2001 School Magazine

original works : s "

Moorlands Rolling, rolling hills covered in mist Open spaces Echoes, echoes and laughter Ricochets from grass blades And are swallowed by the mist

Sea Men

populationI' 23365 Australians died in World War 11. After the war, Mr Abraham was promoted to the position of Executive Officer of the Health Department in Canberra. where he continued to work until his retirement on 12 July 1959 Forty years of employment has been followed by forty years of retirement Mr Abraham claims retirement"was when I started tollvel He played golf, was a champion tennis player and eruoyed sketching at his new Buderim home His two daughters had seven children. "Those seven grandchildren produced about. at the last count, that was yesterday, might be another by today twelve great-grandchildren. " With his wife he took two overseas trips - one anti- clockwise and one clockwise. "And then we lived happily ever after until August 1976, Sunday morning. My wife had a massive stroke. Languished 'ti1 1981 - a long time - and died on the 2 February 1981. " His wife was nursed by Ms BerylWilson. whois now Mr Abraham's partner They moved to their current residence overlooking Mt Coot-tha in 1998 During my visit to their home, Mr Abraham displayed his fun-loving nature when we wereinterrupted by aloudly singing butcherbird. He stood, with help, broke off a piece of his biscuit and laughed as he threw the tasty morsel to the bird who caught it midnight before swooping away towards the bunya pines in the 1990s, Mr AbrahamS survival to such a grand old age has ensured him celebrity status. in 1998 he reached one hundred years of age and celebrated in style with a grand party at the Convention Centre. He cut a dashing figure, arriving in a horse-drawn carriage, wearing a white tuxedo with red cummerbund and tie. As the last remaining of 126 Dungarees, he participated in the re-enactment of that march that had taken place over eighty years earlier Later in the year, he experienced a first-class trip to France. where he became the first foreigner to receive France's highest military honour - The Legion of Honour. it was like we were generals who had saved the bloody world They (the French) couldn't do enough for us. " This year, Mr Abraham has three television programs lined up, including one to commemorate the Centenary of the Australian Parliament in 2001 - more snapshots for his perpetual album. Ms Wilson comments, "There 15 no more roomon thesewalls for any more-memories:'buttheremarkable Mr Abraham will continue to store in his mind new memorable occasions alongside the old. in contrast to his simple goal for himself - "to keep breathing" - Mr Abraham believes that for Australia at the dawn of the new millennium "nothing is impossiblel

Birds chirping At their new born; Waves lapping Upon the shore; The sun Turning the sea green, Shines upon the fishermen

Grey heavens drift above A thousand empty miles A blanket of silence Phantom houses make a Timeless silhouette They run, Thunder under the grass

Morning in, Night out. The fishermen Struggle to keep alive; The songs the fishermen sing Bring pleasures to all living things

We think poorly Of the fishermen Who are the early birds Of the land; The ones who go past the horizon, The ones who travel With arms of iron, The ones With metal feet; They are The waves of the sea; They are The working men, The seven seas The ones

A million million seconds

Pass in an instant

The emptiness is serenaded By the silent symphony

But nothing is forever

Anno Taylor I O Liney

The men We think are

Feeble and small. Fragile and weak,

Are the men of happiness; They are the men of the sea

Genevieve momson 12 Engiond 2000 LiterdryCompention. Nonfiction Prose Second Prize

Arooke Kohowito 8GriMth

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RochelMdeon 8Englond

Chefy!Au 8 England

Iemimo Hutch 8Eng!and