The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Climb!

Climb! Climb to the top of a mountain,
see seven kingdoms from way up high:
the island of Man on which you are standing,
its four nearest neighbours, plus sea and sky.

Climb! Climb to the top of a wheel,
ninety-six steps spiral steeply around.
Count as it still turns three times a minute,
pumping the water from deep underground.

Climb! Climb to the top of a castle,
swim if you’re brave in the shivery sea,
look out for basking sharks, dolphins and seals,
watch the bikes race in the famous TT.

Climb! Climb to the top of a tower,
jump on a train as it steams out of town,
explore ancient waterfalls, glens, sandy beaches,
sit by the shore as the sun’s going down.

About the Writer


Jacqueline Shirtliff

Jacqueline is a primary school teacher on the Isle of Man. She is passionate about instilling a love of poetry and reading in the children she teaches and encouraging them to be writers themselves. She lives with her husband and youngest son in a rose-covered cottage near the sea, and when she's not teaching or writing she enjoys gardening, crochet and playing the tuba and harp, but not all at the same time!