More Children of the Valley Poems for your enjoyment

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.

Published 1st November 2024 By Compiled by Bruce Preston
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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.

 

Kathryn Morgan (9)

 

Fantasy 1

 

A Unicorn, a magic wand

Secret mermaids in a pond

Why aren’t they on your mind list?

Why say they don’t exist?

Go visit the land of mystery

It’s much more than history….

 

Fantasy 2

 

A Mermaid sitting on a mossy rock

A clock ticking, tick tock

Time will fly, fantasy will die

A Mermaid sitting on a fossil rock.

 

 Fantasy 3

 

A cut down tree, a bird to free

No more magic wonder bee

Say magic is true and don’t be blue

Cause maybe a fairy’s watching you.

 

 Phoebe Garrett (9)

 

Dinosaurs

 

Millions of years ago

When dinosaurs ruled the land

The earth was covered with dinosaurs and sand

Some dinosaurs were fierce

Some were scary

Some were strange

Some very wary

Some liked swimming

Some did not

Because the earth

Was very hot

But then, oh no

The great ice age

The dinosaurs

They died out quick

The dinosaurs became extinct

Which is why? I say

You will not see a dinosaur today!!!

 

Madeleine Jeffery (7)

 

Autumn

 

On cold days I run through the fallen leaves

Laughing and giggling all the while big.

I am throwing leaves and crumbling them

With my friends

I like looking at beautiful, coloured leaves

Falling down like snowflakes

Falling down on my face

 

Spring

 

In spring all the flowers bloom

And I like to sail in a balloon

Sailing East, North, West and South

Do as I please

I swing on a trapeze

“Oh, what fun,” I say

As I fly about.

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