Walking home one afternoon
along a Bondi street
Her carefree spirit reflected
in the skipping of her feet ~
Her long blonde hair cascading
down the middle of her back
Her beauty and her innocence;
somehow did it attract?

As darkness fell it became
a subject for concern
When she didn't come straight back
a lesson she had learned ~
She only went out for a minute
to the shops down the street
To run an errand for her mum
and buy herself a treat.

The Police ran a search throughout
the area all around
Looking for a trace of hope
in anything that they found ~
Scanning down the path she took
in the hope they'd find
The lost young girl wandering home
just lost track of time.

But as the hours ticked away
long into the night
Stretching into fruitless days
holding hope so tight ~
The knowledge something happened
has now changed their world
The carefree spirit has disappeared
with their little girl.

As the news of this tragedy
quickly spread around
And soon her face was postered
on billboards around town ~
The hope that someone saw her
and recognised her face
That somehow she didn't just vanish
without a single trace.

But days and nights of wondering
soon turned into years
All hope was quickly fading
as they faced their worst fears ~
The realisation dawning
that she didn't call or phone,
The young girl who went missing
was never coming home.

© Christina
18th April, 2001

"This poem is based on the disappearance of 9 year old Bondi girl, Samantha Knight, who went missing on 19th August, 1986 whilst walking home from the local shops. Fifteen years later (February 2001) a 50 year old man was charged with her murder.
This poem is dedicated to the memory of Samantha Knight, her family and those who have also vanished without a trace."

The photos in this border are of Samantha