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
Courtney Butler (8)
Cats
Cats are rather ratty things
They scratch and bite nearly everything
Cats are quite useful things
When it comes to catching rats, you see
I’ve got a cat, and he’s called Matt
He likes to sit on mats, you see, especially to watch T.V.
Cats are rather ratty things.
David Nelson (10)
The Wonderful Wilderness
The wonderful wilderness
Beautiful flowers
What a creation
I’m sure it took hours
The wonderful wilderness
So many sights
Our Father in heaven used all of his might
The wonderful wilderness
Free flowing rivers
Crystal clear waters
In the rain forest
Mountain ranges to deserts
The wonderful view
Fish of all kinds
Such beauty to see
Thanks to my Lord, who made all this for me
Our wonderful Father made all this for you
He did it with love and He made us too
The wonderful wilderness sent from above
Thanks to our Lord who made all this with love.
Kathryn Morgan (9)
Wild Prancer
Resting in the cool fresh water
Then prancing with the wind’s wild daughter
The wind begins to howl and whine
It sends a shiver down my spine
It knows at once to shelter then
Prances away with the wind again
It feels the laughter in the air
And all the wonder in its hair
Sadness in its tangled mane
And all its humour it can’t contain
These feelings I can’t keep inside
This Unicorn I’d love to ride.
Sarah Darby (10)
The Flower Parade
The little rose fair maid
Walked down the isle of the flower parade
She walked with the trees
And they swayed in the breeze
The flowers were smiling
As she flew over the stream
And landed softly on a patch of grassy green
