natural predators or competition, so they regularly outcompeted (and sometimes pushed to and even beyond the brink of extinction) our own native vegetation. Many scientists and environmental groups are still fighting tirelessly to eradicate these plants from our wilderness areas.
I’m a very small seed and hidden in me is the plan that I need to grow a great tree.
I don’t need to see the whole of me, just read DNA like a book about me!
Page one says, “please start”. That gives me my height. Page two: “grow this fast” for slope – that’s my rate. Page three: “start to bend”, my curves will begin. You see, all instructions are hidden within.
Height, slope and bend are just the beginning of functions, instructions that keep our tree growing.
In Maths, this is called a Taylor Expansion – growing the shapes for seed-to-tree action.
Call me a choko or a chayote, Or a vegetable pear. I’m nicely green and spiky, You can grow me anywhere. On backyard fences or on sheds, My vines just love to climb. Plant me when I sprout, I’ll grow for you in no time. Cut me in half, remove my seed, And boil or steam or roast me. Serve me up for dinner, With melted butter mostly.
Every Tree in the Parkby Jeanette Swan
I love to stare through leaves under old wide trees, beneath canopies of glittery sunshine rustled by breaths of some invisible breeze: each tree is a parasol – a living design.
I love seed-codes, sudden sprouts, giants’ ages; bud-burst, summer stretch, autumn, winter stages.
When bowed in purple storms, when wild branches thrash, lightning strikes – cracks… trees, still magnificent – crash!
In the Shade of Treesby Jeanette Swan
Softly, one grey spider weaves underneath the heart-shaped leaves.
Upside-down, cicadas cling. All the day they loudly sing.
I stand still beneath them all. They are little. I am small.
Shimmer by Stefan Nicholson
Touched by the breath of a silent breeze, the shimmering Derwent comes alive, dancing to flashes, a field of golden light, like ripples of honey from a busy hive, lighting the distance to frame a wondrous sight, where, wild birds take rest – and float and dive.
Then, as the blustering North-Wester arrives, with heavy clouds, the shimmer is transformed, into a grey and solemn phase, mist and drizzle, soften the wildlife sounds. It surely will last for several days, with howling wind ensuring no wild birds are found, even amid the swaying trees. They left early. No more for us to gaze.
For Autumn is upon us . . . only stragglers remain. And in haste they now prepare, for cold grey days ahead, or rest quietly, for ever, in an icy, wintery bed.
Large and colourful, with a casque on their heads; Glossy black feathers with three toes to tread, Cassowaries are known as the rainforest gardeners. They swallow fruit whole then become seed dispersers.
A favourite food is the Davidson Plum; Those seeds germinate when excreted in dung! This marvellous system of nature’s creation Ensures northern rainforest’s regeneration.
The Plane Treeby Toni Newell
The Plane Tree isn’t plain It’s beautiful to see A canopy that reaches far A woody perennial tree. Their seeds are housed inside Hairy round seed pods That dangle from its branches Raspatory system it’s at odds. Bare branches spread in winter For it is deciduous Can grow to fifty meters tall In tree world it’s prestigious. The plane tree wasn’t born here Some came from London town They’re now in many cities And for me they wear the crown.
Artwork by Andrea Lew
H2O by Andrea Lew
Did you know that H2O is the chemical symbol for water?
Hydrogen, Hydrogen Oxygen. Drink several glasses every day to keep the doctor away.
Did you know that H2O is good for health and hydration?
It regulates body temperature and is part of respiration.
Did you know that H2O exists as liquid, solid and gas?
On Earth we have all three Elsewhere it’s mostly found as ice.
Vital for health and hydration, this refreshing liquid drink, for humans, plants and animals deserves our celebration!
campfire scones the fragrance of lemon myrtle sparks a memory
Sturdy Mulga Treesby Celia Berrell
Stretching up towards the skies or weeping boughs drawn by their sides, iconic mulga, drab and droll, still represent Australia’s soul.
In sunburnt soils on arid lands, with long strong roots, the mulga stands. High heat; cold nights are mulga’s fate. In drought these trees can hibernate.
Their rugged bark with groovy tracks can channel drips down trunks of black. Instead of leaves, they’ve phyllodes. Flattened stems that clatter breeze.
Mulga blossoms, tassled gold, are quick to let sweet-scents unfold. Flowering not for Spring, but rain. Should water kiss their harsh terrain.
Attention: Students, Teachers, Parents and Writers …
We are eager to receive your rhyming poems (up to 4 verses) – or Haiku – by the end of July via an adult email address. Send to feedback@sciencerhymes.com.au to be part of the FLORA-VERSE (an online anthology celebrating #scienceweek2026).
This poetry collection is already growing. There are poems about:
Seed DNA
invasive weeds
an endangered wattle
amazing grass trees
Anything plant-related that includes a touch of science, be it biology, chemistry or other STEM-related perspective, is welcome. From your backyard pumpkin patch and gardening tips to your favourite nature walk locations and the arid bush.
We particularly want to publishing poems about vegetation found in Australia. From seeds to forests; from flowers to bees, this collection will include your loves, thoughts and discoveries about plants and how they shape environments for so many other living things.
The use of AI to help create poems is permitted, but conditions apply. These include acknowledging the AI (such as ChatGPT) with the (human) author’s name; checking AI information for science errors before submitting; and answering 4 simple questions about your experience with using AI for this poem.
Delighted or disappointed with what AI came up with? Give it a score out of ten.
Did you edit the AI’s response?
Was your prompt simple or specific?
Will you do it again next year?
We still totally appreciate your “human-made” poems for their artistic and literacy values! We trust authors using AI will try to improve the creations they receive through editing and carefully checking facts.
Science Week runs from 15th to 23rd August. Our deadline for receiving poems is currently Friday 31st July.
Stretching up towards the skies or weeping boughs drawn by their sides, iconic mulga, drab and droll, still represent Australia’s soul.
In sunburnt soils on arid lands, with long strong roots, the mulga stands. High heat; cold nights are mulga’s fate. In drought these trees can hibernate.
Their rugged bark with groovy tracks can channel drips down trunks of black. Instead of leaves, they’ve phyllodes. Flattened stems that clatter breeze.
Mulga blossoms, tassled gold, are quick to let sweet-scents unfold. Flowering not for Spring, but rain. Should water kiss their harsh terrain.
Earlier this year, I received an email from a grandfather asking if I knew of a science picture-book for his three-year-old granddaughter. I didn’t. But I’ve since discovered this one from CSIRO Publishing, recommended for 5-to-9-year-olds.
It begins with a timelessly fun activity – imagining what creatures and contraptions we see, or think of, when looking at clouds. Something both reader and listener can do together – whatever our ages!
Through this connection with clouds, we get to see our world of weather, shapes and patterns from different points of view. That’s because Milo is on the ground, while Maya in an aircraft.
Illustrations have a majesty and surprise about them. I particularly enjoyed the double page featuring a rainbow. Aside comments are written in bubbles with green outlines. A thoughtful bubble suggesting five things to do if you are feeling scared is aptly included on the page explaining thunder and lightning!
This multi-faceted approach of illustrations, narrative and extra information creates a gradient for younger viewers to participate at their own pace over repeated readings.
This is certainly a book to be explored as well as read. It’s got that treasure-map vibe, with clues and additions carefully crafted into the artwork. And for those who want to delve deeper, there are two pages of facts, then a glossary of terms at the back.
Two things could have made this book even better. One was to include an image of a creature (possibly a kangaroo?) for Australia on the world map page. Since the book is published in Australia by CSIRO, the country’s identity shouldn’t be ignored! My other suggestion would be to have realistic star configurations depicted about the constellations on the sky-at-night page – preferably the four described (being Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and Crux).
This book is set out similarly to “The Great Australian Science Book”. It allows readers (or their listeners) to build comprehension over multiple encounters. It is certainly a book I’m eager to share with my younger grandchildren. I’ll enjoy contemplating those cloud-shapes and familiarising myself with their names again and again.
It’s never too early to write a poem about science! This year’s Science Rhymes poetry blog will be called AUSSIE FLORA-VERSE. Did you know some plants remember things?
At least six of my Science Rhymes have been embraced by Educational Publishers in India to date. As textbooks ask many comprehension questions, when I received the Amity University Press request to include The Beauty of it All in their Year 7 School Textbook (Hummingbird 7), I blogged about my own thoughts on this poem.
Although Amity had agreed to supply me with a copy of the book, it didn’t arrive. When I emailed them earlier this month, they kindly sent images of the relevant pages. I was flattered to discover the student “homework” instructions included reading three more of my FAMOUS poems!
BRANCHING OUT
This year, I’ve been supporting Australian Children’s Poetry and its new Curator, children’s poet Linda Davidson. Helping with the Poetry Prompt blogs, I’ve been asking various artists and illustrators if they are happy to give ACP permission to feature one of their artworks as a Picture Prompt. This results in each artist having a few poems written about their art!
I’ve also branched out into non-rhyming short-form poetry! We hope having picture prompts and calls for simpler poetry formats (rather than predominantly rhyme) will encourage more submissions from children (via parents or teachers). These are certainly worthy ways of improving writing and literacy skills. And seeing your poem being shared with others is a wonderful feeling.
My first Short-Form Mid-Month Poetry Prompt on ACP was the Nonet. I first encountered these during an online course on Science Communication through Poetry with UK’s Edinburgh Napier University last year.
Thank you for your continued interest in Science Rhymes and for reading to the end! Previous Newsletters were sent out to friends, associates and contributors via MailChimp. It is now distributed via direct email (or JetPack subscribers).
When it comes to relationships with poetry, at school, I had a preference for the sassy bravado of Tam O’Shanter, courtesy of Robert Burns, rather than English words worth of wooing and woe-ing. Later, I discovered the deceptively simple enchantments of Poet Laureat Norman MacCaig, yet another Scottish poet.
Having one of my own poems held within The Scottish Poetry Library (alongside these masters), is an uncanny honour, and celebration is appropriately timed for World Poetry Day!
Norazha’s “We Only See the Dead” makes my head spin, every time I read it. The complexities of time and space are given to us full blast (a bit like a rollicking adventure with Tam O’Shanter). Courtney’s “Northern Lights” is contrastingly peaceful and a little bewitching (which is more of a Norman MacCaig craft). I simply planted some “Sturdy Mulga Trees” in The Scottish Library. I wonder if anyone will notice them or appreciate their amazing Australian significance?
We Only See the DeadbyNorazha Paiman
Andromeda’s light takes 2.537 million years to reach us, which means the photons hitting your retina tonight left when Australopithecus was learning to walk upright. You’re not seeing Andromeda. You’re seeing its ghost from the Pliocene, and it’s probably already collided with us by now, in real-time, in the present we’ll never know.
Betelgeuse sits 548 light-years away in Orion’s shoulder, already exploded maybe, already supernova, the shockwave expanding while we’re still looking at a star from 1476—before Columbus, before the printing press—when the light from its death finally arrives we’ll call it “breaking news” like we witnessed it.
Even Proxima Centauri is 4.24 light-years off. Obama’s first term is just arriving there now, and if they’re looking back they’re seeing us in 2016, still innocent, still thinking certain things won’t happen, and neither of us can warn the other because causality moves at the speed limit and we’re all shouting into the past.
We won’t see it. We won’t witness it. Everything you see is obituary, every star a time capsule you can’t open until it’s irrelevant, and the farther you look the deeper into graveyard you go.
Look up: that’s not the sky. That’s a time-lapse of extinction we call beautiful because we don’t know what we’re really seeing.
We only see the dead. We see only the dead. The dead, only the dead.
Northern LightsbyCourtney Williams
An Icelandic car park, 1 AM. Shaking screens capture particles as they sweep across the sky. Spellbound by solar ghosts. All too soon it ends, leaving us cold, weary, but starry eyed.
These Sturdy Mulga Trees will feature as part of this year’s Science Rhymes / National Science Week call for poems on the theme SEEDS TO SCENERY.
Wishing you an enchanting WORLD POETRY DAY on 21st March!
Seaside holidays as a child Salty lips after a swim Seeing a sand crab leave its shell Missing out on studying Marine Biology at Uni Living on Lizard Island Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef Plunging beneath a Manta Ray Circling inside a shoal of silver fish Cruising with a baby shark Discovering my talents as a Science Rhymes poet Visiting Cairns Aquarium in 2018 Creating the blog OCEANS OF POETRY for National Science Week 2020
Do you have a love of the sea? If you can put it into words, perhaps you could write a poem for Australian Children’s Poetry.
BOOK REVIEWS
Since the Print-on-Demand paperback and e-book version became available on Amazon, I’ve received some encouraging emails.
Alyce F said: “I came across Science Rhymes in the Sea on Amazon, and I was instantly enchanted. There’s something profoundly magical about the way your words turn science into song and transform learning into pure delight. Each poem feels like a shimmering current—carrying readers from the laughter of baby sea turtles riding the Gulf Stream to the awe of the immortal jellyfish, and finally to the haunting beauty of the ocean’s deepest mysteries.
Your work doesn’t just teach children about marine life; it helps them feel it. I could sense your deep respect for the sea and its hidden worlds in every line. Through rhythm and rhyme, you’ve created something rare—a poetic bridge between curiosity and knowledge that reminds readers, young and old, how alive and wondrous our planet truly is.”
Michael C said: “The way you pack real marine science into fun, rhythmic verse making quirky facts stick while sparking curiosity—is pure magic. Paired with Elijah Roby’s ambient, immersive illustrations that capture the ocean’s glow and mystery, it’s a perfect blend that makes learning feel like play. As a longtime fan of science poetry (your contributions to CSIRO’s Double Helix magazine and The Science Rhymes Book have inspired so many young minds), this feels like a natural, beautiful evolution—celebrating the ocean’s wonders with that signature clever, educational rhyme you do so well.”
I wonder what YOU would say (with the help of AI maybe)?
Have a fabulous SEA WEEK with a splash of poetic inspiration.
Australian Children’s Poetry is working towards including quality poems by Australian Children as well as adult authors. Teachers & Homeschool Parents can submit up to THREE best poems in response to a Monthly Prompt. Enter your email address under the Follow Blog banner to receive Monthly Prompts and poems.
Successful poems will appear as: POEM TITLE by FIRST NAME ONLY at SCHOOL NAME & State/Territory. ACP will not publish or correspond on poems that are not submitted via an adult’s email address.
By submitting, parents & teachers are:
Confirming this is the ORIGINAL CREATION of the author(s).
Assuring us AI wasn’t used and nothing was plagiarised.
Giving us permission to publish and archive any accepted poem in the ACP online format.
That’s when we celebrated the completion of the book SCIENCE RHYMES IN THE SEA at CAIRNS AQUARIUM. Dr Hilary Whitehouse (my JCU mentor), Diane Finlay (SCBWI FNQ coordinator), Celia Berrell (author), Sokar Philpot (project mediator), Sharne Lilly (project-made-possible coordinator) & Elijah Roby (illustrator) recited their chosen poems to the fish!
FANGS FOR THE VIPERFISH
Elijah found a model of the weird and wonderful Viperfish at the aquarium. He admitted these silvery drawings had taken a long time to perfect, but had given him the greatest pleasure. Do you like their scarily sparkly toothy grins?
This porcupine fish can change personality From small, shy and cute, to puffed-up all-angrily. Oh, E.T. you have such big eyes, they make it so hard to say goodbye. I wonder, have you met E.T? If not, I think you’d better see me! This porcupine fish melts hearts every day. A Diodon Globefish and species of ray. Oh, E.T. you have so much love to share, In Cairns Aquarium, we can’t help but stare.
Sometimes it’s difficult to get to the bottom of things. We yearn to discover simple answers to enigmatic questions. And theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli gently shows us why that doesn’t really work … and … perhaps that wasn’t the right question to begin with.
Carlo’s story is anchored around Werner Heisenberg’s moments of quantum reckoning whilst on the windswept, surf-scarred rocky island of Helgoland in the North Sea. That was a hundred years ago, in 1925. But casting off from those dangerous shores, Carlo Rovelli takes us on a fascinating tour of science and philosophy which ends up at the beginning of an amazing revelation, linking quantum mechanics to Buddhism and the relationship of all things.
National Science Week 2025 celebrated the tiny world of the quantum realm and I chose to re-read Carlo Rovelli’s Helgoland as part of my personal celebrations. If I get round to reading this book again in a couple of years, I know I will still find more twisting treasures. Rich gems that are interpreted both philosophically and theoretically. Within the pages of this book, my quantum ignorance melts away into a warm friendly feeling where I can safely and poetically dive below the frustrations of Heisenberg’s exasperatingly challenging Helgoland rocks. Take a deep breath and join me!
One Hundred Quantum Years by Celia Berrell
Are we not like children still? Curious to know what’s inside? Inside the wrapping paper of a gift; inside the heart of a treasured friend; inside the mind of someone admired?
What is revealed might change our lives. Show us the key to existence. Yet, like Russian dolls inside Russian dolls, inside Russian dolls, the smallest reveals only emptiness.
Knock on a door, a sturdy door that bars our way with atoms. Atoms don’t listen for texture or gloss. Atoms don’t know about hard and soft. An atom is mostly emptiness.
The more we bore down going smaller and smaller, the simpler relations must surely be. But within those relations, Carlo Rovelli reveals we have found a quantum key.
A big THANK YOU to all the adults and students who have shared their little creations, either as POEMS or HAIKU, for this year’s National Science Week!
POEMS:
The smartest things are smaller than me by Aaron
I looked down at an ant today, I tried not to hurt her or get in her way. She carried crumbs five times her size That’s strength that wins a science prize!
I watched her walk a dirt track, Then disappear and not come back. Do ants have maps inside their heads? Or maybe science books in their beds?
I learned they talk with smells, not words, (Not like us or dogs or birds). They sniff the ground to say “Go here!” Their tiny brains are pretty smart and clear!
They’re smaller than my little toe, They build huge cities down below! And now I think, just maybe, possibly, The smartest things are smaller than me.
Aaron is 8 and lives near Victor Harbour in SA. He is a home-school student and mother, Emily, helped him submit this poem.
Small but bigby Bella & ChatGPT
Sand is smaller than my hand, Tiny bits all over the land. It’s at the beach, between my toes, Where water splashes and summer goes.
The beach is part of Earth so wide, With shells and waves and crabs that hide. No sand? No beach to jump and run, No beach? No summer, no sunny fun!
No fun means Earth feels kind-a flat, No giggles, games, or beachy hats So even though it’s small and round, Sand’s the biggest thing I’ve found!
Bella is a Year 1 student at Crestwood Public School in NSW. She said that she really enjoyed the process of writing this poem with the help of ChatGPT. She gave the AI specific instructions and edited its response.
Small Tiny Nano in our Worldfrom Buttercups Northbridge Childcare & Early Learning Centre, Perth WA
Teacher Rista Chutoo-Bereba organised this delightful presentation by Adaline, Hugo, Amelia, Margot, Olivia, Ruby & Kayhan. Their words are: SMALL LIKE A BALL BUT NOT VERY TALL; TINY LIKE A BABY THAT’S QUITE FUNNY MAYBE; NANO LIKE THE SAND TOO SMALL TO HOLD IN THE HAND.
Amazing Little Crittersby Toni Newell
Although very tiny They’re strong as can be Can lift many, many times the weight of their body. Classified as insects They live in colonies Are known to be social But have their enemies Ladybugs, anteaters Fungi, moth butterflies Spiders, other ants And humans in disguise Using different pesticides and Natural remedies To neutralize their presence Affects their colonies. I admire the little critters, Who have their roles to play In our planet’s biodiversity Which the negatives outweigh.
Toni Newell is a regular contributor to Australian Children’s Poetry.
Soldier Crabsby Linda Davidson
The Soldier crabs are marching at the edge of the sandy low tide. An army of purple and orange surprisingly blends in to hide. Their ranks don’t appear to be organised as they crawl across muddy sand. Their small round bodies swarm together as they scramble over water and land.
She walks along the beach, white sand beside blue sea. It calls to her each morning, its beauties she must see. She stops to pick up shells, exquisite and sublime, each one a unique miracle of colour, weight, design.
Tracks beyond the water tell of visitors overnight–– of dogs and birds and foxes; overhead a pelican in flight. She follows it along the beach–– on a mudflat stretch it lands. Though it stays well out of reach it’s as if it’s in her hands.
In time the bird flies off and she turns and heads for home. The sun is out and warm it is so she walks barefoot in foam. The squish of sand between her toes, she runs and splashes wide. The salt tang in her mouth and nose, she laughs as she beats the tide.
A gleaming moonbeam Like a tailor’s sewing room Clad in silver threads
Mushrooms by Mia (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Small, tiny, round, brown Infests my garden with spores But are beautiful
Hermit Crabby Felicity (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Tiny, brave and strong Watch him scurry in the sand Pretty little shell
Coralby Katelyn (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Life underwater An upside-down jellyfish Algae gives colour
Little Sea Bunnyby Angela (Mandurah Baptist College)
Little sea bunny Tiny, small, slimy and cute Microscopic pet
Water Bearby Destiny (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Tiny but mighty Indestructible you are Mighty water bear
Seagullby Paige (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Standing on a post Gracefully flying around Perfect white feathers
The Hungry Crabby Evie (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
A small, hungry crab Scurries to grab a poor fish And gobble it down
Antsby Jake (Mandurah Baptist College WA)
Marching through the mound Ants are working very hard Keeping the nest clean
Thanks Teacher-Librarian Clare Laverty at Mandurah Baptist College for sharing these lovely little Haiku from your students.
Sandra Winzar’s students at Hilder Road State School learnt about the recent Algal Blooms which have caused devastation along the South Australian coast. Below are six very touching haikus from her class.
Whispers of Deathby Dylan, Archer & AI (Hilder Road SS, Brisbane QLD)
Poisons spread through seas Fish suffering and dying Foam whispers of death
There are concerns around how this large algal bloom will impact the Giant Australian Cuttlefish who lay their eggs in these South Australian waters each August.
Tiny hopping flea If you please, do not bite me Take a flying leap!
Teacher-Librarian, Sue Warren, recently wrote a series of teacher’s notes for a forthcoming non-fiction kid’s book on parasites. One of the exercises is to write a Haiku … so she did!
Schrodinger’s Catby Tom Middlebrook & ChatGPT (Balmoral VIC)
Cat in the closed box— is it purring, or silent? Both, until we look
Peacock Spiderby Celia Berrell
Tiny spiders dance – Snazzy tail and jerky legs Catch a female’s eye
