Creative Writing-Student Response
It has been a long time since I have posted anything and I thought it might be an apt time to do so after the horrendous bushfire January we have had so far. Images can never fully cover the emotional anguish that must accompany such an experience but one of the senior student responses I have amongst my resources is a fine example of how words can capture a sense of it. While this is not a fully polished response, the student was able to use personal experience of his own to communicate a bushfire's overwhelming might.
Sacred Land
A
blood red wall rose in the distance, approaching with wicked speed. Flames ravaged
the land before them, climbing trunks with a mastered agility and nimbly licking
leaves with their fiery tongue. Menacing smoke poured out from the red abyss of
the monster before me, leaving the land gasping for air. It loomed overhead, drowning
the light with it’s poisonous smog; an ominous warning to those who lay in its
path.
I
glanced at Jack’s weathered tombstone in front of me. He had built this beloved
place with his own two hands. It had remained in our family ever since, serving
as a continuous place of happiness and joy. We all had memories of the warmth
and nurturing we had received from this kind home we had lived in together. The
union between us could not have been greater. On windy days, it would sing a
quiet but ever so sweet song, reminding us it was there to shelter us from harm.
With danger so near, I had never before felt so connected to any place.
The
smoke clogging up the air produced a sour tone from the anxious house which sang
with a different voice. I would not
abandon it. I saw the same need to defend this sacred place in the eyes of my
neighbours. As they emerged to wage war on the impending threat to our land, I
knew they shared a similar sense of heritage and bonding to the land. A desire
to defend what defined who we were burned in their eyes. Their courage and
determination bolstered mine. We were a community. We would do this together.
Memories
of family flooded over me as I prepared for the battle. That was the branch
where we had built the old tire swing. I could still feel the rush of wind on
my face as I glided through the soft air but now the air was full of fiery
embers and it moved ominously with each gust. There was the spot where we had
buried old Patch, the most loyal companion a man could have. Amidst the noise
and haste and living colour of the flames, everywhere I looked, there were
symbols of what made this place home and worthy of defence.
The
sound of a car alerted me to the arrival of my two eldest sons, back up troops
in a last ditch battle.
“Are
you sure you want to do this?” I asked them, already knowing the answer
“Yes
Dad,” they both replied, “we’re family ain’t we.’ We rushed off to get additional
supplies. Venturing into the house, I slowed down and came to a stop in the
kitchen. Could this be it? Could this be the last time I would see my home
still standing? Though old and a bit rickety in places, I loved this place. I
wanted to leave a mark of thanks for what it had given the family over the
years. I quickly scrawled the word ‘home’ on a piece of paper and nailed it to
the kitchen beam. If we were to lose the coming battle and the wicked monster devoured
what we loved, what it signified would mingle with the ashes.
The
enemy loomed ever nearer and like archers firing on a distant opponent, water
jets clashed with the hot wrath of our opponent. Neighbours stood abreast, fighting
back the common foe, challenging its red armour as it roared at us and mocked
our efforts with hellish crackles. The sky came alive with shades of russet
orange, crimson and black, tendrils of flame marching across the garden’s
green. Rallying after occasionally being
forced to retreat we stood firm, defending our ground as its hot breath burnt
our faces.
We
would not give up. This land was ours, and nothing could take it from us, even
its fiery wrath. Only together could we drive it back and reclaim what was
rightly ours. As we glanced one to the other, we sensed that together we would
fight it, and together we would win. A
distant and faint battle cry was heard, snatches of sound that triggered a
shared sense of relief. Through the flames and thick smoke, the glimpse of
revolving lights gave hope of a mechanical saviour.
Using Real Life Emergencies in the Classroom
Bushfires can be a brilliant teaching unit for it enables teachers to examine a wide range of literary and media text-types. Non-fiction memoirs, first-hand accounts, editorials, lfeature articles etters and so on enable an examination of conventions and language use. There are also a great deal that can be done with government warning brochures, guidelines and similar social texts in terms of language analysis.
Poems, prose passages and short stories enable comparison with narrative devices and stylistic techniques for communicating characterisation, situation and atmosphere. I have often used news broadcasts and video clips to demonstrate the differences between fact and opinion and journalistic language use.
Concepts relating to courage, heroism and compassion are also valuable topics of discussion with many newspapers doing feature articles about the work of the volunteer bushfire men and women. Examining regional newspapers is often better than sticking to only the bigger, city papers as there will often be more personal stories and recounts available for classroom use. It often enables a teacher to explore human resilience and fortitude in the face of adversity. Resources need not be related to current bushfires for the strength to endure is often repeated every summer here and in other danger spots around the world. Even using the song lyrics, such as the Cold Chisel song used below for the 2009 slideshow clip can be an effective trigger for discussion and writing.
Visual literacy is another area that enables an imaginative response from students. The story above arose out of a series of dramatic images I used in a slideshow to trigger possible response scenarios. With the wealth of visual and textual texts that are being posted online in relation to the current crisis in NSW, Australia, it could be an excellent topic for class discussion as Term begins.
I hope you find this useful as the days count down before school resumes.
Barbara
