We received 17 entries in our competition, in a range of poetic styles.

 

Mrs Pulham, from our English Faculty, was delighted to be our judge and said of the competition entries:

 

Despite the challenging task of finding a winner, Mrs Pulham awarded the following students with the top places in the competition. We hope you enjoy reading the winning entries:

 

Gửi Má 

(Dear Mama)

They said,
‘What a beautiful girl!’
‘Be thankful,’
‘For the luck of the world,’
‘She seldom shouts and talks little,’
‘For she calmly sits and doesn’t fiddle.’

But you reap what you sow,
But the opposite some plough and show,
For the voices that were too loud,
She softened hers,
In an attempt to to cloud,
And calm them down.

‘But I think,’ she whispered,
‘And I talk too!’
‘I’m angry mostly,’
‘But just let me think it through!’

I cry, I scream, I shout,
But all this, with me, my voice is without.

But I scream, ‘I’m here!’
Listen to my jeers,
And even in my cheers!
I’m shouting somewhere,
With me, please bear.

It hid!
I swear it did,
But I’m here cultivating,
I swear a plan!

My heart is pulsating,
Still,
And it will,
Forever.

Just give me a second!
I’m trying I swear,
A second, I beckon!
I know it’s over there,

Well I hope,
Because I'm running,
Towards the hope,
Hoping the signs end,

Hopefully,
Near,
Near me,
Near you,

Because this treasure I’ve gone to find,
Is lost somewhere in my mind,
Somewhere in the labyrinth,
Just let me build up the courage to go in,

And I can't right this instance,
But I swear, I will,
I will and I’ll fulfil,
Because I’ve reached the gates and I know my way,
And in this middle ground I’m to give in and stay,
And my heart’s stuck in my throat,
But, I promise Má, I'll walk myself home.

Judges comments : This thoughtful piece immediately established voice to draw us into the complex world of parent/child relationships. Its force and strength is evident in the closing lines where a shift from third person to second person direct address underscores the complex dance of promises we make with our parents. This highly sophisticated poem wove its magic with great subtlety, beauty and verbal dexterity, and thoroughly deserved its achievement as winning poem.

The ways water flows,
Like drops of dancers.
It pours with grace,
and trickles down her face.

Her water tastes pungent,
A bitter and distinct taste.
Her water tastes different,
Not like the one on my face.

The way the water bends 
Down each wrinkle and crack.
The way it bends, 
Around the smile she lacks

The liquid in her eyes 
starts to rapidly flow. 
Never stopping,
on and on it goes.

The waterfall she creates,
Seems so dangerous.
It seems scary,
Could it be contagious?

Now the water rumbles,
it vibrates with pain. 
A shrieking voice,
calling out in vain.

The stillness, the calmness,
Is now gone.
Now an ocean stands.
Where her loved one,
once was.

Judges comments : This wonderful poem takes us to a place we have all been – crying tears – and uses this moment as a symbolic springboard to musings about how and why we, as humans, emote. It does so with great grace and assuredness. Even better, Cry also takes us to a symbolic, almost mythical place where we can ponder mothering itself and the presence of the Great Mother in our presence today. This is a sublime achievement and well deserving of a place in this year’s competition.

Congratulations to these students and thank you to all students who submitted an entry.

For more competitions and the chance to win some fantastic prizes, check ou the Library's Competitions for Students resource guide which includes details and links for competitions in various disciplines - from writing to art, STEM and HSIE.

The College Library