Jess Pritchard, 'Kin'
Jess Pritchard, 'Kin'
“I wrote Kin for my daughter Ella. We took many forest walks during lockdown when she was a baby. I wanted her to know that despite the uncertainty of the world, there is still beauty and wonder to be found.”
– Jess Pritchard
Jess Pritchard is a resident of the Dandenong Ranges. She loves to write and create, inspired largely by the beauty in the landscape.
Kin
You don’t speak yet, but in the silence of the forest, I speak to you.
I introduce you to the twisted fairy tale trees and midnight crows. We walk thin and winding paths with exposed roots and loose stones. Paths to watch your feet on. I point to tiny mushrooms growing out of mossy logs, and we listen for the lyrebirds.
We sit beside a creek guarded by sword sedges and a family of ducks. I tell you how this land was shaped by an ancient volcano, as we watch flowers float by from some faraway tree.
When the sun grows tired, we are pilgrims to the curling jasmine hedges to breathe in their evening enchantment. Did you know you were born when the wattle blooms? Bright yellow suns – a sign of merriment to come. This is your home, these trees and birds your kin, and I have so much to show you.