The Old Fig Tree
by Qiana Zaher, Harkaway Hills College
Years 7 – 8 Ekphrastic Poetry Finalist
‘I Fichi di Nonna’ by Andrea Camagna (2022)
The old fig tree,
Was my favourite tree to climb,
With my brothers and sisters beside me,
When I think of it, I think of the best times.
The old fig tree,
Was my favourite place to hide,
I would climb so high I needed to pee,
When I fell down, I thought I died.
The old fig tree,
Was my favourite spot to pick figs,
I would count them, fig one, fig two, fig three…,
I ate so much I felt like a barn of pigs,
The old fig tree,
Was my favourite vicinity to stalk the birds
They spun around and flapped with glee.
I watched so intently, I learnt they did large turds.
The old fig tree,
Is now a lost fig tree,
I left it for other playmates,
In my new home we have trees with dates!
The old fig tree,
Is not a dead fig tree,
I’ve driven passed where it once stood.
There’s just a stump of wood.
How did writing this poem make you feel?
It reminded me of when I used to live in Dandenong and how much I use to climb trees there.
Which single line in your poem are you the absolute proudest of?
My favourite line from my poem is ‘I’ve driven passed where it once stood. There’s just a stump of wood’ because it illustrates my nostalgia for my childhood play spot and how quickly things change
Describe your poem in three words
Childhood, memories, freedom.
Where is your absolute favourite place to sit when you are brainstorming ideas?
My favourite place to write poetry is outside because it’s much more peaceful than writing in my house where my siblings make a lot of noise.
What skills do you think you strengthened through writing this poem?
I learnt how to structure my memories in a way that other people can follow them because they’re a bit jumbled. I decided to describe the lifespan of the fig tree that was an important part of my childhood.
Why do you think people write poetry?
I think people write poetry to express interesting ideas and make a name for themself.