Poetry Competition 2023

School Years 11 - 13 Category Runner-Up

“Chess” by Chava Bayles

32 white squares, 32 dark squares.

King; queen; pawn.

Equal rows of peace, calm.

The game hasn't begun.

The weaker ones are pushed first,

Then the more powerful ones appear.

They form stonewalls, fortresses, create outposts,

Always staring stonily, silently;

Fearing for their lives

But never daring to show it.

The king, he hides.

Castled, safe,

While his queen

And all his subjects

Pace tirelessly;

Threatening, attacking, controlling.

Strategy, tactics-

A battle for power.

They fight without weapons

But forever shielded.

Until suddenly,

A blunder on the board;

The shield is slashed, shattered, splintered,

And the queen is gone,

Hurled off the board,

Heaped on the forgotten pile

Of soldiers that she'd sacrificed

For her own safety.

Resignation looms, but

Slowly, steadily,

A pawn inches forward.

Unnoticed, until it becomes a queen,

For only a pawn can promote.

The pieces which had once assumed prestige

Are abandoned

While She whizzes around

Until, finally,

The enemy's king is exposed.

Helpless. Trapped.

Judge Charlie Durante’s comments:

Chava Bayles with Chess. Chess has always exercised a fascination over philosophers, intellectuals and thinkers in general. On the chessboard the pieces move according to a strict pattern, but the plan of attack or defence is entirely up to the individual players.

Chava’s poem creates the suspense before the game starts: the serried rows of pawns, the Manichean layout of the board, with the black and white squares representing the good and evil which mingle in the universe. The pressure rises as the more threatening pieces commence their manoeuvres. The heavy alliteration in ‘stonewalls…always staring, stonily, silently’ conveys precisely the relentless march of rooks, bishops and knights.

The queen wreaks destruction but falls victim when ‘the shield is slashed’ and a player commits a blunder. Resembling a real battlefield (after all, what is enacted on the chessboard is a bloodless battle) the ‘dead’ are piled up, defeat seems imminent, but unnoticed, a pawn has reached the enemy’s territory and is crowned a queen. The enemy’s king is now exposed and, as Chava beautifully puts it, ‘Helpless. Trapped. Defeated.’-the three words show the relentless stages in the king’s encirclement. What a wonderful re-creation of a game of chess: clever, exciting and showing a deep appreciation of this fascinating game.

School Years 11-13 Highly Commended

“A Tapestry of Golden Moments” by Shanaya Marie Sheriff 

In the golden embrace of autumn's reign,
Nature's canvas paints a breathtaking terrain.
Leaves, like fiery embers, ignite the trees,
A kaleidoscope of hues that dances in the breeze.

The air grows crisp, a gentle chill in the morn,
As summer's warmth gracefully takes its final form.
A symphony of rustling leaves fills the air,
Whispering secrets, as if nature's secrets to share.

Pumpkins adorn doorsteps, their smiles wide,
Harvest's bounty, a feast for eyes and pride.
Scents of cinnamon and apple fill the air,
Inviting cosy moments, with loved ones to share.

As daylight wanes, the stars shimmer bright,
Guiding us through the tranquil autumn night.
A time of reflection, as nature slows its pace,
Reminding us of life's fleeting embrace.

So let us revel in autumn's splendid grace,
Embrace its beauty, in every time and space.
For in this season, we find solace and delight,
As nature's masterpiece unfolds, in colours so bright.

Judge Charlie Durante’s Comments:

“Shanaya Marie Sheriff with A Tapestry of Golden Moments.  A piece celebrating autumn must steer clear of the well-worn clichés we all associate with the melancholy season. 

Keats’s ‘season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’ is the subject of Shanaya’s enchanting meditation. The lines have a painterly quality which appeal to all the senses: ‘golden embrace’ (touch); ‘symphony of rustling leaves’ (hearing); ‘scents of cinnamon and apple’(smell); ‘stars shimmer bright’ (sight).   There is an abundance of colours, a kaleidoscope of hues: fiery embers, stars shimmer bright.  The poem creates a welcoming atmosphere, inviting, homely, nostalgic and celebratory.

After reading Shanaya’s poem we ask like Keats, ‘Where are the songs of Spring? Aye, where are they?’  Autumn has its own special music, and this poem is part of the symphony Shanaya mentions.”