WRITING FOR CHILDREN

You might not have been aware that it was #refugeeawarenessweek recently.  No matter, the terrible situations that some people find themselves in sadly haven’t gone away so here are stories I wrote for #CBeebiesRadio

With some minor adjustments to protect both the kids in the stories and the kids in the audience, each is a true story.

You might want to rant that such subject matter is entirely inappropriate for young children but young children are living through these things.  Stories are there to help us understand and find ways to deal with what is going on around us.  These stories celebrate the resilience, courage and love of young people and nobody is too young to celebrate love.

If you have read this far, then (oops I didn’t ask permission but as I wrote it… bad me) have this:

Taking Flight

Everyone needs a safe place to live,

Like a bird’s nest lined with warm feathers:

Full of kindness and love, it’s the place we call home,

A refuge from the world and the weather.

But storms can sometimes blow nests from the trees

And winter brings frost, ice and snow.

Birds have to fly south or else they would freeze;

To survive until spring, they must go.

Their journey can last for thousands of miles,

It’s a daring and dangerous quest,

Flying across deserts and oceans and isles

With little food and no time to rest.

And people too must sometimes take flight,

Like birds they have to migrate

From the cruelty of rulers and armies that fight,

Blown by the ice winds of hate.

This journey can last for thousands of miles,

It’s a daring and dangerous quest,

Crossing countries and deserts and oceans and isles

With little food and no time to rest.

But unlike the birds, these people have names:

They’re not just a crowd on TV,

They love and they laugh and they work and play games:

They are people like you and like me.

There’s Farah and Birhan, Hivi, Rafiq

With sisters and aunties and mothers,

Serbest, Amez, Natania, Sadiq

With fathers, granddads and brothers.

Refugee children love stories and art,

They love chasing and shouting and play.

They’re sporty, they’re funny, thoughtful and smart

And dream of being grown up one day.

Their journey can last thousands of miles,

With little food and no time to rest.

Crossing deserts and oceans with hope and with smiles,

It’s a daring and dangerous quest.

Then after the winter, the birds fly away,

But not to wander or roam:

They fly back to rebuild the nests that they left,

To the safe places they once called home.

And refugees too love the land where they lived

And many hope to return there they say.

When summer brings the warm wind that forgives

There will be freedom and peace there, one day.

Now that is a journey of thousands of miles

And a daring and dangerous quest;

Bringing peace and forgiveness, laughter and smiles

But of all journeys, that one’s the best.

For everyone needs a safe place to live,

When we find it, there’s no need to roam.

There we can grow and learn and forgive,

Full of love, it’s the place we call home.