Congratulations to three of our students who were placed in Dunedin's Rap Like Robbie poetry competition at the end of 2018. Emma Davis placed third and Caitlin O'Brien and Millie O'Neill received Highly Commended awards.

The judge of the competition this year, Carolyn McCurdie, wanted to write something for the newsletter saying how pleased she was with the standard of entries this year. Here are her words  - 

As the judge of the 2019 Rap Like Robbie poetry competition, I wanted to make this additional report that would reach all of the young poets who entered. I’ve judged several poetry competitions over the years, and I wanted you all to know that never before have I encountered such a high overall standard. Choosing five and discarding the rest was difficult. The five deserved to be honoured. But I’d like to honour the poets not named as well and to encourage you to enter again next year, and the next.  And keep writing poetry. You’re good at it. Best wishes, Carolyn McCurdie

The Kings of the Earth

We cried ourselves kings.

We evolved quickly, trading in speed 'n' braun fur brains.
We stormed in 'n', wur quick tae dominate.
Aw bowed afore us; th' animals, th' land, th' elements.
The earth caved at oor command 'n' th' harsh environment wis na match fur us.

Fire, a raur possession, became oor pet. We teuk whit we wanted 'n' left naethin’ in return. We broke th' land 'n' bult` an empire oan th' rubble.

The scars wur oor treasury. The poison wis oor energy. The ashes wur oor weaponry.

The extinctions wur a coincidence. The gases wur an accident.
The warming wasn’t oor problem.

Then mither earth awoke, sending airmie efter army. Waves stole oor land.
Fires invaded oor farms.
Quakes shattered oor communities.

We wur breakin’.

Wee by wee oor kingdom fell.
Mother earth teuk back her crown. Everything wis lain tae waste
we wur nae quick enough tae escape it. No maiter oor braun we cuid nae rammy it. The earth wis th' sword
and fate wis th' executioner.

The extinctions wur oor scars. The gases became oor poisons. The warming created oor ashes.

And we cried ourselves kings.

Emma Davis  (placed Third)

An Ode to the Cheese Roll

Oh how we praise ye o’er a feed

Ne’er north o’ the Waitaki

Can we try suppress our greed?

Cheese, Breed, onion.

Divine kowhai among the weeds,

Your dominion


Feed those paying two dollars, four.

Fed are those who keep the law,

Fed are those who leave it ignored

English, Shadbolt.

Weel worthy o’ a grace so short,

Jewel o’ this fault.


Oh gods wha shaw mankind yer might,

And plan our destined path o’ flight

Auld Southland wants nae Vegemite

That tastes of coal.

Feijoa stocks are scarce and shite,

Gie her a cheese Roll

Caitlin O'Brien (Highly Commended)

Archibald

Blood boils in spring lik' his gametes boiled in winter

mother's fear o' zygotes drove him away

sometime's ah lassy th' wey his crooked smile quivers

don't bruise his nerves 'n' break yer bones lik' we battered oor bonny days

Th' ocean keeked hackit th'day fur th' foremaist time

he wasn’t thare, tone 'n' articulation in mah ear

i couldn’t lay mah dreems oan th' horizon’s seemingly conclusive inconclusive line

our bronchioles burn up as wur asked o' whit we care

Punched a dyke 'n' broke his hand

from time tae time th' sound o' laughter made me wantae greet

unsure if wis it coffee or content that replaced th' peace he gave tae mah glands

i cop it whin he misses me 'n' waterfalls ur een

Where’s that asthma attack o' a roar, they bugs bunny pyjamas?

where’s th' sassenach pronunciation o' perfect

where’s love’s perfect diorama?

stolen by fear 'n' distrust, wi' guid intentions fur th' ither that hurt us

Flowers graw as spring comes

the hail in mah hert grows as he goes

resist th' urge tae travel in mah neurons back tae winter whin we wur young 'n' numb

warmer nae that th' precious bairn boy’s source wull ever ken

Aye hud mah books, bit nae that look

that gave me shivers

i wis stuck oan that eloquent dream o' a night’s wee nooks

his loue ah can’t see wis clotting mah liver

Tak' aff yer mask o' masculinity

grow wi' me, graw wi' her

misconception drove me tae mutiny

you wha ur immortal in ilka atrium 'n' ventricle, ye wha hae let yersel' be shown her light; it's whit it wur.

Millie O'Neill (Highly Commended)