Junior Poetry Prize 2018

Congratulations to Emma Hinde, Third Form, who has been awarded this year's Junior Poetry Prize. Here are three of her winning poems:-

Tree-maker

One day a billion years ago,

An old mage said to me

“I have created a new word.”

And I think that word was Tree. 

“Tree?” I asked. “Now what’s a tree?”

Said he: “I was hoping you’d tell me.”

So after ten days deep in thought

To him a finished tree I brought. 

It grew up from a little seed,

I went a bit mad with the leaves,

And twigs to let the song-birds nest;

They put the trunk-strength to the test.

The roots dug deep and moisture found

Beneath the barren, rocky ground 

And when the snow fell down in patches,

All the leaves fell off the branches.

Soon with these trees obsessed I came

And filled the world with different names:

Birch and maple; oak and elm,

They slowly crowded all the realm.

And in the mornings out did come

A chorus of the greatest song;

For all the birds that there did sleep

Came out into the forest deep. 

Springtime 

When the clouds look like a painting,

And the light streams through the trees,

All the little song-birds sit there;

Chirping in the breeze.

When the daffodils are blooming

You hear the buzzing of the bees

And the little boy with hay fever

Lets out a great big sneeze.

When the water’s so inviting 

That the masses flock to seas

The general feeling in the air

Is that it’s almost a disease.

When the snow has finished melting

And you’ve put away your skis

It’s like Spring’s pulled the lever;

Winter’s falling to his knees.  

When the Vikings ruled the Seas

When the Vikings ruled the Seas

Horns blowed

And fires glowed

When the Vikings ruled the seas.

Cockerels crowed

And mead flowed

When the Vikings ruled the seas.

But beware;

For as the gods watch over you

They may choose you for their games. 

One day a man went sailing;

Sailing out to meat his fate,

And when he saw the dragon

He looked down at his bait.

“Not big enough.” He said.

“I’ll have to sit and wait.

“I’m sure that Thor’ll come quite soon

“With a bigger piece of bait.”

So wait he did, with baited breath

For Thor to turn up to his test

But where he was he didn’t know;

He’d gone to watch another show.