Man-made jungles

There once was a monkey named Ko

Who lived in the tallest tree I know every day he would sing and laugh with his friends Believing life in paradise would never end

One day as they were playing hide and seek Screaming was heard from the nearby creek Big yellow monsters, with sharp claws Chopping down the trees with their jaws

Now in its place stands a concrete jungle A paradise of haze and smoke-filled days

One where animals don’t swing from tree to tree Instead men carry shiny briefcases and take LRTs

But where does that leave Ko and his friends? Forced to relocate to a less than idyllic wasteland Wondering, why does man tear down nature to the bone? To build their own from steel and stone

Soon the animals decided to start playing rough All the animals came, big and small Teaming up to take down these man creations Destroying everything including the train stations

As they were about to make the final strike Man came and pleaded to stop the fight A truce was called, all was forgiven Decisions made to stop over-development. – By Yuvaanraj Ganesarethinam, 11.

Write away!

We welcome original contributions (of not more than 600 words) from children aged 12 and below. The topic can be anything you fancy.

Please include your full name, age, gender, address and phone number. E-mail your stories to star2@thestar.com.my.

We have Middle School From Hero To Zero by James Patterson (RM44.90) and The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever by James Patterson (RM59.90) for the writer who sends in the best contribution for June. Prizes are sponsored by MPH Distributors.