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“The Harbour”
TaraghMelwani
As I neared the harbour, I heard the screeching
of the gulls, which rooted me to the spot
momentarily.The smell of smoke and seawater
was overwhelming. It was enough to make my
eyes water.
On my way to the ferry, I came across the
looming shape of a floating palace. On the side
it said,‘Star Cruisers’ in big, bold letters.
A fog-horn suddenly broke the calm silence
of the scene and made me jump with fright.
A towering cargo ship was being hauled along
by a squat, determined tug-boat. It churned up
gargantuan waves, causing the dinghies and sail
boats to rock and sway.A muscular man was
loading massive bags of guano onto the deck
of a ship heading for New Zealand. I looked up
at the blue sky to see that the gulls were now
battling the sea breeze to stay in flight.
A fisherman walked to the nearby fish-
market, clasping in his hands a colossal fish.
Instantly the gulls dived and swooped noisily,
trying to snatch the creature from his grasp.
All of a sudden, far out on the horizon, a huge
spray of water spurted from what appeared to
be a whale. Immediately a small group of men
armed themselves with harpoons and spears
and set out in pursuit of the mighty beast. I saw
them set upon the creature and, after a lengthy
struggle, it thrashed in its death throes, like a
dying horse. Gleefully they flung their ropes
around it and dragged it aboard.
A great stench hit me as I walked past the
fish-market.The sound of cleavers chopping
bone and flesh was all around me. Smooth,
shiny scales glinted in the sunlight, like mirrors.
Cats prowled the market, waiting to catch a
fish-monger off-guard, so they could rob him
of his business.A newly caught fish thrashed on
the chopping board, like a worm that had been
trodden on.
When I emerged from the market, I walked
past a group of drunken sailors.They shouted
and swore at every passer-by. I moved away
as fast as I could.As it approached noon, the
harbour seemed to become even busier.
People were pushing and jostling to board
the ferry before it was too
late.The noise was
unbearable, like
a maritime tube station. The smells of sweat,
fish, smoke and seawater merged to form
an indescribable stench, which caused me to
sneeze and cough like a maniac.
Out at sea, storm clouds began to roll
in. Along came thunder and lightning soon
after. The calm ocean soon turned into great
towering tidal waves. The docks became so
slippery that you had to hold the handrail
for fear of tripping or being swept into the
briny depths. Get too close to the edge
and a wave, like a giant hand, would snatch
you into its unforgiving, pounding grasp.
Dinghies and sailing boats danced crazily
on the surface before being capsized by the
relentless foe. The seagulls dropped out of
the sky like intoxicated flies.
The whale hunters, pale-faced and eyes
aghast, limped to the dock, their boat almost
smashed to pieces under them, and clutched
hurled ropes gratefully.
Just another day in the harbour.
“Seasons”
George Hopkinson-Woolley
It starts withWinter,
Cold as the arctic,
Dark as space.
Nothing to see,
Nothing to hear,
Except the pitter-patter
Of the cool rain,
Settling down onto
The earth’s surface.
Summer comes next;
Heat hazes over
Horizons of the roads.
Beautiful sunsets
Streaked, silver topped,
Painted purple bottom.
Hot days, like Africa,
Picnics on hills,
Days going on until nine.
Second comes Spring,
With flowers flourishing,
Easter eggs scattered around
Like Stonehenge.
Joyful butterflies
Flitter around,
While puppies
In green fields
Chase sticks.
Last comes Autumn,
Leaves red and brown,
Falling like rain,
Littering the floor.
The weather is colder,
The sky, darker.
Fireworks and silence,
Scariness and joy
Are all packed into one.
“Bullied”
Eddie Burnaby-Atkins
Back against the wall
Cold breeze matching the
frosty reception,
Punch thrown here and
there,
But the real pain is in the
words,
Verbal abuse all the way.
Coming from all different
directions,
Nowhere to run,
nowhere to hide,
Just a kid,
Can’t take it alone.
Then he feels a hand,
A hand of hope,
Suddenly the sun is shining,
There’s a way through,
Another way.
Stand up, Don’t sit,
Don’t stop, keep moving.
Bully Knocks hope aside…
Back to square one.
S u m m e r F i e l d s
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