SBAS Poetry Writing Competition Results
The theme of the 2023 poetry writing competition was ‘refuge’.
Well done to everyone who entered the competition.The poems entered were really inspiring! It made it very difficult to judge them. All poems were judged anonymously by the author Alice Hemming.
Larch results
Well done to the runners-up:
Orson (Year 5)
Isabelle (Year 5)
Congratulations to the winner:
Harrison (Year 6)
Secondary results
Well done to the runners-up:
Isshi (year 7)
Ryan (year 10)
Ruby (year 10)
Alex (year 13)
Congratulations to the winners:
Robin (year 10)
Bors (year 10)
Willow (year 11)
Here are the inspirational winning poems:
Dark Wolf by Harrison (year 6)
Dark wolf, how loneliness corrupts you.
Your ominous, tornado fur
Doesn’t stop the wicked rain from lashing you.
Your piecing, amber eyes petrify your pitiful victims;
Still, you have nobody to share the thrill of your kill with, in these
Dark, dark times.
Knife like teeth, ready to slice and devour prey. BITE!
Prey do not come willingly…
Your ears prick to attention! A snap, a moan, a soft whine.
Stuck in this permanent purgatory, you prowl.
The ability to sniff out an ant lies in your charcoal nose;
Sadly, there’s no ant in your barren prison,
No home in these dark, dark times.
Dark wolf, how your tears fill the mountains.
How the blizzards nearly kill you!
Stranded, alone in a desolate, deserted place.
No inhabitants on these deserted peaks, no refuge for you, my Lonely beast.
Hope drains from your tired heart;
Ice freezes in strangling fingers, your hope, your happiness.
The world abuses you with its judgements;
The world fails to see your beauty.
Safety is not a home to you. You whine and howl.
Weakened, you almost give up and die from your sorrow.
You limp slow steps till fall calls you.
Suddenly the endless hell fades and scowls as
The sun rises from the darkness,
Banishing the cold clouds from the sky.
In the distance, a cave beckons,
Hope crawls through your black veins.
Magnificent beast, you dart to freedom,
The thought of safety smells like hope.
The smell gives you life.
Your body starts its journey back from the dead.
Legs powered and ready again.
Miles you run for freedom at last,
Dark wolf, how you survived your isolation is a mystery,
You have your refuge now. In the cave,
Your heart melts it’s ice prison,
You’re safe!
You’re here!
Away from fear,
Away from danger!
Back in the small, dark cave, you breathe again,
Igniting a spark of safety;
Igniting a flicker of belonging;
Igniting a fragment of joy.
One beautiful morning a she wolf comes to the cave,
Howling the same suffering as you once cried.
You feel safe with her,
Happy with her. You offer her your refuge.
One day there is a baby.
You fight the same torture as before but it is easier this time:
You’re together. A family.
The Damp of the Rain by Robin (year 10)
The rain beats down like fists against a punching bag,
Each blow is harder than the last.
The storm is getting closer now,
The clouds approaching fast.
The thunder echos like a lion’s roar,
The world around me shakes.
Lighting bolts paint the sky,
Each blinding stroke making my head ache.
I run and run,
Lungs burning like a stove.
But ahead of me I see a house,
Lights sparkling like a treasure trove.
As I approach I see people,
Arms open in a welcoming embrace.
I collapse at their feet,
The storm seemingly gone without a trace.
The clouds have cleared,
The rain has made its retreat.
The thunder and lightning are no more,
Only puddles are left lining the street.
I’m safe at last,
Of what just passed no indications remain.
I’m no longer afraid
of the damp of the rain.
A Red Tricycle by Bors (year 10)
In a world touched by sorrow’s embrace,
There was a girl with a red tricycle, full of grace.
Her laughter echoed through the streets,
A beacon of joy, where grief retreats.
Though grief may linger, heavy and deep,
She embraced it with courage, refusing to weep.
For on her tricycle, she’d ride through the pain,
Finding solace in memories, like drops of rain.
With each turn of the wheel, she’d find a way
To honor the loved ones who couldn’t stay.
Their spirits intertwined in her every ride,
Their presence felt, as she glided with pride.
And as the wind whispered secrets untold,
She’d let grief unfold, her heart to behold.
For in the depths of sorrow, she’d discover,
A strength within her, like no other.
In her journey, we find solace and relief,
As we ride alongside her, embracing our grief.
With a girl and her red tricycle, we find,
That even in darkness, a glimmer of light can bind.
Your music by Willow (year 11)
Not only just my refuge,
Your art keeps me alive,
Afloat upon the roughest of waters,
The reason I survive.
Through my disconsolate veins, you blast,
That one line hits me hard.
Your words are warm and familiar,
For the injured, the beaten, the scarred.
An irreplaceable feeling of comfort,
When simple things feel tough,
Your words are soft against my skin,
All others feel too rough.
Content, your melodies appeal,
Bitter, the lyrics sink deep,
Sink deeper than the shipwreck,
The shipwreck of secrets we keep.
I am never alone anymore,
With music at my ear.
For what is music, if not to be heard?
To be heard, be felt, be near.
