Teenagers, Locusts and a Gorilla

Here are three more poems from the recent Junior Poetry Prize competition: an interesting bunch of creatures this time...


'Teenagers' by Philippa Carroll

Their lair is Dundrum,
Their watering hole is the fountain.
They are at the top of the foodchain,
Discussing the strong ones, the weak ones.
They kill for entertainment.
Eating away at their so-called colleagues
Until they are empty.
Their hearts are covered in ice.
Luckily, eventually the ice melts off,
Revealing a warm and loving heart.
Although this takes time
It's often worth the wait.


'The Locusts' by Arthur Moffitt

The ravenous swarm, a plague,
Flickering on the horizon
Heading for the juicy crop,
Gorging, robbing and destroying.
Never ending, ever hungry,
Like a bottomless pit.


'Gorilla' by Mark McAuley

I am trapped here for life.
Sentenced to death by
Treacherous poachers
I am on my own.
I awake to children’s laughter, flashing lights
And my chain-made structure
I am just an attraction.
I long for my homeland.
With sparkling rushing water
And sounds of my brethren
I lie here waiting.
I pound my hairy chest
In hope of some reply.
The daily supply of food
Is the only thing I have left to live for
I long to die...