Winners confirmed in Arundel Museum poetry competition

James Gray, joint winner in the 5 to 8 category for Daffodil

Poet and publisher Sandra Saer, who judged the competition, was delighted with the response.

“The competition was intended to be run from Arundel Museum – at present sadly, inevitably, closed, so emailing schools, and informing the local press became the way forward. The press did us proud, with mega coverage, including our reasons for not wanting to allow such an exciting project disappear into the blue.

“It has been a friendly and profitable partnership; a fair credit-sharing for Malcolm Farquharson’s devoted interest in the Museum, where he is chairman of the board of trustees, and for my work as poet, writer and publisher of SMH Books.

“The emailed response of entries was good, and my job as judge was hard work, because the standard of the entries was very high.

“I have to say, bending the original guidelines, by mutual agreement with Malcolm, there are two winners in the 9-11 age group (rather than the original one), and two winners in the 5-8 group (rather than one). And there are six runners-up (not five).”

The winning entries:

Children’s Poetry Competition

Joint winners in the 5-8 years Category:

DAFFODIL

Daffodil

Dancing in the wind

A giraffe type thing

Forever anchored heads swaying

From head to head a spider spinned

Orange tipped butterflies fly

Dodging the bobbing heads

In and out of the flower beds

Loving the bright blue spring sky

by James Gray, aged six

Arundel Church of England Primary School ACE)

***

SNAKES

Snakes are cool

but they don’t live in the pool

Some snakes live in trees

but you might find them in leaves

They grow in eggs

but they don’t have legs

Some snakes have a venomous bite

but they only use it if they have to fight

I like snakes because they are great

when I grow older

one will live on my shoulder

Athena Hall, aged 7

St Philip’s Catholic Primary School, Arundel

***

Winners in the 9-11 years Category:

WEEPING WILLOW

Warming in the soft sunlight,

as the evening turns to night.

Holding onto the tall rough tree,

waiting for the wind to carry me…

Warming in the soft sunlight,

holding on so very tight.

Wow! I’m drifting slow but free!

Now the wind is carrying me…

Warming in the soft sunlight

Now I don’t need to fight!

Against the wind’s force,

Now I F

into the river’s source.

Warming in the soft sunlight,

I’m beginning to see the light!

Now I come out of my very short dream,

But I am still in the stream.

Warming in the soft sunlight,

curled up in a ball, tight, tight, tight.

Now I’m sinking, slow but sure,

I don’t think I’m going to live anymore…

I bet your wondering what I am!

And why my life was short and brief.

The answer it – I am a leaf.

Leila Pace, aged 10

St Philip’s School

PIGS

SNORT, SNORTH, SNORT

As the colossal pig laid in the mud

The other pig fell with a thud

SNORT, SNORT, SNORT

The pig heaved himself up

And wandered to its trough to sup.

SNORT, SHORT, SNORT

Food plastered over its face

Gobbling its meal at alarming pace.

SNORT, SNORT, SNORT

Licking his lips and slippery chops

Into the mud his body flops

SNORT, SNORT, SNORT,

Lounging in the slummy so deep

Exhausted now, he falls asleep

SNORT, SNORT, SNORT

James Lee Baxter, aged 10

St Philip’s School

***

Confirmation of winners

Joint Winners in the 5-8 Category:

DAFFODIL

by James Gray

Year 1, Arundel Church of England School (ACE), aged 6

SNAKES

by Athena Hall

Year 1, St Philip’s Catholic Primary School, Arundel, aged 7

***

Joint Winners in the 9-11 Category:

PIGS

by James Lee Baxter

Year 5, St Philip’s, aged 10

WEEPING WILLOW

by Leila Pace aged 10

Year 5, St Philip’s, aged 10

***

Worthy Runners-up

Niah Linard-Salter, aged 6

‘Undo the world of nature’

Chloe Hilditch, aged 6

‘The sun is shining in the sky

Warmer than an apple pie.’

Joseph White, aged 7

‘Insects are making new underground homes,

So they don’t dry up in the summer.’

Jasper Strang, aged 7

‘I love Robins because it reminds me of my Nanny.’

Marley Gaddess-Mitchell, aged 6

‘As I sit here I can see

A yellow and black bumble-bee.’

Isla Bradley, aged 9

Jumping, rolling, diving,

Going forward to the sea.’

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