Style for Soldiers: Karl Teany

THE STYLE FOR SOLDIERS

Little book of poetry for

little people POEMS BY KARL TEARNEY I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S I A N T E A R N E Y

P R O U D LY S U P P O R T I N G THE STYLE FOR SOLDIERS

. ...........................

I have been a little poorly for a while and wanted to do something nice.

Writing poems really helped me a lot and I hope you enjoy them too.

Poems are a great way to have a little fun and let other people read about interesting things.

These poems are about special things that are important to me and they are now yours to read as a thank you for being good.

KARL TEARNEY

6

I am a great big fluffy owl I sit amongst the trees My head can turn to see the world But I cannot see my knees I love to sit around at night So I can catch a mouse You sometimes hear me say twit twoo!

When you’re quiet in your house

7

8

I have a little spider That chose to live with me She’s often in the bathroom That’s where she hunts her tea My lovely little spider I’ve named her Emily I wouldn’t dare to throw her out She lives with me for free

As lovely little spider

For tiny little spiders

Just tries to be so kind

Won’t do you any harm

She eats up all the horrid things

So next time that you see one

That often you can’t find

Don’t scream and shout Alarm

So when you see a spider Don’t throw it from your home Give her a name and leave her be So she is free to roam

9

10

I’ve just seen Mister Bumble Bee He likes to have some fun He dances round the flowerbeds Then soaks up all the sun But poor old Mister Bumble Bee He doesn’t mean you harm He’s looking for some nectar So please don’t show alarm Don’t frighten Mister Bumble Bee Whose flying looks quite funny He’s getting all the things he needs So he can make some honey

11

12

I know a little Ginger Tom How strange his name is Bert No kinder cat you’ll ever meet But sadly he gets hurt Because other cats are nasty things They like to use their claws All Berty likes to do with you Is pad you with his paws

13

14

Have you ever seen a Water Vole?

If not I might know why They really don’t like lots of noise I guess it means they’re shy Don’t think that she’s a ratty thing She has no pointed nose Her ears are so much tinier She has a fatter pose But poor old Misses Water Vole She’s the favourite food of Mink So pesky is that dreaded thing She’s almost now extinct So if you ever see her near Be careful what you do Just leave her by the riverbank Or take a distant view 15

16

I have a little wormy friend I think her name is Sue She likes to wriggle in the mud And sometimes in the pooh But she’s a little diamond I bet you didn’t know She fertilises all the mud To help our plants to grow

17

18

I met a little lizard Whilst on my holiday He sat upon a palm tree It’s where he spent his day That lovely little lizard His skin so coloured green He moved along so gracefully His movement so serene My friendly little lizard Had two great bulging eyes They help him look around his tree So he can catch his flies

19

20

I’ve got a friendly great tit That likes to visit me She zooms around my garden An amazing bird to see I love to watch her dancing She zips from left to right Her tiny wings incredible They help her bounce in flight My great tit eats up insects But sometimes nuts and seeds I think I’ll call her rainbow She brightens up my weeds

21

22

Melvin the mosquito muncher His body long and thin His see through wings are flapping fast He has such shiny skin He darts around the garden plants It’s where he likes to fly He munches all the nasty bugs My friendly dragonfly

23

24

I have a friend called Cyril He’s such a friendly snail I always know where he has been I can always find his trail Now Cyril has a great big shell He likes to call it home So if he then gets bored with me He can travel off to Rome But when you have a heavy shell It makes you very slow As Cyril only has one foot And not a single toe Now if you see my Cyril Please say hello from me Then tell him not to go to France As they might eat him for their tea 25

26

I have a little shadow It walks in front of me It also likes to scamper Or rob me of my tea It doesn’t show much feeling Nor looks so much like me One thing that my shadow does It shows such loyalty My shadow likes to cuddle It likes to snuggle me It even likes to climb in bed But can get fidgety The best thing for my shadow The thing I long to see Is when I open the front door It jumps all over me 27

28

The summer raindrops on my skin The touch like fairy feet The cool sensation tickles me My summer raindrop treat

29

30

All alone up in the sky A little cloud is drifting by Soft and fluffy, brightest white Slowly wandering out of sight The sky so blue I just can’t see How this wee cloud could pass by me But now it’s gone I feel so sad The onward flight of this Nomad So take a look up to the sky And smile as it comes tumbling by

31

32

If you have a lovely butterfly Don’t keep it locked away For if it cannot flap its wings It’s colour turns to grey

33

34

Here’s Mister Mole A kind old soul He likes to have some fun You won’t see him Throughout the day He doesn’t like the sun He likes to dig He likes to run But underneath the ground He waits around To sense a worm He cannot hear much sound

He burrows quick With his front paws He leaves his tiny mounds And if you try To capture him He’ll run you round the grounds

35

36

Round and round and up and down That daddy long legs goes Where on earth it’s going to land Is something no one knows!

37

38

I stare out of my window My chin rests on my hand My eyes are looking at the sky My thoughts just seem unplanned The birds are flying all about No logic to their flight I see them flying back and forth But then there’s none in sight The sky once blue is darkening The air seems very still I feel my mood is getting low My eyes drop to the sill

Then the flash across my brow The rain strikes windowpane The noise of thunder sounding near My world lights up again Strangely I feel safe in here I watch the storm roll by Something strangely comforting Its natures lullaby

39

40

I’d like to be a real boy A boy that you can see Not one that’s made of pixels Like the ones seen on TV My body isn’t made of wood My nose, it doesn’t grow I have no strings to hold me up I’m not a puppet show I can talk without a keyboard Won’t fight for vanity I want to be a real boy Can you be real with me?

So please put down your mobile phone Then turn off your PC I’d like to be a real boy Let’s use reality?

41

42

I like to walk with my dog Frank He’s very very small He likes to meet the other dogs He likes to chase his ball My Frank is nearly ten years old His face is turning grey But Frank still likes to run around He runs around all day

43

44

The glow of warmth upon my skin That beats not from the sun For I’m enveloped in loves rays Discharged by everyone To have such kindness in my life To feel abound with care I’m truly blessed to know you all No greater friends elsewhere

45

46

WI TH TH A NK S TO : Meniam et mi, sunt. Vel id ulluptur sunducidem illuptus eationsequam sit, odi ute et utempossit magnihil int doloris et, que quatem rest latus estrum aciam nullitia aborerorent eos nonsequam vel est, solut aut eaturion core perchilia velibea ducias ulpa nimendiones arum faccae voluptatem dem. Et evelita temoditatur, sit porest