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By Ryan Tucker
Ryan, 16, lives in New South Wales, Australia.  Ryan’s mother was a student at Vorentoe High School at the time and lost a friend in the disaster. Her recounting of the events and Ryan’s own research on the disaster inspired him to write this poem. He travels to school in a bus every day…

Sitting there waiting, rumbling loud
I ran to my bus after a hard day of school,
waving goodbye to my friends through the window
I can’t wait to get home now.

A way down the road, paper balls start flying;
girls gossip and kids chat, halfway mark we just passed by.
My friend and I get up to date – today he has a date on whatever date it is today. The bus ride starts getting bumpy, here and there and the dust is rising. Staring through the window trying to pass the time, all I know now is that now I feel like there’s no gravity.

Pain inflicted, broken glass and headache pounding,
kids are screaming or saying nothing with their eyes open. Water now seeping, I climb to the ‘top’ while still feeling astounded. Ten of us smashing against the window, they all scream “Help! I’m drowning!” As they lose their strength to fight, they fall back losing their ability of sight. Now it’s darker, the sky is fading fast, with little air there’s no hope of breaking that glass.

“Fun, fun, fun!” We had always joyfully sung,
so now I tried to scream in stressed desperation,
but how can I be heard with water in my lungs.