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.

My Sister

My Sister

My sister loves excitement if it’s big or fast or scary.

Spooky rides with monster slides and spiders that are hairy.

It’s hard to find her presents, but I’m sure that this will thrill her.

I snuck into the local zoo and brought home their gorilla.

How well do you know your bestie? Download the activity sheet below and have a find out. If you’re a member of Children’s University, this activity is worth 30 minutes in your Passport to Learning.

 

24 thoughts on “My Sister

  1. i like around half the things your sister likes for example i dont like scary or spooky stories but i do like spiders. Also i think i will like it if my mum snuck a gorilla into my back yard. well i think the poem is funny and good. I like usually a bit longer poems.

    • Hi Joseph. Great feedback about My Sister. I like spiders, too, though my best friend is terrified of them so I have to make sure she doesn’t see the one that lives in my car 🤣🤣 I’m glad you liked the poem. If you like longer poems, you might like Baby Won’t Stop Crying or Bobby and the Genie! Alys

  2. that was a really good poem Alys.Your such a good poem writer.
    QUESTIONS
    What inspired you to write the poem?

    • Hi Sachini. Thank you for the comments. My real sister and I always liked exploring outdoors and I have lots of fond memories of us together. This poem was based on the image that you can see. I thought it was an interesting picture and decided to write a poem based around what it might mean. Alys

  3. Hi Alys, I liked your poem and my sister is a lot like your sister. I was wondering why did you start writing and who inspired you to write? Oh and I loved that poem it was super fun and creative.

    • Hi India, I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. I think I started writing when I left home. I began by keeping a journal – I’ve still got them. Journals are a great way to record all those interesting details many of which I now use in my stories. My mother inspired me to write. She was a full-time writer with more than 20 books published. Wow, right!? Great questions, by the way 🙂 Alys

  4. Hi Alys ,
    That was a really good poem !!
    I am not a fan of spooky stories or creepy insects . Do you like any of those things ? I have lots of friends who love spooky things.
    Why did you choose to write a poem about a sister?
    Love the poem !!!!!
    From Thinara

    • Hi Thinara. I do enjoy spooky stories and all kinds of insects though I really hate horror movies. I don’t mind reading about scaring things but don’t want to watch them. And I’ve always loved insects, especially beetles and caterpillars. If I’m honest, I chose to write about a sister because the girl in the picture reminded me of my sister. I found the picture first then decided to try to write a poem that explained the odd situation. I’m glad you like it. Alys ☺️☺️

  5. what a great poem i thought it was really good. i would change taking home the gorilla to maybe a cheetah because they are my favorite animal. It made me happy and laugh.

    thanks for being such a great writer

    • Thank you Murphy. I can understand why you love cheetahs. They are so beautiful and they look amazing when they run. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. Alys ☺️☺️

    • That’s very true Vinuk. Do you think that it might be true? I once read a book by a woman who lived and worked with gorillas in Africa. I guess she wasn’t afraid either. And one of my favourite stories as a child was about Michaela Dennis – a real woman who worked with and studied lions. ☺️☺️ Alys

  6. Dear Alys
    I think this poem has a great element of sarcasm and humour. I can’t believe the little sister took the gorilla from the local zoo😂. I think an alternative ending would be instead of a gorilla from the local zoo, A black cat from the house next door because the older sister like spooky things.

    Kind regards Yenuli

    • Hi Yenuli. I love your alternative ending. Black cats are very spooky and would have made a great animal to choose. The reason I chose a gorilla is because of the cool picture. I found the picture before I wrote the poem. That’s a fun way to create poetry. Alys ☺️☺️

  7. Hi Alys
    I liked your poem it reminds me of me and my sister.
    we both love to do things like that as well.

  8. Hi Alys
    Your sister is very unique. I don’t know any girl who likes scary stories and so.
    I liked this poem Alys.

    Japleen

    • Hi Japleen. It’s very silly really. My daughter loves scary stories but I definitely don’t!! Alys😈👀🎃

  9. I feel that you did a good job with this poem as you were able to fit a short story within four lines of poetry. I would love a gorilla as a present as long as it doesn’t harm me and I love excitement. Overall, this was a great poem and I would love to hear more poems from you.

    • Thank you Chomilka. I will try to write a couple more poems over the Christmas holidays. It’s such fun….Alys 😊

  10. I have a sister too and she’s really scared of spiders but she loves gorillas so this would be the perfect present. I hope. I think that this poem was very good and interesting and I hope that you can continue to write more poems.

    • Your poor sister, Ranulaka. There are so many spiders in the world!! I think I would be more frightened of meeting a gorilla. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. Alys 😊

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