Animal Poetry Competition Winners 2011

The competition was judged on 28th November by Patrick, poet and owner of the Funny Poems for Kids website, and Sue, who is the owner of Fish and Chips, two of the naughtiest cats you'd ever have the misfortune to meet. It's always difficult choosing which should be the winning poems from among the dozens of brilliant, imaginative, creative poems submitted, but after a lot of discussion and a little bit of arguing, agreement was reached.

And... (I couldn't resist this, because Sue hates sentences that begin with 'and')

And the winners are...

Children's Poetry Competition - Under 8 First Prize

My Cat Fluffy
by Millie-Mae

My cat Fluffy is a very fluffy cat,
I like to cuddle her a lot.

My cat Fluffy has big brown eyes,
She purrs when i stroke her.

My cat Fluffy has a very flat face,
She likes to rub her nose on me.

My cat Fluffy likes to cuddle in bed,
This makes me smile and laugh.

My cat Fluffy is a cute little Persian,
She never stops eating!

My cat Fluffy was an unwanted stray,
Now she has a loving home.

'I wrote my poem because mummy brought a poorly cat home from work and i love her. She is interesting and special so that's why i choose her. I enjoyed writing my poem about Fluffy'. Millie-Mae is aged 6 years and lives in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire.

A beautiful poem by Millie-Mae about her much loved cat Fluffy. The poem was sent as a word document, carefully laid out and decorated at each corner with a picture of Fluffy. If you'd like to see the poem in its original form and meet Fluffy, please click here. The judges (and Timmy) all adored this touching tale in verse form and were delighted to awards Millie-Mae first prize in the under 8s category. Very well done.

Children's Poetry Competition - First Prize Age 11 to 13

Snowy Owl
by Rebekah

Gliding gently on soft silent wings,
Waiting for an unfortunate victim,
To scurry across her view.
Finally, a large vole makes his mistake,
She swoops down, making no noise,
Suddenly, sharp claws rain down on the voles back,
And now he is no more.
Snowy floats up, her prey clasped in her claws,
Toward a hole in a large tree,
She lands, hears a chirp,
And tiny little feather balls,
Rush out to meet her.
She downs the vole in one,
Regurgitating it to each in turn,
After the vole had gone,
She snuggles her babies close, until nightfall comes again...

'I found out I could write poems when I wrote a poem last year about the Journey of the Magi. My R.E. teacher encouraged me to write more and more poems. This is the second poem I ever wrote.' Rebekah is 10 years old and lives in Devon.

The judges loved Rebekah's poem about a Snowy Owl for its honestly and its mastery of the English language. Rebekah doesn't shirk from the fact that nature is often gruesome, but the overall tone of the poem is warm and uplifting . Congratulations to Rebekah for producing such a powerful poem and winning the 9-11 age group.

Children's Poetry Competition - Age 12 and over winner

Simon-In-Marathon
by Florence

Simon
Naively joined
A marathon and
In the end
Lost effortlessly

I'm Florence, 14, from Melacca, Malaysia. I wrote these poems because I enjoy them a lot. Plus, I think zebras make good pets! (Just hope I can keep one.)

Florence sent three very funny and artfully composed poems all the way from Malaysia. Her funny acrostic poem cum riddle, Simon-In-Marathon, impressed and amused the judges in equal measure. Writing short funny poems is an art which Florence appears to have mastered effortlessly, making Simon-In-Marathon is a worthy winner of the senior age group.

Children's Poetry Competition - Hannah's Special Prize

Wanting a Pet
by Amy

I really want a pet of my own
I have been pestering my mum and won’t leave it alone
I really want a big, brown horse
But I would need a stable, of course
I would love to have another dog
But I would need to walk it, or even jog
I would like a pet monkey
For they are big, cute and funky
I would love some kittens
So I could dress them up in cute mittens
I would really like a hamster as my pet
But my dad hates small things and he’ll fret
So maybe wanting a pet
Is the worst idea I’ve had yet!!!

I wrote this poem because I really want  another pet besides my Labrador dog Bella and my hamster Bubbles!! I really want to be a poet when I am old enough, it would be really great if I won this competition, it would be one small step to being a poet! Amy is 11 years of age and lives in Chorley , Lancashire, England.

The final prize is is in the gift of my niece Hannah and awarded to the poem that she considers the best of the non-winning entries. It's not strictly a runner-up poem, because the criteria are that the poem should be enjoyable, approachable and fun. Poetic form, structure and language are of secondary importance, so long as the entry is a poem in some shape or form. Hannah thought 'Wanting a Pet' was great and she identified completely with Amy's plight, making it easy choice as winner of her special prize.

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