Here is a lovely rhyming story by a guest author – Jania Williams. We hope you enjoy it 😀

Every day as Luna stepped outside her little house,

Her voice stopped working, she became as quiet as a mouse.

People said ‘good morning Luna,’ as she passed them by.

But Luna could not say it back, she just could not reply.

*

Luna didn’t know exactly why her voice shut down.

Why she couldn’t talk to anybody in the town.

*

She really didn’t understand just why she was this way.

She wished that she could talk to them, she had so much to say.

The school kids didn’t understand, one day they asked her why.

“Why is it that you do not talk?” they asked, “Are you just shy?”

But Luna couldn’t answer them, it made her feel quite blue.

“It’s just the way things are,” she thought, “there’s nothing I can do.”

On her way home, Luna stopped to cool down in the shade.

“It’s just the way I am,” she thought, “it’s just the way I’m made.”

“I’ll always have this problem, so mysterious and strange.

I may as well accept it, things like this just don’t change.”

*

Luna stretched out on the grass and watched the cows a while.

“What a simple life,” she thought. They always made her smile.

“Oh, to be a cow!” thought Luna, “free to play all day.”

She felt a little brighter. It was time to make her way.

But just as she stood up to go, something caught her eye,

Over by the dairy shed, and then she heard a cry.

Luna crept up close to see the dreadful scene unfold,

A mother and her baby cow, who wasn’t very old.

The baby cow was being pulled away by farmer Joe,

But he was crying for his mum, he did not want to go.

The mother cow was frantic as her calf was led away.

Desperately she cried out too, she wanted him to stay.

*

“How can this be happening?” thought Luna, “this is bad!”

“That baby needs his mother, this is very very sad.”

Luna went straight home to tell her mother what she’d seen.

“How could farmer Joe do this?” she said, “it is so mean!”

*

“Come sit down,” said Luna’s mother, taking Luna’s hand.

“Maybe I can help you,” she said, “help you understand.”

*

“Dairy farmers have to send the baby cows away.

They would drink up all the milk if farmers let them stay.”

*

“Dairy farmers must collect the milk for me and you.

It’s just the way things are, it’s just what dairy farmers do.”

Luna tossed and turned that night, it almost broke her heart.

Thinking of those mothers and their babies torn apart.

“It’s just not right,” thought Luna, as she got up out of bed.

She poured herself a breakfast juice, “No milk for me!” she said.

“That milk was meant for someone else. It wasn’t meant for me.

It wasn’t made for us at all,” said Luna, “can’t you see?

To take another baby’s milk,” she said, “is very wrong.

People have been stealing milk from cows for way too long!”

*

Luna’s mother listened to what Luna had to say,

“You’re right,” she said, “there has to be a better, kinder way.”

Luna had a little think then had a great idea.

“I know what we can do,” she said, “just wait until you hear!”

Luna told her mother of the milks she’d seen before,

Right there on the shelf, next to the cow’s milk at the store.

Milk that’s made from plants like oats and nuts and beans and rice.

“We must try them,” Luna said, “I’m sure they’re very nice.

Imagine,” Luna said, “if we all drank those milks instead.

The mother cows could keep their milk. Their babies would be fed.

Just imagine,” Luna said, “how happy they would be

If they could be together every day like you and me.”

Luna left her little house with thoughts of cows to save.

“I’ll find my voice somehow,” she promised them, “I will be brave.”

*

Luna stood out front of class with very wobbly knees.

She felt a lump rise in her throat, her body start to freeze.

Her thoughts then turned back to the cows, and suddenly she found

Her throat unblocked a tiny bit and out escaped a sound.

She thought about that baby cow who cried out for his mother.

Her throat unblocked a little more and out escaped another.

“Take your time,” said Luna’s teacher, “it will be okay.”

Then with a deep breath, Luna said, “I have something to say.”

Luna’s legs stopped shaking and she suddenly felt calm,

Then quietly she told the class about the dairy farm.

“Those poor cows,” said Luna, “aren’t as happy as you think.

Their baby’s milk is stolen just to give to us to drink.

But there’s good news,” said Luna, “there is something we can do.”

All the children wiped their eyes. The teacher wiped hers too.

*

She told them all about the tasty plant milks she had found.

They all agreed right then and there to spread the word around.

Everybody talked about it, as the sun went down,

Soon the word had spread to everybody in the town.

Everyone bought plant milks they discovered at the store,

And other tasty plant milk treats like ice cream, cheese and more.

They learned to bake with plant food and made yummy things to eat.

Pastries, cakes and biscuits. Every kind of party treat.

The people shared their recipes and had a lot of fun.

The dairy cows were happy that their milking days were done.

Everything turned out okay for farmer Joe as well.

He was busy making lots of oaty milk to sell.

Luna was so happy as she walked to school each day.

She had a voice and used it to say what she had to say.

Each morning when she left her little house, her voice went too.

“Things can change after all,” she thought. They can. Indeed they do!

********************************************************

Luna’s Voice was written by Jania Williams and illustrated by Olin Tri Djasfar

© 2020

All rights reserved.

Luna’s Voice is also available from Amazon in a paperback, and a Kindle edition.