Fatima

Monday morning,

ordinary and peaceful.

She hears the birds humming in the sky,

and her mother yelling inside of the kitchen.

“Fatima! Come and send your brothers to school and fetch some water home!”

Heat traps inside of the rammed earth built house.

Sunlight shines through the mud cracks on the wall

into her bedroom.

Lands on her old, frayed school uniform.

She closes her eyes.

Walks out of her room with a giant bucket on her head,

leaving the books, pens, pencils

and school uniform behind.

Leaving her dream of being a teacher behind.

Fragile fingers holding muddy cooking firewoods in hand,

still beautiful.

But she wants something more.

In the most beautiful years of her life, 

she longs for the power of beauty from education.

The Barbarous Land - Found Poem from LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding

Among the creepers and broken trunks, (7)

A vision of red and yellow flashed upwards with a witch-like cry. (7)

The creepers and the bushes were so close that he left sweat on them. (61, 62)

Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island. (62)

Far beneath, the trees of the forest sighed, then roared. (106)

A deep, harsh note boomed under the palms. (12)

Sucking back again, the forest re-echoed; crying out of the tree tops, (181, 188)

Then the sleeping leviathan breathed out, (103)

The beast comes out of the sea. ( 96)

Drawn by the thought of the poor yet bitter, (203)

The sea breathed again in a long, slow sigh. (181)

The vast stretches of water smashed into the jungle, (96, 7)

Behind the silver of moon. (136)

The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold. (47)

The end of light and warmth. (47)

Terrified of the darkness, (202)

The flames were now visible against a dull light. (165)

The boys chattered and danced (76)

Their unending dance (146)

The air seemed to vibrate with heat; (146)

Now it threatened. (146)

The Beast, something you could hunt and kill? (158)

There isn’t anyone to help. (158)

Will it come back tonight? (39)

By Harry, Jennifer, Robin, Tony, Jordan, Oliver.

Video of the poem: https://www.mediafire.com/?x9li913r5nmadd7