General News
19 June, 2025
Dimboola local pens poem for father
A Dimboola local has reached out to Wimmera Mallee News to share a poem she penned in honour of her father, who died in 2015.
Venetia Maria created the poetry, titled "When Dad Was Alive", reflecting on the love, protection, and stability he gave her and her family.
Ms Maria was 16 when her dad passed, while her brother was 13 and her sister was three.
"I was born in the Philippines," she explained.
"My siblings were born in Horsham at Wimmera Base.
"We are of Greek and Filipino descent.
"We’re a trilingual household, but all of us grew up here in Australia and are citizens."
Ms Maria said she moved to Australia when she was two, and considers the country her home.
She said her poem speaks to the deep emotional shifts that can follow the loss of a parent.
"It was written with the hope of honouring the quiet strength of fathers and the impact they leave behind," she explained.
Ms Maria doesn't describe herself as an avid poetry writer in a formal sense, admitting that she more occasionally dabbles in poetry.
"Poetry is something I turn to when I need to express feelings that don’t always come out in conversation or that are hard to talk about," she explained.
"I write about what’s meaningful to me— events that have happened in my life, or personal experiences I’ve had so far.
"I carry a notebook with me as part of my everyday life to jot down reminders or to write little things I see or feel that move me.
"I’d say I’m more of a reader than a writer, but writing has always stayed close to me."
Despite being more of a reader, Ms Maria said she sometimes writes her own music, and she also plays guitar and sings.
She said she thinks the love for lyrics and rhythm ended up flowing into poetry without her realising.
"It’s all connected — the music, the writing, the emotions," she reflected.
"This particular poem is incredibly important to me because it’s about my dad, who passed away when I was younger.
"He was a steady, thoughtful man who created a peaceful, respectful, and loving home for us to grow up in.
"Writing this poem became a way to reconnect with his memory — not just with who he was, but with what he gave us."
Ms Maria said although her dad's first language wasn't English, and he wasn’t much of a writer, she'll always remember the letters he wrote when she was just a baby overseas.
"Because of certain migration policies at the time, it was difficult for us to be together as a family, but my dad never gave up," she shared.
"He made phone calls and wrote to politicians, wrote to me, and did everything he could to bring me to Australia and reunite us as a family.
"He wasn’t a man of many words, but he lived in a way that created stories and left memories worth holding on to."
Ms Maria said her dad showed love through action, care, and presence, and when he passed, she and her siblings didn't just lose a parent; they lost someone incredibly protective, supportive, and a strong role model.
Below is Ms Maria's poem:
SUBHEAD: "When Dad Was Alive"
When Dad was alive,
Childhood was beautiful —
We felt safe, protected, and deeply loved.
With him around,
The future looked bright.
And if any trouble came,
He stayed with us.
The house echoed with happy songs and cheer,
There was nothing to fear,
because Dad was near.
We hardly ever fought —
He stood between us,
gently helping to put things right.
We read books, talked, and travelled far,
to open our minds —
to learn, to experience,
to seek, to find.
Especially in those days,
There was nothing to disguise,
because you could see it in our eyes:
All the happiness we had,
When our dad was alive.
Now, as I recall each moment and time,
and come into my own,
He’s alive in my heart
and is one of the greatest loves
I have known.
His presence made our house
truly a place we could call home —
a place that we could grow.
He guided us with steady hands and all the years already behind him,
Hoping we'd leap from his footsteps — not just follow them.
My dad's love was priceless.
A precious treasure that cannot be bought or sold, a love whose
measure all the earth could never behold.
Nor his family, worth anything he would ever trade the world for.
Ms Maria also shared a poem written by her sister, which she has given Wimmera Mallee News permission to share.
She said her sister's writing brings a different light and insight, even in its simplicity.
To live is to love?
By Julia Kardogeros, age 13
Some people say, “To live is to love,”
But have you ever thought about the people now above?
Do people remember them — do people still care?
Do people visit their grave for something other than a spooky scare?
Is love only something people on earth can spare?
Or does it exist far above the sky, floating in the air,
Up after they fly?
So is it really to live is to love —
Or does the love go with them as they drift like the doves,
To unbearable height,
Until the stars shine bright where their souls took flight,
And love paints the sky
With heavenly, eternal light.
