News & Events

Elmwood student has award-winning poem published

Daphnée Dubouchet - Olsheski has done it again—the award-winning poet has had another one of her works published. In October, the Grade 8 Elmwood School student attended the book launch of Potpourri 2009, which includes her award-winning poem “International Emergency” among works by other authors. Her poem reflects precisely her angst about the animal population being threatened by human neglect of the environment.

This is not the first time Daphnée has had an award-winning piece published. In fact, her French fable entitled “Le Riche contre La Pauvre” won first prize in a provincial competition and was subsequently published in a book in 2007 when she was just 11 years old.

International Emergency
by:  Daphnée Belle Dubouchet – Olsheski

On this earth we call our home,
Can’t they see it’s not our own?
With other beings, we share this place.
They don’t all have a human face.

From the deepest oceans to the highest mountain,
From water pumps to beautiful fountains,
From burning deserts to a freezing pole,
We can’t afford an ozone hole.

Melting ice and oil spills
Are getting in the fishes’ gills.
The trees we cut, we must replace.
This earth needs much greener space.

Recycling is good, reducing is better.
Some answers lie within the weather.
Flowers are dying and bees will, too.
Soon there’ll be nothing left in our zoo.

The fish are calling from deep down in the sea.
They’re begging help from you and me.
All these car fumes and acid rain,
Are giving all our animals pain.

Don’t you see our world is dying?
So now get up and stop all that crying.
We seem to forget we’re not alone.
To all the humans, let it be known.

Don’t be afraid to do your share.
Our world needs a little more care.
This was a lesson for you to learn.
Now go tell someone, it’s now your turn!