Thank you Jackie and PIO for giving me the opportunity to be part of today.
I love writing poetry about animals remembered in history and was delighted to see my poem ‘Mrs. Chippy’ appear in ‘Blast Off’ in 2015. I submitted this poem in 2012 and it was accepted a few months after submission. The wonderful thing about School Magazine is that they pay on acceptance – a rare treat! In 2015 ‘Blast Off’ featured Shackleton’s exploits into which ‘Mrs. Chippy’ fitted nicely. I’m delighted to have a second poem ‘A Goat Afloat’ accepted too and look forward to seeing this wonderful goat’s story published in due course. Hope you enjoy ‘Mrs. Chippy’.

Mrs. Chippy
I’m a tabby cat from Glasgow
on a ship trapped in the ice.
They call me Mrs. Chippy
and I’m here to catch the mice.

My breakfast it is seal meat,
my lunch and dinner too.
Penguin meat I will not eat.
Well really now, would you?

Pemmica’s quite tasty.
It’s a sort of meat paste dish.
The men seem to enjoy it
but I’d rather it was fish.

I do not like those husky dogs.
They’re howling growling bores.
I stroll upon their kennel tops
to sharpen my fine claws.

Our captain is called Shackleton
and shackled is the word.
We’re prisoners in this nasty ice.
It’s really quite absurd.

Our ship’s called the Endurance.
Will it live up to its name?
We’ve been stuck here for weeks and weeks.
Each boring day’s the same.

The ice is most uncomfortable.
It sticks between my toes
which is why I hide below the decks
to contemplate and doze.

I’m a tabby cat from Glasgow
on a ship trapped in the ice.
They call me Mrs. Chippy
and I’m here to catch the mice.