Prizes were presented to the winners of the Davidson Chalmers Write On! Writing Competition on Saturday.
Created by Scottish Borders Libraries and the Borders Book Festival, the competition celebrates the talent of young writers in the Scottish Borders. This year, hundreds of schoolchildren from Borders schools submitted poems based on an animals, water or a ghostly theme. The competition judges were very impressed with the quality of writing, and they were also delighted to see an increase in entries from boys.
The awards event, at the Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival, was hosted by the award-winning poet, Tom Pow, and one of the festival’s favourite authors, Vivian French, who presented the prizes to the winners and runners-up.
Prizes included medals, books, and tickets for winners and their friends and families to go to the Dr Death and the Medi-evil Medicine Show at the Family Book Festival. First prize winning poems are being posted on the Borders Book Festival, Scottish Borders Libraries and Davidson Chalmers websites – and printed below.
Winners:
Primary 5
1. Drought in Africa by Grace Dawes, Gordon Primary School
2. A Ghostly Poem – Boo! by Robbie Mitchell, Wilton Primary School
Primary 6
1. The Fiend by Todd Philip, Heriot Primary School
2. Ghostly by Megan Dickson, Broomlands Primary School
Primary 7
1.Iceberg’s SOS by Jasmine Bowie, Gordon Primary School
2.A Haunting in Hotel Haunted de Haunted by Struan Henderson, Broomlands Primary School
Iceberg’s SOS
Jasmine Bowie, P7 Gordon Primary School
The ice caps are weeping,
Their salty tears swelling the oceans bit by bit.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip….drip…
Their dilemma is over whelming in its enormity,
All our troubles, petty in comparison.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…..drip….
Once they’re gone, they’re gone for ever
Causing much erratic weather.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…drip…
Disturbing to think that the human race,
Is willing to ruin such an elegant place.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…drip…
They are beautiful.
Their icy majesty glinting in the fragile morning light.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…..drip….
But they are dying.
And their life blood is pouring into the rivers, raising them, expanding them, swamping entire villages.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip….drip….
They don’t have much time left,
And they are desperately calling for help.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…..drip….
The iceberg’s S.O.S.
Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip…..drip….
The Fiend
Todd Philip
P6 Heriot Primary School
The Fiend is an awfee loon,
A keep sayin tae him, “Calm doon”.
He’s awfee wee an dinnae ask me,
Why his skin’s maroon.
His een are dark green,
Yet his airms are long an lean,
But tae tell you the truth an oh gawdstrewth,
He’s meanishly mean, mean, mean!
His neb is reid and wee,
He fills his friends wi glee,
He’s got twa lugs, an he hates dugs,
He thinks they’re awfee scary.
The end oh his tail,
Is the size oh a sail,
He lives aside farms, an the spikes on his airms,
Would make onyboady wail.
Drought in Africa
Grace Dawes
P5 Gordon Primary School
Another drought in Africa.
Dreadful weather conditions bring drought to all.
Bare crumbled dirt sucking in all the last moisture
from scorched riverbeds.
Nasty dryness eating into the bones of any living
thing in its path.
Drought is a major tragedy in Africa, it robs people
of their oxen, food, schooling and sometimes
there
lives.
The heat is sweltering, clutching around you like a
quilt.
The drought competes against the last remaining
water like two knights fighting.
Another drought in Africa.
Rain clouds bring hope to all.
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