The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Our Den

Grandma helped us build our den.
It’s underneath the willow tree
In the old abandoned pony shed.
The floor is earth, the shed is wood
Our chairs now stand where the ponies would.

We’ve got a fire pit for cooking out,
And piles of wood we gathered up.
We sit around the fire and talk
And make up tales of exciting things
Like riding the skies on dragon’s wings.

The pigeons coo and flap outside.
It’s dark inside our wooden den.
Sometimes noises make us jump.
But together we’re the fiercest band
That ever lived across the land.

We chase the baddies that dare come near,
Up and down the grassy paths
Round and round the orchard trees
And then we gather back inside
Our den, the perfect place to hide.

About the Writer


Val Harris

Val lives near Farnham in England. Her debut children’s poem was published online at The Dirigible Balloon, along with several others since then. Her poems have been published in The Caterpillar Magazine, Paperbound Magazine, The Toy Press and Little Thoughts Press. Her first poetry collection, A Classroom of Stars, was published at the end of 2022. She is @valpoet on Instagram and @dragontripper Val Poet on Twitter. Website: www.valharrispoet.co.uk