HAPPY FEET

Poem (Nursery Rhyme) by

Leni Marlina

–

The crab is scuttling
Along the sandy shore,
Clickety-click, clickety-click,
Then scuttles a little more.

The snake is slithering
Beneath the leafy tree,
Sss-s-s-slide, sss-s-s-slide,
As quiet as can be.

Sing Along

Scuttle, scuttle, little crab,
Slither, snake, so sly!
Waddle, waddle, little duck,
Amble, elephant, by!

Scuttle, slither, waddle, amble,
Here we go today!
Four little words, four little ways
Come move along and play!

The duck is waddling
Beside the pond so blue,
Waddle-waddle, splash and quack,
The ducklings follow too.

The elephant is ambling
Beneath the morning sun,
Amble, amble, thump-thump-thump,
His long walk has begun.

Sing Along

Scuttle, scuttle, little crab,
Slither, snake, so sly!
Waddle, waddle, little duck,
Amble, elephant, by!

Scuttle, slither, waddle, amble,
Here we go today!
Four little words, four little ways
Come move along and play!

The crab goes clickety-click,
The snake goes swish and slide,
The duck goes splish and splash,
The elephant goes stride.

Scuttle!
Slither!
Waddle!
Amble!

Round the world they roam
Tiny feet and giant feet,
Everywhere feels home.

Scuttle, slither, waddle, amble,
Sing it loud and clear!
Four little words with dancing feet
Our happy friends are here!

–

Melbourne, Australia, 2012

—-

/2/

THE MOONLIT PARADE

Poem (Nursery Rhyme) by

Leni Marlina

–

Tap-tap, tip-tap,
Who is coming through?
A rabbit in a waistcoat
And a fox in funny shoes!

Hop-hop, hip-hop,
Round the garden gate,
The owl goes “Whoo-hoo!”
“Come on! Don’t be late!”

Come Along!

Tap your toes! Clap your hands!
March across the moonlit lands!
Hop like rabbits, flap like birds,
Dance along with funny words!

The fireflies go blink-blink,
Twinkling left and right,
The crickets play chirp-chirp-chirp
To start the show tonight!

The hedgehog goes shuffle-shuffle,
The fox goes pitter-pat,
The rabbit makes a giant leap
Boing! And off goes the cat!

Come Along!

Tap your toes! Clap your hands!
March across the moonlit lands!
Hop like rabbits, flap like birds,
Dance along with funny words!

Round and round the garden,
Up and down they go
Fast feet, funny feet,
Feet that wiggle low!

Tap-tap! Hop-hop!
Clap-clap! Go!
The moonlit parade
Is ready
GO!

–

Melbourne, Australia, 2012

—-

/3/

WHEN THE GARDEN WAKES

Poem (Nursery Rhyme) by

Leni Marlina

–

Wake up, little garden!
Wake up, flowers bright!
The sun has popped its golden head
It’s morning! What a sight!

Buzz-buzz! goes the busy bee.
Flutter-flutter! goes the butterfly.
Hop-hop! goes the little frog.
Tweet-tweet! sings the sky.

Wake Up, Wake Up!

Buzz and flutter, hop and run,
Here comes morning, here comes sun!
Wiggle, giggle, jump and play
It’s a busy, bouncy day!

The ladybug goes tip-tip-tip
Across a shiny leaf.
The caterpillar wiggle-wiggles
Past a little garden thief.

A sparrow gives a tweet-tweet-tweet,
Then shakes its feathers dry.
The worm pops up and wiggles round
“Good morning, garden sky!”

Wake Up, Wake Up!

Buzz and flutter, hop and run,
Here comes morning, here comes sun!
Wiggle, giggle, jump and play
It’s a busy, bouncy day!

The daisies dance,
The grasses sway,
The ants march in a line.

One, two, three
Come dance with me!
The garden feels just fine!

Buzz-buzz! Flutter-flutter!
Hop-hop! Tweet-tweet!
Morning has a thousand sounds
And dancing little feet!

–

Melbourne, Australia, 2012

—-

/4/

CHOOSE YOUR WAY

Poem (Nursery Rhyme) by

Leni Marlina

–

The tiger walks softly,
Through shadows deep and wide,
Paws like quiet feathers
He chooses where to stride.

The rabbit walks lightly,
With whiskers in the sun,
Two little feet go tippy-tap
Then suddenly, she runs!

The crab goes scuttling,
Sideways by the sea,
Clickety-click, clickety-click
“Come walk along with me!”

The snake goes slithering,
Beneath the leaves so green,
Curving like a silver thread
Through places rarely seen.

The duck goes waddling,
Beside the shining stream,
Waddle-wiggle, splish-splash-splash!
As happy as a dream.

The elephant goes ambling,
With great and gentle feet,
Thump-thump down the woodland path
A slow and steady beat.

Come and Choose

Walk softly, walk lightly,
Scuttle, slither, too!
Waddle, amble, hop, or run
Which way will you choose?

Step by step, beat by beat,
Find your rhythm, find your feet.
There is no single way to roam
Make your path and make it home.

The tiger chooses shadow.
The rabbit chooses sun.
The crab chooses sideways paths.
The snake chooses where to run.

The duck chooses puddles.
The elephant chooses trees.
And I can choose my own way, too
I can go where I please!

Soft or fast,
Near or far,
Every step can show who we are.
Walk, hop, wiggle, run
Choose your way,
And make it fun!

–

Melbourne, Australia, 2012

—-

/5/

JUST LIKE YOU ALL

Poem (Nursery Rhyme) by

Leni Marlina

I have a little voice
Not tiny, not small.
It can ask a question,
It can answer a call.

“Why?” asks my voice
When the rain comes down.
“Why?” when a seed
Sleeps underground.

I have two busy hands
They build, they draw,
They turn a little cardboard box
Into a dragon’s door.

Snip-snip! Draw-draw!
Look what I can do!
A bit of paper,
A bit of glue.

I have two curious eyes
That notice what you miss
A ladybug beneath a leaf,
A rainbow after mist.

I have two listening ears,
But I can also say,
“I hear what you are telling me
Now let me choose my way.”

My Little Voice

I can ask.
I can choose.
I can make.
I can refuse.

I can wonder,
I can try.
I can say hello
Or ask you why.

My voice may sound
Like one small bird
But when I speak,
I want to be heard.

Not because I’m big,
Not because I’m tall
I am a child,
And I belong here,
Just like you all.

–

Melbourne, Australia, 2012

—-

About the Author – Leni Marlina

Leni Marlina is an Indonesian writer, poet, lecturer, and literary educator from West Sumatra, Indonesia, where she resides in Padang. Her passion for literacy and creative writing began during her school years and has remained a guiding thread throughout her life. Her engagement with literature deepened while she pursued a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature in Australia. The poems and nursery rhymes in this collection have a special place in her literary journey. They were first written in 2011, when Leni was taking a Children’s Literature course during her master’s studies. More than a decade later, she revisited these early works, reimagining and refining them with a deeper understanding of childhood, imagination, language, and the natural world. The poems and nursery rhymes were published for the first time in 2026.

Since 2006, Leni has served as a lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia. Alongside her academic work, she writes poetry, short fiction, essays, and scholarly articles, and takes part in translation, literary, and editorial projects. For Leni, writing is more than a creative practice. It is a way of listening to life, learning from the world, nurturing humanity, and sharing hope. This belief has encouraged her to participate actively in literary and literacy communities and to contribute to educational and creative spaces that connect people through language and literature.

She has been involved in communities and international literary networks including PPIC (Poetry-Pen International Community), WCLC (World Children’s Literature Community), ACC SHILA (ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Community), Littalk-C (Literary Talk Community), and Starcom Indonesia (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community). Through her writing, teaching, and literacy initiatives, Leni seeks to make a meaningful contribution—however modest—to the cultivation of reading, writing, imagination, and literary appreciation. Over the years, she has received a number of local, national, and international literary recognitions. She regards these achievements not as destinations, but as milestones in an ongoing journey of learning, creativity, and service through literature.