The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

The Travelling Cat

They call me the Travelling Cat.
For the world is my true habitat.
I look quite debonair
With my foldaway chair,
And my dashing Explorer-Cat Hat.

I’ll embark on a cruise. Ship’s cat – me!
Keeping all of the ship rodent-free.
Sipping soup of rat’s-tail,
On through Europe we’ll sail.
At each port, there’ll be oysters for tea.

From Egypt towards Cameroon,
I’ll fly high in a hot air balloon.
Over tropical lands
And burning hot sands,
Drifting on ‘neath the African moon.

I dip low over oceans of blue,
Camera out and admiring the view,
When I’m ready to dine,
I’ve a long fishing line,
Then it’s on to Brazil and Peru.

Now it’s north - Mexico, USA,
Taking in all the sights on the way.
Railway track, westward ho!
Heading back, home I go,
While the carriages jostle and sway.

They call me the Travelling Cat.
Come on in. Let’s have tea and a chat.
Do sit down, grab a chair.
I have snapshots to share
But first, let me hang up my hat.

About the Writer


Gaynor Andrews

Gaynor was a primary teacher for many years, teaching in schools across the UK, as well as Thailand and France. She now lives in the Scottish Highlands, writing educational resources by day and stories and poems by night. Gaynor loves the rhythm of language and she has a particular passion for rhyme. Her poetry has appeared in the Caterpillar magazine and her debut, rhyming picture book will be published in 2023/24.