Welcome

Hi, my name is Alys Jackson and I'm an author and poet

based in Adelaide, South Australia.

My work has been published in books, magazines,

anthologies and online.

I’m Starving!

Take away all of those long beans.
Throw away broccoli, too.
Toss out that basket of lean greens,
and ditto for anything blue.

🥦🥦🥦

Turnips and tatties are so, NOOOO!
Not roasted. Not boiled … NOT FRIED.
I hate every porridge and gumbo,
and any food I haven’t tried.

🥣🥣🥣

Nothing that’s fruity or cheesy,
no salads, no pasta, no rice.
Stewing and baking displease me,
and eggy things REALLY aren’t nice.

🥗🥗🥗

Forget about anything meaty,
or seafood that’s come from the sea.

🍤🍤🍤

I can’t and I won’t eat a sweety,
nor nuts if they’re picked off a tree.

🍬🍬🍬

Never present me with curry,
cornbread, rye, barley or wheat.

🥪🥪🥪

But Mother I’d like you to hurry
I’m starving and I WANT TO EAT!

Would you like to create your own food poem? Download the activity sheet below and have a go. If you’re a member of Children’s University, this activity is worth 30 minutes in your Passport to Learning.

90 thoughts on “I’m Starving!”

    • Hi Ranulaka. I wonder what foods you don’t or won’t eat?! 😊 I must admit, I’m pretty good at eating all foods though I don’t really like oysters. 🦪🦪🦪🦪🦪 Alys

  2. Hi Alys
    I really liked your poem.
    I’m glad I’m not a fussy eater like the person in your poem.
    My favourite vegetable is beans but I don’t like potatoes unless they are chips.

    • Yeah, I’m with you on the chips, Caitlyn! Chips have to be one of my favourite snacks. I like beans, too, but my favourite vegetable is sweet potato. And I’m so glad you liked the poem 🍩🍰🍧🍞🍜🍛🍟🍝🍔🍗🍕🍖

    • Thank you, Senuli. I hope you’re not a fussy eater. When I was young, there were lots of foods I didn’t like although I love everything nowadays!! Except raw jellyfish! I definitely DON’T LIKE raw jellyfish. Alys 😊😊😣

    • Thanks Lithumi. I really hope that you aren’t as fussy an eater as the child in my silly poem?! Alys 🍔🍕🍗🍩

    • You got it, Yehanya. Impatient and very hungry, I expect. I hope you’re not THAT fussy?! Alys 🍔🍕🍗🍘🍢

  7. Hi Alys.
    I love this poem. It reminded me of my sister
    because even though she’s hungry she doesn’t
    like eating what my mum makes but if she
    does eat she takes 2 hours to finish it. Literally.
    bye! 🤗😀🤗😀🤗😁🤗😀

    • Oh my, Tiaana! Your poor sister. I wonder why she doesn’t like eating the food your mum makes!? I expect she’ll change as she gets older. I never tried anything unusual when I was a child. For me, garlic was unusual – I didn’t eat it until I was at least 22 years old! Now I loooove garlic 😊 Alys

  8. Hi Alys,
    Poor Mum who have been cooking all that food. I wonder if it’s about someone you know. I’m happy that i’m not a fuzzy eater.

    • Nobody I know, Ishrit, but that was a very good comment. I’m very glad I don’t know someone so fussy!! It would make cooking very difficult. Luckily my family eat everything – almost 😁 Alys

  9. Hi Alys
    That person is a very picky eater.But that person should eat vegetables because it is good for them.Guess the person’s parents try to make he or she eat vegetables.

    • Great comments Thinara, and I agree that vegetables are very important because they are so good for you. I hope that you enjoy vegetables 😁 Alys

  10. he must be a picky eater, I don’t like veggies myself but I eat most of it. its a lot of effort to get veggies in my mouth.

    • Hi Sachini, your comments made me laugh 😄😆 I hope that one day you like veggies. And very well done…it’s good to know that you still eat the veggies even though you don’t enjoy some of them. Bye, Alys

  11. What is he going to eat?
    Can he eat crackers?
    I like the poem but he was being very fussy.
    I would leave out cheesy, because I love cheese.

    • I’m not sure what he’s going to eat, Ella. Maybe nothing at all! I love cheese, too, by the way. Alys 🙂

  12. HI Alys,
    I liked this poem it reminded me of when my mum always says I’m a fuzzy eater,but I don’t think so.
    When someone asks me to try something new I always ask whats in it.
    After I read this it made me feel hungry

    • Hi Japleen, it made me smile to think that reading this poem made you hungry – you must like SOME of the things on the list, then. 🙂 Alys

  13. Ha Ha I really liked it, it was funny and it sounds like me i’m very fussy and won’t try anything new
    mum asks me everyday and i have no idea and i’m always hungry
    Thanks for a great poem

    • Oh dear, Hollie, I hope you’re not as fussy as the child in my poem?! You will be very hungry if you are 🙂 Alys

  14. I think it is a toddler that wants milk like my little sister. But I like to eat broccoli and peas.🥗

    • I’m with you there Sanuli – I love my peas and broccoli. Yes, maybe the child is a toddler. That would explain a lot 🙂 Alys

    • Hi Vinuk. I hope you can eat more than the very silly person in this poem or you really will be starving 🙂 Bye Alys

  18. Wow, that was a lot of foods not to like. I don’t think I am that fussy! I enjoyed reading your poem, thankyou 🙂

    • Thank you Stella. I agree with your comments and I really don’t think anyone could be THAT fussy. I think they would probably starve 🙂 Thank you for reading my poem. Alys

  19. Hi Alys
    im not sure if you’ve read my other comment on this poem cuz I think the internet might not have posted it properly. oh well.
    if you have seen it ……….. bye 🙂
    if not then I think my head just exploded cuz the internet was so annoying.
    I liked this poem it was funny even tho the title is a little bit depressing…
    how does this kid live???? 🙂
    Also this kid doesn’t like veggies so I’m assuming he’s seven or something because most kids around that age tend to go ‘BLEEEEUGHHHH’ to most veggies.
    but if he’s nearly eleven (like me <:) ) then my head just exploded AGAIN cuz I luv veggies especially carrots, peas, snow peas, corn, cauliflower and avocado if avocado is even a vegetable
    Beth
    PS and tomatoes

    • Hi again Bethany. Yes, I did get your message but this one is awesome. I really do hope that your head didn’t explode because that would make such an annoying mess – 🙂 and I’m not sure about your avocado query – maybe it is and maybe it isn’t? I think you’ll have to ask a vegetable expert – preferably one without an exploding head problem. Alys

  20. The title sort of depressed me…
    how does this kid live??? 🙂 🙂 🙂

    its really funny luv ur poetry Alys
    PS I like carrots and spinach and corn and cauliflower

    • Hi Bethany, thank goodness you like veggies! I have no idea how this kid survives to be honest. My cousin ate nothing but marmalade sandwiches when he was young…literally…nothing else. And he seems to be OK?! Maybe. Alys 🙂

  21. Hey Alys

    I like your vegetable poem it makes me hungry, and my favourite are vegetable is spinach, broccolie, and carrots.

    • They are all great vegetables to like Zaynab; healthy and delicious. I like it that my poem makes you hungry 🙂 Bye Alys

  23. Hi Alys

    I don’t always like to eat foods, sometime it matters on how it is cooked.
    I don’t always like meals because they something I don’t like, for example in soup I hate some vegetables same with pasta but with just cheese I like it.
    The poem makes me hungry.

    • I agree Tharinsa, it is very important how the food is cooked. Sometimes I prefer vegetables raw, for example cabbage. And I really love curries!! I hope the poem didn’t make you TOO hungry? 🙂 Bye Alys

  24. Hi Alys
    This poem reminded me of my fussy cousin in Sri-Lanka who doesn’t eat his greens. love all my fruits and veggies.
    My favourite fruit is Mango. My Favourite vegetable is cucumber.

    Regards Yenuli

    • Mango? Yes, I think mangoes are amazing fruits. I grew up in Scotland so I never even tried one until I arrived in Australia. My favourite fruit is raspberry and my favourite vegetable is sweet potato 🙂 Bye Alys

  25. Hi Alys,
    I love how your poems rhyme so much and it is true that some people that just don’t like some of the food listed in your poem. It is funny at the end when it says that the child wants to eat because he is hungry but the child has listed all the main things that people need in their diet so really he is making his mums cooking a whole lot harder to find something that he does like!

    From Ella!!

    • It’s good to hear that you like rhyming poems and you hit the nail on the head with your comments. Boy is it hard to cook for children. My two could be soooo fussy! I think that’s why it was such fun to write this poem. Instead of being cross it now makes me laugh. Bye Alys 🙂

  26. Hi Alys,
    This poem remind me of when my parents ask me to hurry up and finish my food. It’s annoying, but I like my vegies, I like fruits and specially bananas and strawberries, but I hate avocado. About the end, I would change it to her eating all the greens and vegetables except avocado.

    • Isn’t that the truth, Tirath?! Parents are always telling their children to hurry up and finish their food. I can remember telling both my children…And you don’t like avocado??? Wow. I looooove them. Maybe I can eat all the avocado while you eat all the strawberries? Bye Alys. PS: I love your alternative ending by the way 🙂

    • Hi again Fleur. I don’t think you’re alone in hating greens 🙂 Actually though, I really love them. Although I do love lolly pops and coco pops more!! But don’t tell my children…Bye Alys

    • Thank you, Thenumi. Actually I think most people are a little fussy. Food and taste is so very personal, isn’t it? Bye Alys

  29. I liked how the first and third lines rhymed and the second and fourth lines rhymed. I am quite a fussy eater but if I’m really hungry I will eat anything and this poem made me very hungry.

    • It’s great that you examined the rhyming structure of this poem Chomilka – there are so many different ways to write poetry. And I hope that you managed to find something to satisfy your hunger 🙂 Great comments!

  30. Hi, I usually eat what ever my mam give me. But I first choose the once i like most and then gradually goes to things i dont like. But I never waste food. Love your poem.

    • You sound extremely sensible and very grown up!! It’s always good to eat up your food and even those foods we don’t like very much 🙂 I never waste food either. Any leftovers go straight into my garden. Bye Alys

    • Me too Natalee – I think that’s what made it such fun to write!! Bye Alys PS: sorry this reply is so late – everyone here is sick!!!

  33. Hi Alys , When I read that poem it made me feel hungry.
    And I also loved it.

    from Savannah 🦄🐬😎😀😍

    • Hi Savannah, I hope you found something to eat and I’m happy you loved the poem! 🙂 Bye Alys

    • Hi Amity, I’m glad you liked the poem and I hope that you find something you enjoy eating!! 🙂 Bye Alys

    • Hi Hannah, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the poem. I can relate to it too – there are some foods I still refuse to eat 🙂 Bye, Alys

    • Hi Kassim, it must be hard always being hungry!! But I’m glad you can relate to the poem 🙂 Bye, Alys

  37. Hi Alys, that was a great poem does this person never eat or does the person only one type of food? I hope to meet you soon . Camila Paez

    • Hi Camila, I have no idea what this fussy eater would eat. I don’t think there’s much left 🙂 Alys

    • Hi Emma, I think that everyone is a little bit fussy sometimes :). Thank you for your comment. Bye Alys

  39. Hi Alys does the fussy eater in this poem like or eat anything would they just starve? I mean my brother is a fussy eater but not that fussy. 🙂 Kind regards Finn

    • Hi Finn, sorry I took so long to reply. I am not sure what the fussy eater (in my poem) would eat 🙂 And I am so glad your brother isn’t as fussy!!

  40. I like this poem because
    it shows how people can be so picky with their food,
    but sometimes you do this if you are in a bad mood
    Sometimes it’s so hard just to choose
    Between all of these different foods

    From Tulara

    • Hi Tulara, I agree that it’s hard to choose food sometimes, and I’m very pleased you liked this poem. I always try to eat food that is healthy but sometimes it is so, so hard! I hope you find it easier. Bye Alys

    • Hi Abbey, I’m pleased to hear that you are creative and I’m sure you will be able to write amazing things. Just never give up!! 🙂 Alys

  43. Well im not that fussy but i dont really like long beans. I wonder what his mum would actually make for him?? He really doesnt like much!
    These poems are fun though.
    Thank you
    Leah 😁

    • Hi Leah, thank you for your comments. I’m glad to hear that you’re not a fussy eater 🙂 and that you liked the poems. Bye Alys

  45. I liked this poem as it talks about fussy eaters., just like my sister. Always hungry but never wants to eat what mum cooks, unless its chicken nuggets and chips. Bye Maddison

    • Hi Maddison, I also know some very fussy eaters! In fact, when my cousin went on holiday he packed marmalade sandwiches inside his suitcase so he didn’t need to eat anything else. True! Alys

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