Winning Words

 

 

 

 

 

Further entries which have made it through to the shortlist are:

Life’s Cycle by Malcolm Weet of Middleton-in-Teesdale

A wedding day and a call to arms,

A sweet embrace and labour pains.

A child’s smile and the wheeze of croup.

A letter from afar and a rain of bombs and fire,

All safe, we’re still here, but the lad must leave.

A child’s letter and the emptiness of separation.

A soldier returns. Kisses, hugs and minds to mend.

A young man’s education done and away he goes.

The pride at passing out.  The fear of what’s to come

A wedding day.

And so the wheel turns.

The best of times and the worst.

Will we ever learn?

It was the best of times it was the worst of times by Elaine Walton, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Aching scalp as hair follicles detach,

Signals of manmade death.

The prolonged misery of medical warfare

Chemicals injected, carefully, kindly,

Flowing through inflamed tender veins,

The smell and taste leaching through the blood,

Triggering the nausea

Even before the wretched

Retching begins.

Life held onto, fought for.

Poisoning tolerated for brief respite,

Cool melon on the tongue.

Gentle breeze on a hot day.

Hand held, love strong.

Shorn head and wedding clothes,

Warmth and kindness choke the air

Tears flow.

‘It was the best of times’ by Fiona Todd, Teesdale School

Special occasions being celebrated,

My 13th birthday,

Mum’s 40th, and my favourite colour, green,

Easter, Christmas, Halloween and every other one in between.

I feel like jumping around with excitement and glee!

London Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee,

God ave the queen,

‘It was the best of times.’

‘It was the worst of times,’

Assessments and homework make our hearts sink like the tragedy of the Costa Concordia,

The credit crunch does nothing to lighten our mood,

School mornings and getting up early,

The world is rumoured to end soon,

Loved ones are fighting in far off lands,

Many dying at others hands,

Spreading fear, death, despair and bloodshed,

Criminals worldwide are committing dreadful crimes,

‘It was the worst of times.’