What are loud? 

A humongous hippo roaring in the Amazon waters.

What are silent?

 Air on a warm spring morning.

What are hard?

Sticky cement on the solid ground.

What are soft?

Cotton clouds floating through the air.

What are heavy?

A beautiful bottle in a school backpack.

What are light?

Dandy clock seeds flying freely through the air.

What are cruel?

People toppeling trees for palm oil.

What are kind?

Terrific teacher telling a story.

I’ve never seen the Rocky Mountains in cold Canada

but I have glimpsed Goodwood Trundle.

I’ve never eaten a prickly porcupine

but I have tasted a crunchy cookie.

I’ve never ridden on a hesitating horse

but I have ridden a canter at Lavant stables.

I’ve never touched a strict snake

but I have held my innocent dog Inka.

I’ve never seen a fabulous firework show

but I have held shimmering silver sparklers in the garden.

I want to paint 

the memory of an ice skater speedily sliding round the ring,

the sound of snow crunching like cornflakes underneath my feet, 

the smell of a cold winter morning as fresh as clean teeth and 

the taste of ice cream straight from the freezer.