The poetry and stories from our winning entries were
enormously touching and thought-provoking for all who read them. They showed a
deep understanding of the current plight of Orangutans in the Wild.

Writing – Age 8:  Dakota W – St Brigid’s Lesmurdie WA

Orangutans are my favourite animals.

Rainforests are getting cut down,
so the orangutans can’t live there.

Awesome orangutans!

Nature has given us an amazing gift.

Gorgeous orangutans!

Under the trees of the rainforest they live.

Through the trees they swing.

An orangutan is part of the ape family.

No one can replace the orangutans,
if they become extinct.

Writing – Age 9 &10: Mindarie Primary School Year 4 TA28
After reading books about orangutans and watching many episodes of “Orangutan Diary”, the students at Mindarie used this information to help create the following stories:

“A Day in the Life of an Orangutan” By : Brayden
“A Day in the Life of Marley” By: Amina
“A Day in the Life of Marley” By: Jay
“A Hard Day for Orangutans” By: Jensen
“A Life of an Orangutan” By: Lucy
“An Orangutan’s Life in the Sumatran Rainforest” By: Ella T
“Bonny’s New Life” By: Kyah
“Little Sibu” By: Jibreel
“Marley’s First Day in the Second Forest School” By: Jenna
“Marley the Orangutan” By: Molly
“Marley the Orangutan” By : Jessica
“Orangutan Days” By: Isabella
“Owen the Orangutan” By: Ella S
“Tamura a Hero Orangutan” By: Michael
“Teliti in Trouble” By: Kate
“The Life of Marley” By: Sophia
“The Life of Noddy” By: Will

 

Writing – Age 10: Hannah, Mindarie Primary School, WA
Orangutans

Orangutans are gentle, graceful,
beautiful creatures that are being
killed because of palm oil plantations.
Not only are the orangutans being killed
in the plantations, but the tigers
are in danger as well.
For the orangutans, it’s a fight for survival.
Orangutans are hungry for life!

 

Cara L (Age 12) St Monica’s, NSW

The Person of the Forest’s Point of View

For two million years these Borneo forests we knew.
Our ancestors’ watched them, as they grew.

Trees and Plants, of the rarest KIND
The tallest orchid in the world, here. You’ll FIND

Flying lizards, flying frogs, flying squirrels and flying SNAKES.
YEH ! You heard right, that’s not a MISTAKE.

And along, with all the birds, creatures and me, THERE.
Live leopards, monkeys, elephants and the wonderful : SUN BEAR

From the person of the forest’s point of VIEW.
Why is this destruction, something you must DO ???

I think as an Orang-utan, I have a right to MOAN.
Cause, people keep on coming and cutting down MY HOME !

This gentle, leafy, rainforest, full of the hearts of many GENERATIONS.
Don’t devastate it all, for palm oil PLANTATIONS.

And those aged old trees that GREW
Suddenly chopped down, for furniture for YOU.

Deforestation of Borneo, But why should you CARE
FROM my forest, YOU made your comfy CHAIR.

But it’s very hard for poor people to SAY.
“I don’t want the money that you PAY “
They don’t think of the forests or the TREES
They just want to feed their FAMILIES

YOU’RE just an orang-utan they SAY.
What would you know ANYWAY ?
When all the forests are cut down.
YOU wont hear me, I won’t be AROUND.

Our greedy Government and poor people, don’t really KNOW
The future for them when the forests GO.

When there’s nothing left,
but the forest FLOOR
My home has become part, of your front DOOR

Will people  wonder what it was like BEFORE ?
Will I be remembered, like a DINOSOUR ?

BUT who am I, I’m just an ORANG-UTAN
I’ll never be as important as a MAN !

You out there in foreign LANDS.
I wonder if you can lend a HAND
Please people out there is there something you can DO ???????
WE HAVE FIVE YEARS TO EXTINCTION . . if we don’t get help from YOU.

That’s the person of the forest’s point of view!!!

 

Class Award to Kyilla Primary School (age 12 & 13), North Perth WA

The students submitted a wonderful collection of eclectic poetic styles.
Just a few are featured below.

Rhyming Poem by Hayley (Age 12)

Fight For Survival

I used to live up in a tree
before they took them away from me
now I have no food, no home
and I am left all alone

But now I see a little light
as good people try to ease my plight
there’s moves to end the palm oil trade
If they fail our hopes of survival will fade

 

Haiku Poem by Vivian (Age 12)

Beautiful creatures
Hanging in the trees, playing
Through the leafy greens.

 

Cinquain Poem by Brittany (Age 13)

Orangutans
Swinging, swaying
Destruction of habitat
Orangutans pleading for survival
Orangutan

 

Catalogue Poem by Reagan (Age 12)

My life is nearly over I just want to say:
My family has gone,
My heart has been broken,
My trust has disappeared
My head is reeling,
My legs are cramped,
My arms are holding me instead of mum,
My eyes are all teary,
My heart still needs to say I Forgive you and Good-Bye
My life is now over.

 

Cinquain Poem by Francesca (Age 13)

  Orangutan
   Critically endangered
   Large, primates, swinging,
   King of the trees
   Beautiful

 

Five Senses Poem by Diana (Age 12)

Flames
I see my life disappearing as it burns to the floor.
I hear nothing but the crackling of the flames.
I taste nothing as I am slowly starving.
I smell death lingering in the air.
I feel sadness slowly leak within me

 

Haiku Poem by Blair (Age 12)

Orangutan

Swinging together
Curious and creative
The best fun ever

 

Five Senses Poem by Lexi (Age 12)

I see my home descending around me, my family crushed beneath a fallen tree,
I hear shrieks and yells, cries of fear yet also cruel laughter,
I taste the metallic taste of blood and a foul stench in the air,
I smell the black smoke filling the sky, threatening to choke me.
I feel scarred.

 

Rhyming Poem by Kirsten (Age 12)

I stare at my wife slowly dying of starvation on the dirt floor
I need money for food to do anymore
I gaze upon the orang-utan swinging peacefully in the tree
There are only few of these and they are so beautiful to see
I eyed the gun with his unthinkable offer in my mind
How could I poach an orang-utan? It’s like killing my own kind
Mesmerized by my wife’s tear-filled eyes I know her end is near
I load my gun and aim, my love for my wife is clear
Our eyes lock, anger swells from deep inside of me, why am I
Forced upon this decision?
I won’t do it.

 

An Apostrophe Poem by Mikhaela (Age 12)

Habitat Loss

I open my eyes
All of the trees have gone
I close my eyes
I long for the shade and nourishment of the forest
I open my eyes again
I feel sick; my habitat has disappeared
I slowly close my eyes
I feel nothing, nothing but hurt.

The forest before was my home
Before the chainsaws and machinery
Before everything turned bad
I am desperate for food and water
The hurt and anger that lies inside me will never fade away.

 

Writing – James S & Broughton U (Age 12), Charlotte R & Amy M (Age 10), Lowesdale Public NSW

Carefree Rebel

Flash of orange
swinging through the trees
no warning or excuse me please
hanging in my face
a real disgrace
no respect for his elders’ space
WILD CHILD !

aerial gymnast
loose hips, high kicks
spitting out fruit pips
bouncing on tree nests
not happy with second best
tugging on my hairy chest
WILD CHILD !

primate rascal
on all fours when down
acting like an undergrowth clown
exploring forest biodiversity
becoming a canopy sightsee
having fun living free
WILD CHILD !

 

 

Writing – Broughton U & James S (Age 12), Charlotte R & Amy M (Age 10), Lowesdale Public NSW

Orangutan

I am
rare primate
family pongidae
reddish brown
the most human of all apes
I am in need of help

I am
canopy gymnast
forager
omnivore
living as one with nature
I am old man of the woods

I prefer
solitude
the silent peaceful forest
the tranquillity of my sleeping platform
however
I am in fear of man, my main enemy

I will
live life to the fullest
face up to life’s challenges
hope for your understanding and protection
because facing extinction
I am determined to survive