I first wrote 'The Key' as a theatre play for young people in 1999 because I got to hear about how Darlington Borough Council in England wanted to make children aware of the dangers of legal drugs around their home. This is a 128-verse epic poem that tells the story of a young boy who has yet to find the metaphorical key to a happy life based on wise decisions! I've always been a fan of simple verse poetry and it seemed to me the most appealing way to cover this tricky area was to present the information in an ear-friendly, sing-song fashion. I chose mostly the A, B, C, B rhyming scheme because it's one of the most commonest rhyming schemes on the planet and our ears are attuned to it from birth. The poem as written here is grouped as much as possible in four-line blocks but I've had to maintain the sense of who is saying what and when by using this speech mark ' to show alternate speakers. If at the end of a verse there is no ' it means that speaker follows on into the next verse. I've worked on the text to compact it as much as possible and I've always felt it deserved more of an audience. I hope you enjoy it. Read it aloud to kids - both big and small!