WILD WORDS

The lifeless leaves,

They hang from trees,

Swaying softly in the breeze,

As I watch on in awe and wonder,

And stare looking over into yonder,

Whilst in this state I quietly ponder,

‘How can something so dead be so alive?’

The old tree creaked and opened its eyes,

Then suddenly the old tree replies:

‘I am not dead, in fact I’m free,

My leaves are falling that may be,

But they must fall to make room for me,

To have new leaves as mine will fray,

And so, the wind comes out to play,

And cascades my leaves like a wedding day,

The old leaves crumple up and sleep,

But it is not sad, but do not weep,

Because new leaves begin to creep,

They are so green and very nice,

My branches become the bird’s vice,

A nice new home that will entice

Them to come and build a nest,

For them and their family to rest,

The best hotel in all the west,

Now you can see I am not dead,

But now I am tired, it’s time for bed,

Please excuse me whilst I rest my head.’

The lifeful leaves,

They dance on trees,

Swinging happily in the breeze,

As I watch in awe and wonder,

And stare looking over into yonder,

My question is answered, I no longer ponder

‘How can dead things be so alive’.

The old tree smiles and closes its eyes,

Returning to slumber with no replies.

I couldn’t have related more,

To this fallen tree,

Spread upon the ruined cement,

Ruined by the people on it,

Their worldviews and opinions.

This tree once young,

Growing and prospering,

Then taller and greener,

Leaves now joined to its many arms,

Arms once waving to each person passing by.

Come autumn and the tree changed,

Several leaves dropping just as teardrops would,

Others turned varied hues,

Each soon vanishing into the air,

Gliding swiftly no longer attached.

Winter approached as winter would,

All the leaves gone,

Buried beneath the blanket of snow,

Shrivelled up and hidden,

Another season weakening the tree.

Tree once strong turned feeble under wind,

Winds of winter and winds of spring,

Grasping at it like the hands of a bully,

Pushing until it has to give up and fall.

Give up, give in to the hardships and fall.

Earth crumbles underfoot

With every step I take

Through a roof of leaves up above

Sunlight slowly rakes

It warms the hairs up on my head

Like the grass below

Snaking round this bourbon path

I watch it dance and grow

Deeper in I wander

Shadows take the centre stage

Acting as the master

Of the creatures’ masquerade

Ancient oaks and slender spires

Stand tall and proud around me

Mother nature’s sentinels

Stationed here to protect the free

My destination soon arrives

The site of a fallen tree

Tribute lays all upon the ground

In the form of golden leaves

As I’ve sat upon the stump

I rise and turn to leave

A smile sits upon my lips

As I hear nature, breathe.

As I watch in the bitter air,

All I can feel is the coldness

settling into my hands, whilst cold and bare.

I try to cancel the noise around me,

That tries to distract my thoughts,

So that nothing will disturb my peace.

But I have a different thought in my mind:

I can hear the rain that helps the flowers grow,

I can smell the damp dew of the tall wet grass,

that helps the animals to hide,

so that hunters don’t attack and eat them as prey.

I can taste the fresh air, cold and crisp,

as it helps us breathe and carries the mighty clouds

travelling the world, causing storms and waves

For people to hide from, as the weather and climate get worse.

Breathing in again, it is the elixir of life.

But treat it with respect and it may treat you right.

Fate only knows what is planned,

But live for today and continue the fight.

Everyone stop! Stand up for Earth!

All together to help our planet

Replace old attitudes with respect for restoring the world

Turn off the lights

Harnessing the power of the people

Honour the biggest hour for Earth

One of the world’s largest movements for nature

Urging and uniting

Raising awareness. Stand up for Earth!

They once had souls,

Like you and me.

They once had eyes,

Yet could not see.

They once had hearts,

That did not beat.

They once had mouths,

But did not eat.

They once had smiles,

Broke through bark,

That lit the night

After dark.

They once had arms,

Held up so high,

That grip the leaves

Up in the sky.

And they would sing,

All through night,

Sweet melodies

Of candlelight.

And though their mouths still exist,

It is not song that comes from their lips.

Now the age of man has come,

Trees have learnt to cry again.

We are the stardust beings,

Formed equally to our friends in the sky.

Though they die of shame due to us,

And yet we wonder why.

We took Mother’s creation of rainforests, fields, sand,

Lived among it as equals, we held Mother’s hand.

But then we became greedy, we refused to compromise:

Slowly, we force her to her demise.

Skyscrapers, factories, concrete, roads,

We decide where nature must go,

Deprive Mother of her freedom, spirit, power,

In order to develop, we must devour.

Glaciers, jungles, forests, snow,

Mother’s beauties we once awed to know,

Carelessly crushed in the pursuit for profit,

Traitors, we push Mother to the ground.

Imposing hierarchy, was this Mother’s plan?

Undermining her authority by selfish desire,

Yet no-one seems to give a damn.

Of us, she must relentlessly tire.

Shimmering stars, looking down from our skies,

Observing our world since the dawn of time.

These brothers and sisters shun us, after all we have done,

Defying their honour, we dull their shine.

We are the stardust beings,

Undeserving of our friends in the sky.

They’ll forever die of shame due to us,

And yet we still wonder why.

Today I will talk,

About the dog next door.

His name is Skye

And he lives nearby.

As the door opens,

Skye rushes out at the speed of light,

Like a pack of dynamite.

He sprints and jumps,

As far as the stars.

He whimpers whilst on the lead,

As he wants to run at a greater speed.

Skye’s eyes spark,

Every time he goes to the park.

The water that he slurps,

Sounds like grandpa’s burps.

But when he gets left at home,

He feels lonely and forgotten

Like a teddy misbegotten.

In a garden green, where sunbeams play,

A rose stands tall, in the light of day.

Petals soft, a crimson hue,

Whispers secrets, old and new.

Beneath the soil, where roots entwine,

A hidden world, a magic sign.

Tiny bugs in earthy dance,

In the rose’s ecosystem trance.

Morning dew on leaves so fine,

Glistens like diamonds, pure and divine.

Butterflies flutter, a delicate spree,

A rose’s world, wild and free.

Buzzing bees with golden wings,

Nature’s choir, as the rose sings.

Raindrops fall, a gentle shower,

Nourishing life in the rose’s bower.

So, in this tale of bloom and thorn,

A 13-year-old’s words are born.

A rose’s dance, so sweet, so grand,

Nature’s masterpiece, in teenage hands.

Sweet, sweet sugar, I love thee,

Under the sun or moon, I eat honey,

Ground or sky, I love sugar.

Anytime, anywhere, I love my sweets.

Rope dancer they call me (short one at that!);

Great! I exclaimed at my first taste of honey

Laughed, they did, at my expression.

I just love sugar and gliding too!

Don’t dilly dally, we must make haste:

Energy it gives me, that’s why.

Right now I must leave, goodbye friends.

Why don’t you look at me?

Am I not beautiful and coloured by speckles of pigmentation,

Or have I grown old and discoloured?

I simply do not know.

There is no water or lake that will allow me to look their way,

‘One reflection, that’s all’, I plead,

But a soft ripple turns me away.

I simply do not know why.

Does my complexion clash with the neighbouring leaves?

Or do you simply ignore my existence,

For your own pleasure?

I wish I knew.

Yet a growing sapling, smaller than me,

Looks in my direction, upwards,

Smiling at me.

I do not know why.

I wish to look down, to ask him what is so fascinating,

About this old, discoloured, broken flower.

But the sun’s icy grip paralyses me to look its way.

I wish it didn’t.

Still, I look upon the sun’s glowing face,

So perfect in every way,

Hoping for their beauty to sink its teeth into me.

I wish they did it soon.

For my petals are curling,

And insects make me lose feeling,

As they engulf my whole being entirely.

I scream and beg for them to stop,

I don’t want to end like this,

I have so many more days to live –

No one listens.

Now I am nothing but a torn flower.

Don’t look at my face.

I only want to be enclosed by the darkness around me,

And become one with the grotesque countenance I always was.

A night in the city,

Beneath my sprouting, green leaves

Filled with endless bustling, people rushing by,

No one stops to see, this young, new, tree

Anticipating its life.

A night in the city,

Beneath my radiant, emerald, leaves

Where time floats past the bright neon lights,

Changing their hearts, from its original purpose.

A night in the city,

Beneath my rich, autumn, leaves

Precious people cradling their prayers, for a chance,

Losing themselves, for a little reward.

A night in the city,

Beneath my shrinking, bronze, leaves

Scared of the wrong choices, changes,

Scared of being caught in weakness

Scared of losing their status.

A night in the city,

Beneath my fading leaves, my empty twigs (Snow gifted me a coat)

I see the flickering lamps, and hear the clamours up-street.

Below, a stranger smiles at me, and time slips.

When they can’t see the way to go forwards,

My leaves grow back to the radiant green

And it’s just repeated history –

A city in the night,

Beneath my sprouting, green leaves

Where all the people rush by

No one stops to see,

But I feel so alive.

I’m the one and only

My power was granted upon you

For you to love and cherish

But no you want more

You always want more

I’ve fed and clothed you

Giving you air to breathe

Helping you achieve great feats

But you turn your back on me

You always do

I watch as you destroy me

Very few grow with me

Very few know me

You depend on me

Yet you are too proud to admit it

You are always proud

You will never learn

You could build everything

Yet your guild will never surpass me

I am the first and the best

And will always be

I’m dying save me

I’m crying save me

I’m nature

The one who you’ve captured

Thy rapture.

Just as the snow falls

The river cries.

Just as the wind blows the candle

The never–ending memories.

Just as the sun rises

The moon sinks.

Just as the pages of the book

The never–ending prayers.

The sun’s pure reflection

Watch it dance across the moon

Say goodnight to sunshine’s flowers

Of white and of maroon

As they fold to the ground

Night is reigning soon

Let the moon’s soft silver light

Protect us from the darkness

From the fear that’s in the night

Be assured my troubled one

That after such long and tiring days

The moon will surely rise

To wash all of your sorrows away

The children like us

Hide ourselves in the shadow

Then regain their truest beauty

As the sun retreats in favour of tomorrow

The comfort in the moon’s night light

The comfort in her rule so bright

Let her perfect eyes watch over us

Convince us all that it’s alright

The moon changes life’s colours

Our perspective of the dark

The moon signals the end

The night signals the start

So, do not fret

For after long and dragging days

The sun’s pure reflection

Will ignite the moon’s soft rays

And light dances across the moon

So, when she rises in all her glory

Say goodnight to sunshine’s flower

I’ll say goodnight to you

Say goodnight to life and day

Say hello to the moon

So small and agile, it glides through the air

As it tilts its head in contrasting shades

As he soars through the wind, he can hear his fellow robins

As they fly south into the horizon

The robin scours the landscape as he descends on his prey

He soars high, ascending fast into the distance

In the wonderful world of nature,

Where robins chirp with glee,

Small rodents scurry about,

Bush to bush, tree to tree.

In the beautiful world of nature,

The sun begins to set,

There comes a ‘Twit’, then a ‘Twoo’,

Two silent hunters met.

In the mystical world of nature,

The two barn owls drift and glide,

They spot a vole beneath them,

Through their sharp, yellow eyes.

In the glorious world of nature,

The barn owls silently dive.

The vole is caught in the open,

The creature shan’t survive.

In the relentless world of nature,

The barn owls sup and dine.

With great pleasure do they eat,

As the sun begins to rise.

Inky pools slice beneath its sapphire crown,

A determined gymnast of the trees,

Its apron of gold glides from chest to pale cheek,

The patriotic survivor flies,

One year spent with mossy poplar patchwork,

Fifteen thousand hours of foraging life,

Jerking, hopping through weathered ivy strands,

Chattering to the rhythm of Comber.

Winter flocks flap in great–blue harmony,

Determined acrobats of the sky,

Barren beak snips aphids from leafy weed,

A cobalt, fluttering blur of longing,

The garden tourist will seek another,

Inconstant, the chattering song endures.

I star–gaze I dream–sleep

I care–raise I guard–keep

My children grow with each passing day,

But they all eventually fly away.

I fight–defend I power–strong

I mother–friend I belong

But when the first leaf begins to fall,

I hear its crying weeping calls,

I fragile–weak I shriek–cry

I not–unique I say–goodbye

As I plummet down and down,

I know my fate when I hit the ground.

I broken–heart I shocked–annoyed

I fall–apart I live–void

My children gone all except for one,

But I know that I’ll have none.

I night–nap I shoo–threat

I cherish–care I … PLUMMET

When the last leaf falls.

Surrounded in corpses of orange and red,

I remember all those tears I so so sorrowfully shed.

I fought, I loved

Yet I lost all those I called beloved.

Because when the last leaf falls…

Light, sun, warmth, spring is here

There is nothing to fear.

My children home

I am not alone

When the first leaf grows.

The Dartmoor moors: the most idyllic landscape ever to exist.

Gargantuan, viridian–green hills enclose the scene and, as you stand on them, the hills perched on a greater height seem looming above you.

Meanwhile, a clear, stilled water stream trickles through the smaller, mossy rocks, creating a gushing din.

Nearby the miniature streams, colts graze in the pasture lands and neigh affectionately at any passers–by, wanting their luscious fur to be stroked.

Huge craggy boulders lie hither and thither, with such a texture giving an impression they were around for millennia.

Around the edges of each field, making up the towering hills, evergreen trees grow plentifully, that look like guards surveying all the moors.

As a cool breeze of wind sweeps its way across the terrain, leaves gracefully pirouette down.

The sky is a consistent baby–blue hue, with dashes of snow–white clouds looking like candyfloss shrouding the sky.

If deforestation keeps on happening without a halt, our ecosystem will collapse, making it harder to live our lives.

We need to preserve these special natural habitats, or else the homes of these animals, plants and birds living here will be in danger.

These moors are valuable to our ecosystem with all their trees to contain carbon dioxide.

These are ancient natural monuments that have been prized and visited by millions of tourists annually.

Dartmoor moors is amazing, with its picturesque and calming landscape; to be able to just be around nature.