The sober, serene, stillness... of Lake,
Rage and fury fuel Waterfall’s cascade,
Rain's delicate touch, until she sights Thunder,
And River, always on the move,
Waterfall, Lake, River and Rain,
The beautiful daughters of Water.
Bushfire leaves a path of destruction in his wake,
Warmth is the gift of Woodfire,
Housefire is a thief, leaving only your memories,
And Campfire brings everyone together,
Housefire, Bushfire, Campfire and Woodfire,
The brothers of heat,
And the sons of Sun.
Mountain is a beauty, with a heart made of ice,
Cliff, a rebel who lives on the edge,
Little shy Cave is a secretive one,
And Valley is a connoisseur of cheese and wine,
Cave, Cliff, Mountain and Valley,
All formed naturally of Earth,
The greatest guardians of Canyon.
Tornado is brutal, crushing hopes and ripping dreams to shreds,
Jealous of her taller, thinner twin, Cyclone strives to do the same,
Sea Breeze is the gentlest of them all, her presence is simply refreshing,
And Wind, the boisterous one, whistles and howls late into the night,
Tornado, Cyclone, Sea Breeze and Wind,
Each... a cousin of Gale.
Water...
...the pool of sorrows, I cry,
Fire...
...the anger, that fuels my rage,
Earth...
...the ability to ground myself,
Air...
...the breath, that calms my soul,
Each element... a piece of me.
Adele Jack grew up in Launceston, Tasmania and is the author of the poem ‘A Piece of Me’. Since completing her piece, the young poet has moved from Tasmania to Queensland and is now pursuing her passion for travel. After having already seen four countries across South East Asia, she has big plans to explore Europe in the coming months. Adele's poem 'A Piece of Me' earned an Honourable Mention in the 2022 Andrew Hardy Youth Poetry Prize (17–30 years section).