Hellena
Bohinya Ponifasio-Fa’asili is twelve years old and currently a year 8
student at Vaiala Beach School.
She has a
passion for creative writing and enjoys writing poetry and short stories.
Her dream is to
be a famous writer when she is older. Authors that inspire her include J K
Rowling and Cynthia Hand.
Hellena has a
vivid imagination and she uses this when creating her poetry as well as
observing everyday life.
The idea for
the following poem “Dear Father” came to Hellena when she read in the newspaper
that some parents abuse their children. This was the motivation to write
the poem.
In her spare
time you can find Hellena reading as well as singing.
Her teacher
thinks there is a good chance that Hellena will indeed become a famous writer
as she already displays a writing style beyond her years.
Hellena is on
her way to her dream of being a published writer. This is her first piece
published but certainly not going to be her last.
Dear Father
On a plain white piece of
paper
She remembers writing
‘Dear Father’
But then with nothing more
to say,
she writes ‘From your
Daughter’
She remembers her Father
smiling and putting it on the fridge with all the rest of the cards.
She remembers him saying
“This is the best card yet’
On a sparkly green paper
She remembers writing
‘Happy Father’s Day!’
And with too much to say,
She remembers adding ‘P.S,
I love you’
She was excited to see her
father’s reaction
But remembers him nodding
and throwing it on the floor.
She remembered him saying
“You could have done better than that”
On a dull brown paper bag
She remembers writing ‘I’m
sorry Father’
Without a tear dropping
down,
She stops writing
midsentence
She remembers her father
reading it
Followed by a sting on her
cheek
With the smell of alcohol
on his breath.
He ripped it in pieces
And she remembers him
saying
“Your’e useless”
On a plain white piece of
paper
She wrote ‘Dear Father’
And with tears streaming
down her face
She ended it with ‘By your
beloved daughter’
She walked up to him, with
the letter in hand and a rose
She then laid the rose on
his grave, and read it to him.
She hung the letter on the
fridge at home
With the rest of the
cards,
And smiled sadly.
Even after everything she
hoped her Father
Would finally say to her
“I love you too”.
