Rosemeadow Public School

The Garden of Life, A Fruit of the Past

In the garden of time
Ancient grains stand tall like Elders.
They whisper through the wind
One bite, one story.
Each leaf holds a date,
Imprinted in its veins
Like a secret code of ancestry.

History grows inside of him.
The past blossoms beside the present,
Like a time lapse in slow motion.
The soil remembers.
It holds footprints of ancestors,
And the roots stretch deep into memory.

The time of Earth is sacred.
Hands hold seeds,
And seeds hold stories.
With all those around,
We share, we learn, we listen.
Country teaches us through flavour,
Through texture,
Through biodiversity.

Moving swiftly across the land,
Turning left or right
Which one to choose?
Different years, different times,
Divergent flavours.
Each one a lesson
In ecology and culture.

He picks up the Illawarra plum,
Dark as midnight,
Glossy like a polished stone.
He tastes the air of centuries.
His spirit is transported
To realms of consciousness and kinship.
Different plums, different feelings,
Different times coming alive.

He chews slowly.
The taste lingers strong
Scarcely sweet, but full of meaning.
It’s not just food.
It’s a connection.
It’s photosynthesis turned into memory.

Returning to the garden of cadence,
He sees lakes of lima beans,
Rivers of riberries,
Mountains of muntries.
Each one a native treasure
A gift from Country.
Resolving the taste
One bite, one aspiration.

His mouth holds a lingering flavour
Like a song stuck in your head.
Different items, different savour,
Different pulses coming vigorously.
Transported to the garden of time once more,
He feels vibrant, aware, proficient.

He continues to eat,
Discovering modern herbs anew
Lemon myrtle, wattleseed, bush tomato.
Each one a teacher.
They speak in flavour, in texture, in scent.
They teach him about resilience,
About adaptation,
About the ecosystem he belongs to.

He learns from Country
Not just with his brain
But with his tongue, his nose, his fingertips.
He learns through taste,
Through touch,
Through curiosity.

Feeding connection is more than eating.
It’s understanding. It’s respect.
It’s knowing that every plant,
Every berry, every grain has a role,
A story, a purpose.
He is a part of this cycle.
He is not above it. He is within it.
Country feeds him,
And he feeds it back
With care, with learning, with gratitude.

In the garden of time, I grow too.
Not just taller, but wiser.
Because when I eat from Country,
I don’t just fill my stomach,
I fill my spirit.

Rahma M. (year 6)

I wrote this piece to show how food and nature can connect us to the past, to our culture, and to the land. In my writing, I used native plants and ingredients to represent stories, memories, and the wisdom of First Nations people. I used the idea of a “garden of time” as a symbol for learning through nature. It’s a place where we can feel connected to Country, and where each plant teaches us something about the environment and culture. This connects to the theme of learning from the land and respecting its stories.

Reconciliation means …
… to me building respect, understanding, and fairness between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. It’s about listening to the truth, learning from each other, and working together to create a better future. I attend a school with a high number of Indigenous students, and I’ve learned how important it is to respect different cultures and voices. Through my writing, I wanted to show that reconciliation can happen when we listen to Country and respect its teachings. By learning from native plants, traditional foods, and the stories they carry. We show appreciation for First Nations knowledge as it’s about learning, caring, and growing together.

Teachers Click Here

Many of these resources and activities have been developed in consultation with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to ensure that the program meets NSW curriculum outcomes for Stages 3, 4 & 5.