ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

The Flower Child
Leonie Parker © 2011

The little girl was taken from the Nudgee Orphan’s home,
and fostered by two hippies from the town.
Her hair was cropped and curly, but with tendrils that escaped
and fell across her eyes of chocolate brown.

They thought she was a keeper so adopted her in time
though often she was sickly and unwell.
Her sickness was a legacy of something in her past
the ashes of some flame no one could quell.

The hippies took their daughter to a farm at Yarraman
to treat her ills with hemp and amber beads.
The air was so much sweeter and the farm had room to grow
all the herbs a hippy couple needs.

The little girl grew stronger and she thrived as years passed.
The hippy couple thought the country air
and the herbal treatments they concocted did the trick
but it was just the love they had to spare.

Aaaaaaaaaah - how nice....this one coming in from yet another angle.

Good on you Leonie - reminiscent of your youth perhaps

Good one Leonie, love the new photo.
Cheers
Sue

Verse 3 line 4 is one syllable short which kind of throws the rhyme off a bit it just jumped out and bit me - would this work perhaps

The hippies took their daughter to a farm at Yarraman
to treat her ills with hemp and amber beads.
The air was so much sweeter and the farm had room to grow
the special herbs a hippy couple needs.

Cheers

Maureen

Hi Leonie,
Good to see a poem of yours, this one seems to have lured all back this time.

Another enjoyable read with a touching story line.

Terry