Below is an extract from one of David Dales children's poems, This is Our World. It's about a group of garden insects that encounter - and fear - a visiting spider. The accompanying illustrations are also by David.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý This is our world we call the garden ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý It sits behind the high wooden shed ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Amid the leaf covered ground, this is our bed ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý We live out our lives, a life nobody sees ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý We are happy and jolly, and we do what we please
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Piao and Liang are two of a kind ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý One walked in front and the other behind ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Piao flew up in the sunny blue sky with fiery red wings ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý With Liang by her side, these ladies in red ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Flew over the garden and over the high wooden shed
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ru chang had a body that was both long and round ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý He spent most of the day playing deep underground ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý He enjoyed a good wiggle amongst the dry leaves ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý But when the sun sank slowly behind the high wooden shed ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ru chang and his friends knew is was soon time for bed
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Pangzi walked past a pipe that was all dark and hollow ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Pangzi took a quick look, then all shocked and surprised ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Shining out of the darkness, he saw two glowing green eyes ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý It was like a monster creeping out of the night ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Pangzi couldn't more, he just froze there in fright
