Vic Young writes, today, 14th April, for our regular Friday Club lunch at The Pheasant, Admaston, we invited (along with parents Mr Chris Rushton & Ms Jo Delahay) the Junior & Intermediate winners of our Young Writers Competition. and they read out their pieces to members present. Our “Junior Winner”, Anna Rushton (9) read her poem about “Peace” from the perspective of an extinction threatened animal & our “Intermediate Winner” Grace Delahay (12) an essay about “Peace” from the perspective of a child (refugee) arriving locally from Ukraine.
Pretty impressive they were too, given their ages! Here are their entries:-
The Amur Leopard by Anna Rushton (9)
This majestic animal has no safe home,
It faces our world alone,
There are only 100 left,
Who are not possessed,
There are no more,
It’s unlikely you’ll ever hear that roar,
We could tread on their future,
Or help instead,
No more than 100 survive,
With help they could thrive,
We could help them,
There like a gem,
Another one that could go extinct,
While we all blink
Most of them died,
Which comes with no pride,
Help Amur leopards,
And ones just like it,
Say it loud,
And be proud,
This is one thing wishing for peace,
They want their fleece,
To be their own,
Like the lion’s throne,
These animals want a life,
That is not in strife,
At their home,
They live alone,
But the next generation won’t see of it,
Unless you and me do something quick!
A Child From Ukraine by Grace Delahay (12)
As we walk I see people all around us running, searching, crying. I look at my home, now a pile of rubble on the ground. My eyes swim with tears as I think about all the happy memories I had there. Now we will be going to a new place with no idea when will be returning to our homeland, if ever.
I imagine how good it would be if everyone in the world stopped fighting and came together. Imagine the things we could do. Imagine the things we could achieve. We could be so much more than fighting, guns and violence. People could live in peace and not war. People wouldn’t have to fear for their lives anymore. When we lived in peace I went to school, I had a pet, went to dance classes. I played with my little brother and I took peace for granted. Most of our things left behind we travelled to the border, all I wanted was to get to anywhere that had peace. Somewhere with no war, no guns, no violence but my inner peace was gone maybe forever. I felt sick with worry as we crossed the border, my mother held my hand pretending to be strong. Then I panicked how my father would cope fighting a war he didn’t start. Would I ever see him again, I just wanted him home. Like things were during when there was peace.
After days of travelling, we reached our new home in a place I had never heard of, Shropshire. No one spoke my language, no one understood. They didn’t understand what I had seen. They took peace for granted, just like I had before war came. I was home sick, I missed Ukraine, my old life and mostly my father.
Eventually I started my new school, everything was different. I was welcomed and children were kind. I was so excited to meet another girl from Ukraine, someone who I can talk to, someone who understands me in every way. Yet I still felt set apart from everyone else. Other people’s problems are so different to mine. They take peace for granted.
One decision, one person, one mind had done all of this. The war has torn families apart, made people flee their homes and given people their darkest moments.
Yet I live in hope that I will return and I try to live life to the full and live my best life I can, on the day that Peace returns.
Congratulations are due to both of them for both their work and their readings.
Jo Delahay made a point of saying how much Grace’s winning has boosted her confidence, especially in her 1st year @ secondary school and both parents & Chris Rushton thanked us all for the hospitality & Anna’s prize,
Both Jo & Chris can justifiably be proud of their daughters 