Poetry Competition 2023

School Years 4-5 Highly Commended 
“Helicopter” by Oliver Gear
 
Hovering high up above
Enormous blades spinning in the air
Law enforcement's bird in the sky
lnfrared vision, so nothing escapes
Criminals' worst nightmare, nowhere to hide
Operation “Find them”
People look like ants far below
Trees swaying in the downdraft
Excitement of the chase, we've got them
Returning back to earth, mission accomplished.
 
Judge Charlie Durante’s Comments:
Oliver Gear with Helicopter.   The Vietnam war saw the ‘chopper’ come into its own.  Helicopters now have multiple uses, including controlling traffic and dousing fires.  Oliver’s poem concentrates on the use of a helicopter to track down criminals.  ‘Law enforcement’s bird in the sky’ combines the law hunting down malefactors, the duty to apply the law, and the speed and manoeuvrability of a bird. Oliver is aware of how versatile the helicopter is though he homes in on one specific operation and praises the success of this mission.  A concise poem which reflects the writer’s admiration for this means of transport and its use as a means of attack.

School Years 4-5 Highly Commended 
"September" by Max Jose Correia
 
S ummer ends and school begins
E arly nights and less time for screens
P acked bags and shiny shoes
T rying hard to follow the rules
E ducation every day
M aths to learn and sums to do
B ack to friends and breaktime fun
E veryone is tired at first
R eading books and learning words
 

Judge Charlie Durante’s Comments:
Max Correia with September.  September is the title of this poem; it is also the word spelt out by the opening letter of each line.  Max plunges into school life, when summer days are  waning and nights come early.  Now is the time for learning, following rules, reading and doing Maths.  But there are compensations: mingling with friends, enjoying breaktime and trying to look smart.  As we get older, we forget how overwhelming our school experience was and how it probably shaped our lives.  Max’s poem is a reminder of this phase in our lives.