Just over 30 years ago, Julie Meddows, at the time a valley resident, compiled and edited a booklet titled ‘Children of the Valley, a collection of poems’. The booklet was published by the Kangaroo Valley P&C Association in 1993, and the present P&C has given me permission to feature the poems in the Voice.
As I was in the valley at the time, and lived next door to the KV School which my three children attended, I knew most of the children featured. Of course, they are now mothers and fathers of their own children, and some no longer live in the valley.
Since there are many poems in the booklet that I thought appropriate to publish in the Voice, perhaps a couple could appear in each issue, which will take several months of submission. The foreword to the booklet just about sums up the wonderful minds and lives of children aged from 5 to 12 in their own world, so I have reproduced the following from the book.
“When our children pick up a pen to draw, or a brush to paint, we witness art in its purest form. That splatted dandelion is an orchid, the stick person is someone dearly loved, the spiked blob, a brilliant moon. When children write poetry they paint pictures with words, brushing in that same raw honesty. As we grow older these primitive pictures fade and poetry loses its colour, its essential truth, and more often its simplicity.
The poetry of our children’s world is irreplaceable.
In this collection of poems by the children of Kangaroo Valley, the child in you will live again, refreshed by the beauty, tragedy, and humour of a child’s world, painted in words.
It is also a tribute to our teachers at Kangaroo Valley Public School and the parents who encourage and inspire our children to write poetry.
We hope you enjoy the collection of poems.”
Sadly, Julie Meddows passed away a couple of years ago.
Bruce Preston
Kiri Broad (7)
My clever cat
My clever cat is so fat
He sat on a mat and ate a rat
He’s very funny, and soft like a bunny
He’s not in a good mood
Because he eats too much food
My clever cat
Lauren Gomez (8)
Kangaroo Valley
Kangaroo Valley is nice
In the winter mornings, it feels like ice
The grass is green, like the sky is blue
There’s lots of trees, and flowers too
Sommer Rebbeck (11)
Coming Home
Coming home from swimming
Was such a big relief
I had been so naughty
You see, I had been a thief
I had stolen 3 swimming caps
And that was more than enough
But 3 more pairs of goggles
My gosh that sure was tough!
I hope the police don’t catch me
I don’t know what I’d say
Maybe I’ll say I’m sorry Sir
I didn’t have enough to pay
Brigitte Ross (12)
Mourning
Sitting here by a warm crackling fire
On an evening that’s as cold as ice
The memories of someone recently I’ve lost
Come through as ever before
The sadness pierces me like knives
And the loss is truly mournful
People consistently sympathise
Still I remember the good times
So life goes on and so should I
But I still have my feelings.
