Well, well, well, what do we have here? Another budding writer in the family?

During the summer holidays, Sussex Nature Recovery held a competition for children aged 5-17yrs, with four possible topics:  

1: Animal homes in nature.

2: My favourite place to go to be in nature in Sussex.

3: My favourite species (animal, plant, bird etc) that I see in Sussex.

4: People and nature together (can be good or bad).

With the garden at Tawny Owl Headquarters bursting with wildlife, Alfie had no shortage of inspiration. From Sparrowhawks to bats, newts, frogs, mice, and, or course, the foxes – he had a lot to choose from! 

For the last 8 months, we’ve had the daily  company of two little sister foxes, who visit us without fail. We’ve watched them sunbathe in the peaceful corners of our garden, play endless games of  chase, and shelter from the rain under our towering conifer. They’ve even brought they dad along. Observing their family interactions has been an absolute joy.

But back to Alfie……

He chose to write a poem for statement 4: People and Nature together. 

As summer came and went, we got swept up in the start of a new school term and almost forgot about the competition – until last week, when I received an email on Alfie’s behalf.

He won!! How fantastic is that!!

Well Done Alfie!!

Here’s his winning poem 🙂 

 

Two young foxes, soft and small,

As the evening turns to dusk,

Tiptoe through the hole in the fence,

Like clockwork their day about to start.

They dance on paws of rust and gold,

In a world both wild and old,

Among the bushes and plentiful trees,

They chase and play, in the fading light of day.

Their eyes, like stars, so bright and wide,

Their cheeky smiles, brighten the darkest of days.

They know the song of wind and tree,

The ancient call of running free.

In our garden, they remind us so,

Of things we often miss,

The whisper of the leaves that sway,

The earth beneath our feet each day.

Their playful steps, a secret rhyme,

Mark the passage of nature’s time,

In our world of rush and noise,

They remind us of simple joys.

The foxes teach us, young and bold,

That life’s best stories are quietly told,

In the rustle of the evening breeze,

And the wisdom of the tall oak trees.

Nature’s gift, so pure and bright,

Is the heartbeat of the night,

In every creature, every sound,

A world of wonder can be found.

Alfie L Shaw Aged 9yrs