National Poetry Competition 

Jessamy L, Year 10, has won Greenpeace's national poetry competition 'Poems for the Planet' in the 11-18 category! Over 2,700 poets got involved in writing about nature and protecting the planet for this year’s competition. This is a huge achievement, well done Jessamy!   

 

The owl 

By Jessamy L (Category 11-18) 

I didn’t think there was anything there. 
Rolling fields on that bitter, icy, harsh 
Evening, smothering the last gentle rays 
Of a dozy, hazy midsummer day 

The lights in the city would come on now, 
Chasing away the unknown shadows of 
Monsters or strangers, paranoia infested, 
But here all there is is blinking stars 

And a sound 

What was that? A haunting noise, maybe a 
Monster or a stranger, no light comes down, 
Trapped in this moment of unknowing fear, 
Another noise now, closer, even louder! 

Heart racing, I wanted to disappear, 
Away from that place, that horrifying beast, 
Whose eyes gleam at me in the darkness, it’s 
Eyes, soulless, snowy fluttering feathers… 

Wait. Feathers, speckled and soft like the grass that I clasped, 
Eyes wise and gentle, Sparkled in the starlight, 
A gentle cooing dissolved all my panic, 
A magnificent owl landed by my feet. 

Now on these bitter, hazy, autumn nights, 
I gaze at the sky at the blinking stars, 
Waiting for the familiar swooping sound, 
Of the gentle, natural friend I have found. 

 

Mukahang Limbu, the judge for the 11-18 category comments; 

“I really enjoyed how this poem told a story, and how it takes the readers on a journey. It plays with themes of the unexpected — out of fear comes a beautiful and moving encounter that is very reassuring. In such seemingly perilous and terrifying moments, this poem gives us hope. When the speaker takes a moment and begins to look at the beauty of the ‘owl’ we are being taught that we must sometimes change our perspectives and face our fear to overcome such overwhelming emotions. The powerful arc of this poem is what makes the poem so striking, and to be able to evoke such feelings is a true gift! I commend the poet for such a great piece of poetry”