Congratulations to Lydia Butler and Billie Allan, whose poems won the annual Chinese Gardens Poetry Competition within the Teen Writing Section.

Congratulations to Lydia Butler and Billie Allan, whose poems won the annual Chinese Gardens Poetry Competition within the Teen Writing Section. The competition required them to write a poem on the theme of 'Belonging', and their efforts came out of a writing task within the Queen's Writing Group. Lydia Butler was awarded first place for her poem 'Home' and Billie Allan was placed second with 'Port Chalmers'. The judge, Kath Beattie, praised their use of sharp imagery and their clear understanding of how to structure a poem which left a lasting impact on their reader. 

Below are both girls poems...

Port Chalmers by Billie Allan

All noise is cancelled,

withered down to a speckle by the pines

scratching the sound waves

until all you hear are the ripples of the sea

that sit below dusted stones and forgotten footprints.

Dense, layered clouds,

embroidered into the sunken sky,

comb the hills’ icy tips

that are blunt with age

and sprinkled with snow when the air goes cold.

But as a daisy sits

freckled with beaded droplets

and glowing in the sprinkle of sunlight,

the bitter breeze that chills our goosebumps

grooms the feathered petals dry.

And whilst the day matures,

the stars start to sleep -

covered in the crisp, black quilt of our atmosphere

a shiver warms your spine, like tucking you into your parent's bed

after you've had a bad dream

safe.

Home by Lydia Butler

Our lifelines

lie under the land,

weaving an intricate tapestry

of proud people,

sprouting trees and vines

where they criss-cross together,

tying our hearts

to our forever home.