The Other Side of the Dale (27 page)
Read The Other Side of the Dale Online
Authors: Gervase Phinn
From the classroom window rolled the great expanse of the Dale.
The sad child in the corner stared out like a rabbit in a trap.
âHe has special needs,' explained the teacher, in a hushed, maternal voice.
âReal problems with his reading, and his number work is weak.
Spelling non-existent, writing poor. He rarely speaks.
He's one of the less able in the school.'
The lad could not describe the beauty that surrounded him,
The soft green dale and craggy hills.
He could not spell the names
Of those mysterious places which he knew so well.
But he could tickle a trout, ride a horse,
Repair a fence and dig a dyke,
Drive a tractor, plough a field,
Milk a cow and lamb a ewe,
Name a bird by a faded feather,
Smell the seasons and predict the weather.
Yes, that less able child could do all those things.
Let the conversation beginâ¦
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First published by Michael Joseph 1998
Published in Penguin Books 1999
Copyright © Gervase Phinn, 1998
Poems on pages ix and 277 © Gervase Phinn, 1996
The moral right of the author has been asserted
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-141-92516-5
