PEACE POEMS

Congratulations to our winning and highly commended poems:

7-11 years – £100 TOP PRIZE – My True Colours by Lottie Wilkins

I am a poppy seed,
Drenched in blood,
Poisonous gases whirl around in the ferocious wind,
But I will push up and show myself, my true colours,

Deep muddy footprints cover the marsh land,
The crackle of guns rings out,
My family will never grow to show their vermillion petals,
But I will push up and show myself, my true colours,

I poke my head above the ground,
There is a thick layer of mist surrounding me,
Cinnamon skies full of echoing yells,
But I will push up and show myself, my true colours,

Soldiers in khaki green cry as they fall to the ground,
Shrapnel tears through the clouds like a shredded curtain,
The rancid smell of bullets and smoke chokes my friends,
But I will push up and show myself, my true colours,

I flourish to symbolise peace,
The sun shines on me and makes my petals shimmer,
I’m here for those that died,
Nobody will ever be forgotten,
Because I pushed up and showed my true colours.

Highly commended for the 7 – 11-year-old category, in no particular order:
My Peace Poem by Stanley Cornwall
I am the poppy seed that grew by Arjun Abby
The Scent of Peace by Euan Clark
Peace by Joely Lee
Untitled by Annabel Palme
War and Peace by Olivia Frangoullides
Venturing by Emma Thorne, Trinity Road
Peace Means Everything by Oscar Nie, Mildmay Junior
Poppies by Lucy
War and Peace by Isobel Maddison

12-15 years – £100 TOP PRIZE

Highly commended for the 12 – 15-year-old category, in no particular order:
Peace by Paige Gavin
Peace by Jessica Mullings
A Polite Request by Rachel Lewis
If Peace War On the Throne by Charlotte Neal
Give Peace a Chance by James Bilimore
Untilted by Elizabeth Hunt
Peace by Martin Warner
War Peace by Isaac Townsend
A Poppy’s Prayer by Lottie Archer
Peace by Freya

16+ years – £100 TOP PRIZE – For Peace, We March by Charlotte Bennett