The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Camels in Oman

It’s hard to love a camel
with its pouting grumpy face.
And camels always live
in an inconvenient place.

It’s hard to love a camel
with its fed-up shrieks of woe.
If it’s sick of people near it,
it is sure to let you know.

It’s hard to love a camel
when it eats out of the bin.
Standing silent in the darkness
as I throw my rubbish in.

But when you see them in the desert
in a stately quiet crew,
it’s much easier to love them
(though they really don't love you.)

About the Writer


Gillian Spiller

Gillian is a poet and children’s author from Scotland, who has spent many years in S-E Asia and the Middle East. She is the author of three picture books, The Blue Sock (2019), Star Sailor (2020) and On The Shelf (2021) (Marshall Cavendish Ltd. (Asia)). Some of her children’s poetry is on the British Council’s LearnEnglishKids website. She also writes poetry as Gillian Craig, with poems published by New Writing Scotland, Orbis and 192 magazine among others.