At the Roadside of Secrets

3
by Ishan Bagade aged 9

At the roadside of secrets I uncovered
a strange staircase that touched the clouds,
a chest of treasure like pirates markings,
and a green grasshopper leaping like a frog.

At the roadside of secrets I uncovered
a clear puddle with a trickle like a tear,
a racoon raising its sharp claws like a knight lifting a sword,
and a bunch of potholes like the surface of the moon.

At the roadside of secrets I uncovered
an old rusty coffee shop abandoned like an active volcano,
a crowd of people sprinting like Usain Bolt in his prime,
and a random chair for someone to sit on.

At the roadside of secrets I uncovered
a great field of grass swaying in the breeze,
a broken down car smoking like a wildfire,
and an amazing apple tree holding tens of apples.

At the roadside of secrets I felt
The mild breeze brushing my plump face,
The noises in my head from the Cities in the past,
and the whispers in my head telling me to go home.

At the roadside of secrets I took
a smooth, shimmering stone shining as bright as a diamond,
A funny rock shaped like a hollow cup with no handle,
and a piece of a tyre from a burnt, broken truck.

There Was Another Choice

0
by Marshall Gapper aged 15

My dad adopted you in autumn’s gold,
On October 26, 2012
I was two years old, as my story unfolds,
That’s the day I first knew you.
I met you in the morning light,
your fur, I hold tight,
My ride or die, through joy and fright,
You were my everything, my soul,
We were alike—together whole.
Seasons turned, and puppies came,
You trusted me to guard their names.
Odd Sock, now Elliott, carries your spark,
A lookalike born on October’s arc.
Among eleven tiny paws I chose
The one who matched you, heart and nose.
White paws and colors on your back legs,
A fluffy chest, a lion’s pride it begs.
As years went by, your vision waned,
Your steps grew slow, your strength restrained.
I feared it was cancer, pain in your leg,
With every limp, my heart would beg.
Each step you took was laced with pain,
I watched you stumble, fall again.
You tried to rise from garden green,
Struggling softly, barely seen.
I’d lift you gently in my arms,
Cradling you safe from all harm.
I set you down inside or out,
On the garden grass or the sofa’s couch.
Weeks later, news fell like the sky
My parents said we’d soon say goodbye.
I cried, unable to let you go,
Not ready yet to face the woe.
I said my last farewell that day,
Took her picture to school, heart in dismay.
After class, my parents told me the truth
She was gone, lost in her youth.
Her hip muscles faded, her strength grew thin,
If only wheels could have helped her win.
The vet said no, it wouldn’t be right,
So we let her go, gently that night.
She lay with Mum, so sleepy and warm,
A final injection, free from harm.
I cried for hours alone in my gloom,
Knowing we’d lost her far too soon.

You Ate a Cat

0
by Abdulrahman aged 7

I was walking to school until a cat appeared.
It meowed, saying I ate Its sister in front of him.
I continued walking until I got in the car.
I drove, then I ate a burger.
The cat missed that I ate its Mum.
I Shouted so loudly it pinned its ears.
I ate a sandwich
It hissed that I ate its Brother.

 

Dog

1
by Firth-Bernarde Scarlett aged 11

Dog
Orange
Green

School

0
by Maahi aged 8

I woke up in the morning ready for school

When I arrived I played football.

I put my snack in my drawer.

It’s biscuts in a tin!

English, science, history…

Maths is a real bore

Everybody knows two times twelve

is twenty four!

Dreamers

0
by Jouri aged 9

Hold fast to dreams

for if dreams die

life is a broken winged bird

that cannot fly

Hold fast to dreams

for when dreams go

life is a barren field

frozen with snow

Jungle Safari Sports Day

0
by Advik Vijay aged 10

The king Lion leads the way,
On the special day!
In the month of May,
all are going to Sports Day.

As everyone picks up the pace
in the town race,
But turtle slows down, to tie his lace,
As they finished the race, they went to their cave base.

Time to go for the long jump,
Monkey and donkey got a big bump,
Fox went to get water from the hand pump,
Now it was the rabbit’s turn   he got goose bumps.

While everyone was playing
Giraffe was surveying,
Hippo was praying,
As rat came late, he was replaying.

This is the day of play
Thank you, Tiger

Signing off my way

Animal Town Sports Day

0
by Advik Vijay aged 10

As the king Lion lead the way,
To the special day!!!
In the month of May,
We are going to Sports Day.

As everyone picks up the pace
In the town race,
But turtle got slowed down, to tie his lace,
As they finished the race, they went to their cave base.

Time to go to long jump,
Monkey and donkey got a big bump,
Fox went to get water through the hand pump,
Now it was the rabbit’s turn he got a goose bump.

When everyone was playing,
Giraffe was surveying,
Hippo was praying
As rat came late, he was replaying.

This is the day of play
Thank you, Tiger signing off my way

Imagination

0
by Medhaswi Kundu aged 11

When your mind wanders
It travels to unknown lands,
Where faeries glide
And adventure prevails.

Behind the starry eyes,
We have left to fancies
Beyond the Earth which lies
Far beyond our dreams.

We, for minutes, and hours
Are lost to a world which
Feeds our mind, and allows it to
Fly free from the restraints of common sense.

A world where we can be
The soldier, prince or poet
To craft a world
Which stays with us
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Deforestation

0
by Samvart aged 10

Deep in the forest
where severed branches lay
Animals cry loudly
As their homes fade away.

The woodcutters show no mercy.
They ruthlessly chop down trees.
Never do they once think of
The animals’ screeches and pleas.

Nature is being destroyed.
But what do we care?
For both humans and animals
it’s just not fair!

We have less oxygen.
People are getting sick every day.
They just don’t understand,
They drive jungles away.

They clear our forests for comfort,
Never realizing the truth.
We need forests to survive
and not even one ticket booth.

Numerous animal habitats
Are now used as parking lots.
This is deforestation
and it has to stop!