Young Australian Poet Puts Faith, Family and Others First

Charly Matheson, from Australia’s Gold Coast, knows a thing or two about people and about words.

She recently won a poetry competition in her school community based on the theme of “Harmony.” The announcement of her winning the competition was made on World Poetry Day, 21 March.

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She says she entered the competition because she loves poetry and has loved it for as long as she can remember.

“Poetry is a way to use words to express a deeper meaning and emotion. I wanted to open people’s eyes on my meaning of harmony.”

She continued: “I was originally going to write about how we are all different and the beauty of that. As I thought about differences in family, religion, passions, appearance, nationality etc., I realised that we are all more alike than we think. We are all human and we are all children of God.”

This sentiment reminds Charly of two scriptures from her faith tradition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “…the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God,” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10); and “…all are alike unto God…” (2 Nephi 26:33 The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ).

“Being brought up in the Church,” she said, “I have constantly been taught that we are all sons and daughters of God, to love everyone and show compassion. Harmony day to me is remembering to love and appreciate everyone’s amazing and unique differences. Harmony day is a reminder to see each other as God sees us.”

Charly says she wants people reading her poem to know “that we are all different, and that’s ok, but we are also the same. We need to stop judging each other on the standard that the world gives us. No matter who you are, you are beautiful and amazing.”

Here is Charly Matheson’s poem:

We’re all human

What if my eyes were blue?

Blue eyes as deep as the darkest depths of the ocean

Bright blue eyes that draw in life,

And reflects it a Kaleidoscope of emotion

Beautiful blue eyes that observe the world

As a bird watcher watches birds

Eyes that hold memories so absurd it turns attention

Oh, what an extension to me it would be, if only my eyes were blue

But my eyes are green

Green like mould that creeps along walls unseen

Green like the sickly feeling of an unwanted dream

My grotesque green eyes are two circular holes,

Sewn with lies and sprinkled with difference as dark as crows

But maybe eyes aren’t a colour or shape or who someone is

Or their attributes, meaning, who they are within

If all of our eyes stayed open to look

At the light at the dark

At the sky, at a book

Blue like the waves that outline the sand

Green like the grass that brushed my hand

Brown as the dust that dances with the breeze

Black like the ink that holds safe our memories

Eyes are eyes, you are you, that is that, I am me

What if they’re just eyes, and we let them see.