To celebrate National Poetry day, the English department ran a poetry competition in the Third Form and Fourth Form. The theme was ‘refuge’ and pupils wrote poems on their own interpretation of this. The judging panel, Mr Halpin, Mrs Rich and Mrs Ridler-Murray, were very impressed with the standard of writing and found it difficult to pick overall winners. However, Leia in the Third Form used some strikingly original imagery to produce her poem, while Isabelle (Fourth Form) cleverly portrayed the idea of a hermit crab’s refuge. The runners-up were Katie and Belle in the Third Form, and Conrad and Beth in the Fourth Form. All will receive book tokens as their prize.
‘4 Years Old Again’ by Leia
On long tiring days.
In boring periods.
During hot games lessons, when I wish I was anywhere else.
I long to be 4 years old again.
The wet, grainy feeling of playing in a
sandbox after the rain.
The pain of grazing your knee and
crying for the teacher.
I long to be 4 years old again.
Now when I get home all I get is a dry
Smile and a note about homework.
When I was 4, I got a huge hug and
Asked how my day was, what that ‘lovely’ craft I made was.
I long to be 4 years old again.
The bittersweet reminiscence is like medicine.
Sour to take but it soothes the everlasting splinter-like pain of nostalgia.
It is painful, it is a splinter that feels like it is the size of a tree and yet it is only miniscule.
I want to be 4 years old again.
‘The Hermit’ by Isabelle, Fourth Form
My place of safety
My sanctuary for now
A bolthole from the savagery that surrounds me.
This temporary respite from the wilderness outside
I curl my body along the smooth worn curving walls.
I hide in the dark echoing halls.
I wonder whose home this had been before.
The scarred battlements punctured with holes from previous battles.
As time passes, I fear I have outgrown my refuge.
I must leave and face what lies outside.
