I’m delighted to tell you that all the poems entered for the Harrow Times poetry competition have now been read and it’s been somewhat difficult to judge as we had some extremely worthy entries. Poems came to me by email (jewishpoetrysociety@yahoo.com) and by post - in fact the postman thought my Christmas card list had grown and even on the last day of entry I received two more poems.

But now in the quiet of the New Year, the poems have been judged and I’m delighted to congratulate seventeen year old Eleanor Lyster Smith, a member of Pinner Writers Group, on her winning entry which I found great fun and hope you enjoy it too.

BUYING A TEA CUP FOR MUMMY

by Eleanor Lyster Smith

 

Eleanor don’t touch the cups.

I mean it, they cost a lot.

If you break one you’ll have to pay for it.

They’ll be no more money left in your pot.

Eleanor NO! Don’t back up like that.

Can’t you see the shelf behind you?

If you crash into them they’ll all come down.

Then what will you do?

Eleanor, on second thoughts,

Perhaps you’d better leave.

Go stand over in the toy section.

Just get away from the china please.

 

No not like tha-

Oh Eleanor

I particularly want to tell you about the staff of Milmans Resource Centre who wrote a poem from the heart, explaining how difficult shopping can be when you are in a wheelchair.

I can’t mention all the poets who entered or my blog would take pages and pages, but some of the poets who are very close runners up are Sukriti Bisht who is just 9 years old for her poem Shopping:

SHOPPING

I look up to the sky,

As I wonder what I should buy.

A PS4 would be cool,

To impress friends at school.

Or even a nice dress,

Would make some progress.

 

The only thing I hate-

I can assure that everything else is first rate -

Is the little creases made on my finger,

Shopping bags will always have defects that linger.

 

An array of shops surround me,

And I feel care-free.

I mean Swarovski looks very nice indeed,

I wouldn't mind getting a pearl bead.

 

I look into my deep pocket,

To take out my endless bounds,

And I realise faster than a rocket,

As usual, only five pounds!

 

By Sukriti Bisht 

 

Elise Harvey wrote an amusing poem:

Shopping

Here comes the shopper crossing the street,

Her bags piled high and with aching feet:

Marks and Spencers, Fortnum and Mason

Spend, spend, spend, who needs a reason?

 

Coats and jackets and a red pullover,

Egyptian sheets with embroidered cover.

She battles on against the swarm,

Like bees they circle, but where’s the harm?

 

She really does need the bargains she’s buying,

Four shiny saucepans with a skillet  for frying.

Burt where oh where are the purple suede shoes?

If another hand grabs them, a bargain she’ll lose

 

And so, carefully poised to capture her find

She loses her balance, crashing into the blind.

It unrolls downward and in one swift action

Wraps around our shopper now devoid of all motion.

 

“Hold fast” shouts the Manager, his voice hoarse with feeling,

As the blind whisks our shopper up t’wards the ceiling.

Her body and packages so carefully rolled

Are now safe from the sales, and my tale is told.

 

and in a further blog I may share a few of the other poems, from Naomi Caplin, Mohini Mistry (aged 10), Janet Byrne, J M Clarke and Fish.

And now for our next competition. The subject is My Resolution and I need entries in by Thursday 28th January. Good luck all of you.