Spring Writing Comp winners (2012)

We read some outstanding poems in our spring writing competition and we’re thrilled to be sharing these winning poems with you. Congratulations to the three winners!

UNDER 7s WINNER—Leith Bradbury

THE FIGHTING CROWS

Hungry hungry black crow,
High up in a hollow tree,
Glides down to the bottom of the hill
And grabs worm from happy crow.
Happy crow is now angry,
Scratching and pecking,
Biting and tugging,
Screeching and chewing,
All day long.
Then angry crow has an idea.
He nips the worm in half and gobbles his half.
He gives the other half to black crow.
They become friends.

[Inspired by the painting Fighting Crows, by Shaun Tan]

–

UNDER 9s WINNER—Veronica Hester

THE CROW FIGHT

In the Northern Suburbs,
On a light green field,
Two crows get in a fight.
Black bodies twist and twirl,
Feathers fly to the sky.
A crow falls to the ground.
No mercy for the wounded crow,
He dives and flies away,
Leaving the crow to cry his anger to the sky.
Another crow watches the scene inscrutably,
On a quiet afternoon in the Northern Suburbs.
Where the black billowing shapes of trees,
Shadowed from the sun,
Have the colour of the Fighting Crows.

[Inspired by the painting Fighting Crows, by Shaun Tan]

–

UNDER 12s WINNER: Sophia O’Brien

[UNTITLED]

A Young Child

A street bathed in afternoon shadow.
The grass is yellow green.
Time is unchanging and he sees the whole world at once.
The clouds can be touched by the hand.
Trees are poles with clouds on top.

Ten Years Later

Same old street that never changes.
Grass and trees, houses and clouds.
He wants to go to more exciting places, see more exciting things.
He wants to see something more than that suburban street with its straight path and quiet houses.

[Inspired by the painting Footpath, Fifth Avenue, by Shaun Tan]

—

Well done Leith, Veronica and Sophia!

If you’d like to enter our summer writing competition, keep an eye on the competitions page on our website. Good luck!