Junior Poetry Prize, 2007

Congratulations to Fiona Boyd, winner of this year's Junior Poetry Prize.

The judge, Liam Canning, writes : "Her body of poems was most impressive, particularly 'Dunloughlan' (see below). There were a lot of entries this year. 24 pupils put in a total of 57 poems. It was not only the quantity of poems and entrants that was gratifying, but the overall quality and maturity of style that was so very impressive. There were so many excellent entries that it was difficult enough to choose a winner, and I felt that it would be invidious to rank such excellent work any further. What is very clear is that there are some very special and talented poets in the junior school."

Here are two of Fiona's poems from her winning portfolio. More shortly, and more by other entrants during this 'Poetry Week' when we are publishing plenty of poems.

'Dunloughlan', by Fiona Boyd

I raced to the rocks
Abandoned everything
And ran
Leaving footprints in the sand
So the others could follow
And as the sun said its daily farewell
I splashed
And dived
I tried to run through thigh-high waves
But it was like running in slow-motion
I lay flat on my board
Waiting
Facing the late day’s sky
And I hummed softly
Letting time pass me by
Not ignoring their laughter
But wanting me to myself for a while
Finally I felt one
A ripple in the bay
A mummer of warning from the seaweed
And the dying seagulls’ squawks told me to get ready
I was full of energy and anticipation
And then it came
A high wall of water
With cappuccino foam sliding down its water bricks
I cried out
Long and loud
As the rush of summer brought me inshore
Where I lay in the shallows
Wanting this feeling to myself for a while.


'Summer', by Fiona Boyd

Maybe we are all butterflies,
And I’m catching fireflies,
And this lazy summer day will never end.
It’ll live with me,
And the sunset is the first splodge of honey-gold,
And the last burst of burnt crimson.
In my mind
Night hasn’t come yet.