Lily wins Rotary Club writing competition

Lily F., a Year 9 student, recently won a Rotary Club writing competition. She claimed first prize in the intermediate category (11-13 years old) with a clever poem which uses the comparison of a tree, aging with time, with that of love growing and blossoming before fading away. Here is Lily's winning poem, 'Connections':

The roots were smooth, little,

like the hand I held in mine.

Tiny buds materialized,

the buds of something new.

Wind rustled through the spindly branches,

sounding like our strings of melodic laughter.

The roots were bigger, stronger,

like the hand I held in mine.

The buds blossomed into delicate flowers,

the growth of something big.

The leaves were luscious and green,

vibrant colours of our love.

The roots were slightly rougher, wrinkled,

like the hand I held in mine.

The flowers started to crinkle at the tips,

the years were running away.

The leaves’ colours were mellowing,

like the colour of our greying hair.

The roots were calloused, gnarled,

Like the hand I held in mine.

The flowers disintegrated into nothing,

the days that we had left.

The leaves were shedded, floating to the ground,

Like the things we never did.

The tree was bare, hollow, dead,

Like the hand I no longer held.

Lily commented: "I really enjoyed writing the poem and I am thrilled to have won."

David Walker, Head of English, said: “Congratulations to Lily on this fantastic achievement. At St Mary’s, we encourage our students to express themselves and think creatively, so I’m pleased to see that it has resulted in this amazing win.”