FLF Poetry Competition Winners: English

Here are the winning poems of our Poetry Competition – English, as selected by Gus Ferguson, the English judge. There were four competition categories: Primary School, High School, Adults and Prison; a runner-up was chosen in addition to a winner.

CATEGORY: PRISONS

Winner: Andile Sehole, Drakenstein Prison, Reg: 202269445

Poem

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words can also hurt me.
Sticks and stones break my skin
While words are ghosts that haunt me.
Slant and curve of the word sword
Fails to pierce and stick inside me.
Bats and bricks may ache through bones
But words can mortify me.
Pain from words has left its scar
On mind and heart that’s tender.
Cuts and bruises now have healed
It’s words that I remember

The poet consciously plays out a variation – a tragic one – of “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. It reads well and, persuasively makes the point that words, insults and gossip can be as damaging as physical violence. It is inventive with a strong sense of parody.
Gus Ferguson

Runner up: Masize Ngalo, Drakenstein Prison, Medium B – C section

The Twighlight

I watched the world go up in flame
on the rim of a fire filled sea
searing the outline of the ships,
very hots rocks in front of me.
And thoughts and words that have no name
lived unspoken on my lips
as shadow gulls swept silently
round a thin moon and a single star.
Days crept under a golden bar
leaving the dark, and I
stayed a long time under the smokey sky.

This poem is both descriptive and allegorical. Although rhyme and structure are not consistent, there is sufficient indication of a strong verbal talent.
Gus Ferguson

CATEGORY: PRIMARY SCHOOL

Winner: Francesca Conde, Bridge House

The Mirror of Happiness

The Mirror of Happiness
could be used as a two-faced wall -
the happiest man looks inside
and sees nothing at all.
But someone who spent their
life doing wrong,
will see their life played
With a happier song

This poem stood out as easily the most accomplished of the longer poems in this section. The mood is epigrammatic and well constructed and it rhymes without awkwardness.
Gus Ferguson

Runner up: Bethany Hill, Bridge House

Autumn

Golden autumn leaves
Carpeting the forest ground
Crackling your steps.

In this section a large number of the poems were in haiku form indicating a level of creative writing tuition. There were a few excellent attempts but “Autumn” was the realised haiku in both mood and structure. Especially endearing was the “crackle” in the last line.
Gus Ferguson

CATEGORY: HIGH SCHOOL

Winner: Tasha Wadley, Bridge House

Snow Day

Snow covers the ground
Icicles hang all around
Sparkling, shining.
Trees are frosted white
Huge drift of winter’s delight
Glistening, gleaming.
Children play and shout
Happy because school is out
Frolicking, skating.
Today is a snow day.

This is an ambitious haiku sequence – 3 x 17 syllable images and a single line summary. Both charmingly naive and carefully written.
Gus Ferguson

Runner up: Kara Fischer, Bridge House

This Feeling inside

This feeling inside of me won’t go away
What is it and why does it stay?

Go away, just let me be
I feel funny, what’s the matter with me?

My stomach is rumbling and making me feel
turned over and tumbling what is the deal?

And then it hits me like a brick
pokes me with a clever stick

I don’t have to fret it comes from above
The feeling inside me is nothing but love.

“ ‘This feeling inside’ is humorous and ironic”.
Gus Ferguson

CATEGORY: ADULTS

Winner: Brett Garner

(no title)

true you beautiful and quiet
came gently to my door
a surprise delicately poised
on the edge of my unhappiness
with an infinitely deep smile
close enough to touch without imagining
and a soft tenderness of voice
that compellingly made me
take up life again
once more understanding
that holy yes is a better
word than lonely no.

A love poem without punctuation confidently done . “… poised/on the edge of my unhappiness..” is a beautiful image in a gently unflurried poem.
Gus Ferguson

Runner up: Te Magobane

The Statue

On a stone chair in a market place
Sits an old stone man
With an old stone face
Great things he did a great while ago,
And what they were I do not know.
Where the wind blows warm or cold
His old stone clothes never move.
One stone had rests on his knee
And with the other he points right at me.
Oh why does he look at me that way
I’m afraid to go and afraid to stay,
Stone gentleman, what have you got to say.

There is a strong sense of irony in this poem, a touch of satire. The poem rhymes casually and with restraint and the relationship between statue and man is well told.
Gus Ferguson

SPECIAL MENTION

Mellisa Timotheus, Simondium

Mental Math

Oh, Pule and Jane
Don’t take such strain
Number work is not a pain
Needn’t hurt your brain,
Needn’t bring on rain.
And Wayne, Wayne, Wayne
don’t groan again
don’t make as if
you’ve just been slain
and maths is like a smelly drain.
We’re here to help, we’re here to show
That Mental Math is the way to go.

Finally, a poem that is both comic and instructive. A didactic delight.
Gus Ferguson