The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

A Roman Banquet

Our menu this evening -
We have the jellyfish omelette.
Washed down with the finest
Beverage in a golden goblet.

Alternatively,
We have a milk-fattened snail.
It will tantalise your taste buds,
Without fail.

For main course we have,
The plumpiest to measure -
A juicy stuffed dormouse,
Seasoned with pepper.

And Roman style ketchup -
A dollop of garum sauce
(Fermented fish intestines)
Top quality, of course!

Finally, a special delicacy
Kept for our honoured guests;
We have flamingo tongue
On a bed of watercress.

About the Writer


Josie De Falco

Josie grew up in a large Italian/English family near the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Childhood memories of the countryside is her main source of inspiration. Josie is an advocate for encouraging children to explore their imagination through nature. Her poems have been published in Little Thoughts Press, Parakeet Magazine, The Toy, Picture Perfect Poetry and the Dirigible Balloon’s upcoming anthology Sky Surfing: Adventures in a Poetry Balloon. Josie is often seen taking photos of the wildlife on her allotment.