Transcript

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Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids’ Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m at my home right now, about to head into the Club for today’s episode. It’s only a short walk, and it’s so beautiful this time of year. There are so many flowers in bloom right now, and the trees are a vibrant green. It’s like the whole world is celebrating the beauty of a Spring day.

SOUND (ring)

Oh, hang on … I better get that in case it’s important.

Hi, this is Little Dazzy Donuts.

Queenie: A …. A …. A ….

Hi, this is Little Dazzy Donuts. Is anyone there?

Queenie: A … Atchooooooo! Hi Little Dazzy Donuts – sorry about that. I’ve been out in the garden, and I think my allergies are getting the better …. the better …. the better ….. atchoooooo …. Of me.

Oh, hi Queenie. I’m sorry to hear that you’re suffering with allergies right now. It definitely seems like allergy season. Even my eyes have been watering and been a little puffy. You know what, I was actually thinking of using allergies as the topic for this week’s episode. I have a few poems here ready to bring with me. In fact, I’m just about to head off to the Club.

Queenie: In that case, my timing is excellent. I wanted to check that you’re bringing those old clothes we talked about?

The ones for your gardening?

Queenie: For my garden. Yes! I was hoping to use them today.

I am. They’re in a bag right by my front door so I don’t forget them. As I’m leaving now, you’ll have them in just a few minutes.

Queenie: YIPPEE!!!!! It will be so handy to have them!

So, what are you and Chicken doing in the garden today?

Queenie: Well, we’re installing Chicken’s solar panels. They arrived this morning, and it’s one of the last things we need to do to her home before she moves in. We’re about halfway through. Oh, hang on … I’ve got to go ….I’ve left Chicken holding a solar panel, and the wind’s picking up. I’d hate for her to disappear off like a hang glider. Hold on Chicken … I’m coming.

SOUND (Click)

Well, I hope Queenie is able to rescue Chicken before the wind whisks her away!  I’ll head off to the Club to see what’s happening, and I’ll grab this bag of clothes on my way.

SOUND (Door)

While I’m walking, why don’t we take advantage of the time to do our Club registration? This is where you  get to shout out your name and get a club point for being here. So, on the count of three, shout out your name so that I can hear you through your phone, computer, or radio.

Let the drum roll begin. Here goes …. One. Two. Three! ….. Excellent!

Well, I’ve arrived at the Club. I can hear work happening in the garden at the back, let’s pop around and make sure that Queenie and Chicken are doing okay with those solar panels.

Hi Queenie! Hi Chicken!

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts! We’re up here on the roof fixing the last of the solar panels….. There we go. It’s in place now.

Gosh, Queenie. This is all looking so good now. A lot of your vegetables are coming up, and Chicken’s home is looking amazing. Those solar panels are a wonderful touch too.

Queenie: They are! Both Chicken and I want to do our bits for the environment, and solar panels seemed the obvious choice for powering her home. Hang on … we’re coming down the ladder now. We’ve been up here for a few hours, and it’s almost certainly time for sandwiches and tea.

Queenie: There we go. Let’s sit down over here and open up our sandwiches! Would you like a mug of tea, Little Dazzy Donuts? ….. Or a biccie?

 Actually, Queenie, I better go into the Club and get everything ready for the episode. But those sandwiches do look really tasty.

Queenie: Before you go, do you have … do you have …. Do you haveeeee …. Atchoooooooo …. A poem that you could read for us? 

Yes. I do. I have three with me on the topic of allergies. Given your sneezing, I think this one here is perfect to read while you eat your lunch. This poem is called “Allergy Season”.

Queenie: Oh hang on …. I think I’m going to sneeze …..a … a …. a ….. no, it’s gone away.

Excellent. In that case, here’s the poem called

Queenie: ATCHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, it hadn’t gone away. SORRYI Okay, I think you can read the poem now.

Okay, so here’s the poem called “Allergy Season”

I can tell from your expression

that you’re going to sneeze,

and not a dainty subtle squeak

with a gentle wafting breeze,

but an ear-bursting explosion

that will tear right through this place

once the air you just gasped in so hard

erupts back out your face.

In the seconds I find that I now have,

I’ll dive under the bed

else I’ll feel large chunks of ceiling

dropping down upon my head,

Once safely there, I’ll stay a while

and hide for the good reason,

that many dangers lurk around

here in allergy season.

Queenie: Oh, I like that poem. I think my sneezes have been getting more ear-bursting. It must be all of the plants, grasses, and trees. Everything seems to be growing right now – and part of that growing appears to be causing havoc with my nose and eyes.  Earlier, I sneezed so hard that I almost fell off the roof!

That sounds dangerous Queenie!

Queenie: It’s okay. We were both attached to ropes and harnesses. Had I fallen, I’d have just swung around a bit until Chicken figured out how to lower me down.

So, are you and Chicken ready to come into the Club for our second poem?

Queenie: Almost. We actually have a couple of tasks still to complete. Here, check out these bushes.

Oh yes! Where are those going?

Queenie: Well, we’re going to plant them around the edge of the garden as a hedge.

Well, that sounds like a lovely touch. Hedgerows have been around for thousands of years, and certainly are important.

Queenie: They are. This hedge will be home to a lot of animals and plants. I bet we’ll see birds nesting in it … some mice … perhaps some hedgehogs. Plus, this hedge helps our plants too – it will help to keep damaging winds from blowing our soil away, and keep rain waters in the garden so our plants can grow. There are just so many benefits from having a hedge.

I tell you what, why don’t you plant your hedge while I pop into the Club to read the second poem? You can join me when you’ve finished. Oh, before I forget, here’s the bag of clothes you asked for.

Queenie: Oh perfect! Thanks so much! Okay, Chicken, it’s back to work for us. Grab that shovel, and let’s start planting.

I’ll head into the Club now. See you both in a few minutes.

SOUND (door)

Okay then, let me dig out the second poem for the episode….. Ah, here it is. This second poem is also on the topic of allergies, and is called “Allergy Analogies”.  Here, I’ll read it to you while we wait for Queenie and Chicken to join us …..

Having an allergy is like…

being stuck with someone

you really don’t like,

who’s with you all day,

and again all the night.

You’re like a runner

but not how it usually implies

as your legs don’t go running –

it’s your nose and your eyes.

It’s like you’re one touch away

from serious harm,

and wishing for once

you could visit a farm,

without falling apart

all over the place.

It’s like wherever you go

you find yourself chased,

and there’s nowhere to hide

and it’s easy to see

just how annoying

allergy analogies can be!

SOUND (digging)

Well, there’s no sign of Queenie and Chicken – and there’s certainly a lot of noise coming from the garden. Let’s pop out there to see how they’re doing.

SOUND (door)

Hi Queenie. How’s it going?

Queenie: It’s going well. Look at the progress we’ve made.

Well, I’m impressed by the hedge.  Hang on … are those my clothes?

Queenie: They are!!!!!!! I see you’ve spotted our scarecrow!

When you said that you wanted some old clothes for the garden, I’d assumed that you were going to wear them yourself.

Queenie: Why would I do that?

Well, to garden in. I thought you were looking for some old clothes to garden in.

Queenie: Nooooo – that’s such a funny thought, Little Dazzy Donuts. I have my own clothes! But I had a naked scarecrow. It turns out that birds aren’t scared of two pieces of wood nailed together … and so I needed to dress my scarecrow somehow. I think she looks the part now. Thank you!

You’re right. Your scarecrow definitely looks the part. I know that farmers have used scarecrows for hundreds of years, but I bet that yours is one of the few scarecrows to wear a bowtie. It certainly make it looks quite dapper. Perhaps once your scarecrow has finished its work of protecting your vegetables, you could enter it into a scarecrow competition – there are several held around the country.

Queenie: Oh, I like that …. That …. That …. Atchoooooo ….. idea!

You know, Queenie, we really ought to do something about your allergies!

Queenie: We should. I just don’t know what to do. It has me stumped … and sniffling too. I’m stuffed up and stumped. Have you ever suffered with allergies, Little Dazzy Donuts?

Yes, I have Queenie. When I was a child, I’d get really bad hay fever, and so every Spring I’d have itchy eyes and I’d sneeze a lot. Fortunately, I grew out of it … but I’m still allergic to most animals, especially cats, horses, and donkeys.

Queenie: So, how did you used to get through allergy season?

Well, it helps to know what you’re allergic to. So, I went to my doctor, and was given an allergy test. That’s how I know what I’m most allergic to. I therefore try to avoid those things, and when I have allergies really badly, I’ll take some medication for them or go to my doctor. I wonder if you should get an allergy test,  Queenie.

Queenie: You know what, I think I will. At least I’ll then know what’s causing this.

In the meantime, I actually have a poem about an allergy test that I can read to you. It’s all about someone who goes to their doctor, and is asked to keep a diary of what they’re doing when they experience allergies. Here, let me read it to you to see if it gives you any ideas for your own allergies. It’s called “My Allergy Test”….

On a normal doctor visit,
to check my weight and height,
my eyes, they watered,

my nose, it ran.
The doctor took out her light.

She checked my throat,
and in my ears,
then wrote down on her pad
that I should keep a detailed diary
of when my allergies got bad.

For the next three months, I noted
whenever I did a sneeze,
or my eyes they ran,
or my skin all itched
from my head down to my knees.

I saw my doctor every week,
when she tried to analyze

whether it was grasses,

cats, or household dust,

giving me red and puffy eyes.

She was puzzled that I was fine at home,

yet my allergies they'd peak

after six whole days

of not a single sneeze,

I'd be awful once a week.

Eventually, she cracked it,

and, for that, I'll never knock her.

As I’m fine with cats,

and grasses too,

but I'm allergic to my doctor!

Queenie: Oh, I like that poem, Little Dazzy Donuts! I love how the poor person ended up allergic to her doctor. Now, at least we know that it’s not my doctor who is causing my allergies – I haven’t even been to see her yet! But, I am going to schedule an appointment.

Well, Queenie, sadly, that was our final poem for this episode.

SOUND

Queenie: Well, your timing couldn’t have been better. We just finished planting the final part of our hedge. Doesn’t it look good?

It looks perfect, Queenie. It makes this a wonderful home for Chicken.

Queenie: Look - we’ve planted it around the entire garden!  

Hang on … around the entire garden?

Queenie: Why yes!

Gosh … you have. By any chance, do you think that maybe you forgot something?

Queenie: Ummm …. I don’t think so. Let’s see. All of the bushes are planted – check. The fertilizer is down to help the bushes grow – check. The bushes have been watered – check. We’ve eaten our sandwiches – check. Well, I don’t think we’ve forgotten anything, Little Dazzy Donuts.

How about a gate?

Queenie: Oh my gosh! You’re right. There’s no gate. If we don’t put a gate in, when the hedge grows, there will be no way into the garden, or out of it!  I tell you what,  while you say goodbye to everyone, Chicken and I will dig out our wood saws and start making a gate. With Chicken’s woodworking skills, we’ll have one before you can say … can say … can say …. Atchoooooo ….. “oooh, there’s a gate now”.

 While Queenie and Chicken make a gate, let me remind you that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you’ll see a wonderful drawing by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch. You can also see the PodSnack video for the episode and download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club, including how to enter your poetry and art into the Summer competition on the topic of Home. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, and Chicken. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you’ll be back for more next time the Club meets. Join us again next week when we’ll have a new topic and more fun.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

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