Competition

First Prize

Two Sticks and a Stretched Cowhide
by Jonah Myers
Gundaroo, NSW

I go out in the open air, with
Nothing but
Two sticks and a stretched cowhide

A flick of the wrist, a twitch of the arm and a stick moves through the air.
This just makes an ordinary sound,
But. ..

When I make some more of those plain sounds, I put them in a
Special order.
When I do that in the right way,
Something else begins to slip out from under the sounds.
Something in the rhythm that appeals to my whole,
There's a wonderful, magical thing
And I feel
I am not alone.

Nature is with me, the grass, wind and trees
I feel them
Sway and rustle and blow,
As if in time to my
Two sticks and a stretched cowhide.
I have the world at my feet,
I have

My Drum.

Second Prize

Musical Journey
by Perrin Tarlinton
Upper Caboolture, Qld

My music
My sound
My escape from the screams
and the yells of the world

My fingers pluck the strings
Finding the soft notes
Their gentle whispers
Creating peace in my mind

High notes
Piercing the air
Flying towards the sun
And stars beyond this world

Low notes
Their booming voices
Commanding, dominating
Marching and stomping

Fast notes
Like cheeky children
Running and playing
Laughing and teasing

Slow notes
Like ancient snails
Creating magic's path
A silvery trail

My bow glides over the strings
Composing calm
That smooth, tender touch
The music of my journey

Third Prize

The Rainstorm
by Katie Cunningham
Chapel Hill, Qld

Clouds as dark as night fill the sky.
I hear the rumble of the thunder.
Lighting flashes as fast as a race cars passes.
The raindrops start to gently fall.

Mums anxiously call their children in.
Puddles begin covering the ground.
Mud as dark as chocolate is forming.
Now the rain quickly falls slapping the ground.
Hail, like sharp white rocks, is falling down.
The ferocious wind is blowing hard.
Trees are swaying back and forth.
Leaves are frantically tossed around.

The rain is starting to slow down.
The sky starts to turn blue again.
I see a colourful rainbow.
Fluffy white clouds like marshmallows form in the sky.
The storm is over.