{"id":2495,"date":"2024-11-29T06:04:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T06:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/?post_type=article&p=2495"},"modified":"2024-11-29T06:04:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T06:04:22","slug":"elsie","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/article\/elsie\/","title":{"rendered":"Elsie"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wandering Thoughts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You got lost on the way home<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the route you always took<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You knew it then<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we did too<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wouldn\u2019t be the last time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You went for a stroll<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That morning, in the park<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gone for hours on end<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nana lost her mind<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A kind stranger guided you back<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your oblivious smile just not understanding<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gravity of it all<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your favourite league team won the cup<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reminded you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the fifth time that day<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your bright smile lighting up your face         <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your shout of childlike joy                           <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprised<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if it were only the first <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You laughed with me today<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if everything was fine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for a fleeting second<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The person I once knew<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shone through those clouded eyes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your wallet, keys, licence, gone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stashed away and forgotten<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nana turned the house upside down<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you followed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprised to hear that they\u2019d gone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At night you\u2019d sometimes wander<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through dark hallways<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confused<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nana\u2019s gentle voice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always guided you back to your room<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You asked me three times today<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How school was<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And each time I gave the same answer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFine, I guess\u201d she says<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does that mean?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still remember my school<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not much else, it seems<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving home from the airport<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And slowly<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every street looks the same<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then it is dark<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark like the rooms<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At home, I think<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never-ending hallways<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haunt me like a bad dream<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somebody stole my wallet<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carole thought it was me<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My keys were gone, my licence too<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They wouldn\u2019t let me drive<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s quiet again<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this empty house<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are you, Carole?\u201d I ask<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She comes rushing back into the room<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And still I sit there<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching the tv<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author Biography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsie Hanson, a 15-year-old student at Oxley College in the Southern Highlands, grew up on Lord Howe Island, where her surroundings sparked a lasting love for creativity. Now an avid writer and artist, Elsie channels her island-inspired imagination into her pieces that aim to explore diverse perspectives and ideas. Her art and stories reflect a unique blend of natural beauty and thoughtfulness, shaped by both her early experiences and her curiosity for the world around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Review Boy Swallows Universe <\/em> by Trent Dalton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite my initial reluctance to read Boy Swallows Universe <\/em>by Trent Dalton, <\/em>it\u2019s a decision I haven\u2019t regretted. My bias against \u201coverhyped\u201d books often leads me to miss them entirely. Two eight hour flights and a two week school trip later, I was left with an emotional truth through following the journey of young Eli Bell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set in the underbelly of Brisbane in the 80\u2019s, the book follows the story of Eli and August Bell, growing up in a world of broken people and difficult circumstances. The story begins with meeting Eli\u2019s babysitter, the \u201cHoudini of Boggo Road\u201d, a notorious ex-criminal, which really sets the scene for Eli\u2019s way of life. Throughout the novel he navigates a world of crime, addiction, and personal loss. As the plot escalates, the tension builds gradually, and each chapter drew me further in, as Dalton revealed hidden details about Eli\u2019s family, his aspirations, and the violent world lurking around them, while simultaneously creating a roller coaster ride of emotions. I simply couldn\u2019t put it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eli\u2019s resilience in the face of trauma is what makes him so amazing. As a reader, I rallied behind him and every challenge he overcame throughout the book. What I loved about this book was how Dalton contrasts the innocence of childhood with the brutality of the adult world in which Eli lives. The drug trade, violence, and criminal underworld that surround Eli clash with his own childlike wonder, making his journey throughout the book feel surreal. Even though Eli is surrounded by so much bad, he learns that there\u2019s good in everyone, and you have to choose what path you take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emotion and wisdom I took out of this raw depiction of life left me dumbfounded. Boy Swallows Universe is heart-wrenching and beautifully written, and I didn\u2019t expect the moral lessons that I learnt from it. Overall, I think it’s definitely worth the hype.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wandering Thoughts You got lost on the way home On the route you always took You knew it then And we did too It wouldn\u2019t be the last time You went for a stroll That morning, in the park Gone for hours on end Nana lost her mind A kind stranger guided you back Your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-2495","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/2495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=2495"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/oxley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=2495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}