Snowflakes in the fridge

Olivia Haw, from Sheffield, wrote a Christmas Eve poem from the point of view of a mouse — or a Christmouse. Sam Mott’s poem A Frosty Morning With The Baughurst Bowmen was startlingly assured for a nine-year-old writer, and Jemma Leech’s witty parody of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, based on her mother’s dieting, would not have shamed an adult writer.

Tasmin Charli Khin’s elegant, haunting Snowflakes was beautiful. Awful to have to choose a winner from such terrific work, but choose I had to! Thank you to Laura Clark’s grandmother for sending in her smashing poem Winter At My House.

In the older group, Alice Marshall’s Snowy Day has some exceptional lines. Her description of a snowman as “a saddened man” is extraordinary, although some of the diction oddly archaic (“I slip out, timid, through the door’s warm fold”). The older writers, understandably, tended to be darker in tone and sensibility, with strong pieces from Caroline Jamieson and Lara Holmes, some ultra-modern diction from Max Lascelles, and a lovely delicate touch in the poem by Claire Davidson. The winning poems appear below — but many, many congratulations to everyone who entered . . . and keep writing!

WINNER, UNDER 11

Snowflakes

by Tasmin Charli Khin

Now it’s December

The snow is here

It crosses my cheek like a knife

and bites my ear

Now the rain

is tumbling down

with a pitter patter

it falls to the ground

But Oh whats this?

a glint by the drain

It looks like lots

of pieces of rain

Shall I pick it up?

Of course I will!

My hand’s touch has

lots of skill

Now I will look

I do not have to wait

to find out that this

is a frozen snowflake

I will clear my fridge

for this icy thing

It might make me late for the carols

so here I will sing

Come here . . . to this box

and watch me

put up my stocking

by the Christmas tree

Now I will tell you

what I would like

don’t tell anyone

and keep out of sight

Now you must go

tell Santa everything I said

because I now say bye bye

I must go to bed

Bye bye little Snowflake

sail through the night

Bye bye little snowflake

and have a safe flight

RUNNERS-UP

‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas

by Jemma Leech

A Frosty Morning with the Baughurst Bowmen

by Sam Mott

WINNER, 11-15

Snowy Day

by Alice Marshall

A crystal breath of air, a certain cold,

Imagination drifts in winter dreams,

I slip out, timid, through the door’s warm fold

To where the world in pure perfection gleams.

Now from my feet discarded footprints fan,

Across the snowy dunes I leave my mark.

So full of motion in this still, I ran

Across the silence of the empty park.

During my flight I find a saddened man,

His clothing white, the best in crystal lace,

But for a hat, an empty metal can,

Over the smile of sad joy on his face.

Cast iron sky looks down upon this life,

I ask what I could do to warm his smile,

And suddenly, it comes! He needs a wife!

So this is how I toil on for a while.

From small snowball, through work, the woman grows,

‘Til snow is hand in hand with cold, cold, snow.

Across the snowman’s face the sunlight flows,

Enters his face, and hers, they both now glow.

Although content, the rising sun gives them their last,

And though I am now happy with my strife,

I know too sadly it will soon be past,

I leave them to their happy, fated life.

RUNNERS-UP

Snowdrops

by Claire Davidson

The Christmas Wait

by Max Lascelles