Today's Beautiful Gems:

"Poems" by Peter Keslo of Australia written when he was eleven.

"In poems, our earth's wonders
Are windowed through
Words.
"A good poem must haunt the heart
And be heeded by the head of the
Hearer.
"With a wave of words, a poet can
Change his feelings into cool, magical, mysterious
Mirages.
"Without poetry our world would be
Locked within itself-- no longer enchanted by the poet's
Spell."

"Poem" by Ethel Hewell of Philippines written when she was eleven.

"My poem is full of joy
And full of hope.
I love my poem.
I enjoy reading it
While I'm alone.
I forget my sorrows and
My happiness comes along."

Note: Sometimes, our children are asked to compose poems as a part
of their school work. I am presenting some very fine poems written
by children of the English-speaking world. These, written in the
sixties, were collected by Richard Lewis and published in the book
"Miracles" with UNESCO support. These must be read "as poetry,
not as a sampling of precociousness." According to Lewis, these
"will serve as a testament to the power and value of the poetic
vision that is an integral part of childhood." May I request the
parents to share these "gems" with their children and encourage them
to develop the faculty of imagination and practise writing poetry?
Don't forget that Children's Day in India falls on November 14.

Om Santih! Peace! - J. K. Mohana Rao

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