Listen, reflect, and create poetry with the land, water, and sky around you.
Listen
Country is everything around us: the land, water, sky, all living things, knowledge, cultural practices, and responsibilities. Lets learn to listen and create with Country by listening closely to the land, water, and sky in your part of the world.
- Find a quiet spot outdoors or near a window.
- Close your eyes and listen carefully. What sounds do you hear from the earth beneath you, the water nearby, and the sky above?
- Notice the textures, colours, and movements you can’t hear but can imagine.
Reflect
Think about the unique features of your Country:
Land
- What is one land formation special to your area?
- Imagine a century is just one minute. How old is that land formation compared to your age?
- What stories might the land hold beneath your feet?
Water
- How does water shape your environment?
- What water bodies are near you — rivers, creeks, oceans, or underground springs?
- How does water give life or change the land?
Sky
- What does the sky look like where you live?
- How does it change from dawn to dusk?
- What moves through it — birds, clouds, stars, planes?
Create
Choose one or more of the following poetry prompts to explore the sounds and stories of Country in your own words:
Land
Beneath My Feet
Write a poem that starts at the surface and travels down into the earth. Begin with what your shoes touch, then move deeper — minerals, rocks, water, fossils. Let each stanza go further underground.
The Shape of This Place
Pick a land formation near you. Describe it as if it were alive. What memories does it hold? How has it shaped the people and animals around it? Write as if the land is speaking to you.
The Colour of Country
Focus on colours and textures. What colours does the soil wear after rain, in summer, or during drought? What grows or struggles there? Use colour as a metaphor in your poem.
Water
The Water That Shapes Us
Write about the closest body of water. Is it calm or wild? Fresh or salty? Follow the water’s journey and how it shapes the land, plants, animals, and people.
Above and Below
Start with water you can see — rain, puddles, mist. Then move underground — where does the water flow beneath your feet? Write a poem that moves between what is visible and hidden.
The Words of Water
Imagine the water has a voice. What stories would it tell? Is it ancient, tired, joyful? Write from the water’s perspective about its journey through your community.
Sky
One Day of Sky
Write a poem that follows the sky through a full day where you live. What colours, weather, and feelings does it hold from dawn to night?
Weather as Words
How does the sky communicate? Is it loud with storms or quiet with frost? Write a poem where weather becomes messages — warnings, memories, celebrations.
Held in the Air
What moves through your sky — birds, ash, stars, satellites? Imagine the sky as a huge archive holding everything that has passed through it. Write a poem about these traces.
Share
- Read your poem aloud to family, friends, or classmates.
- Listen respectfully to others’ poems and notice what you learn about their experience of Country.
- Consider recording your poem or creating a visual artwork to accompany it.
- Sharing helps us connect deeper with the land, water, sky, and each other.
Tips for Teachers and Families
- Encourage students to spend time outdoors or near a window to connect with their surroundings.
- Support different creative expressions: poems, drawings, songs, or performances.
- For younger students, simplify prompts or focus on one element (land, water, or sky).
- Foster a respectful listening environment for sharing.
- Link the activity to local Indigenous knowledge and cultural respect where possible.
- Use this as a starting point for longer projects exploring Country through poetry.