Christopher Edwards takes poetry writing award

Year 6 student, Christopher Edwards, has been recognised for his prowess as a poet in the Red Room Poetry Object, a Trans-Tasman context open to students and teachers. Christopher earned the accolade Winning Primary School Poem for his submission ‘The Grasslands’.

Christopher admits to facing a challenge with the original subject of the poem. “I was asked to write a poet about a talisman but had trouble thinking of one, so chose to write about my soft toy ‘Tiger’ who has been with me practically all of my life.”

Teachers Simone Timms and Renee Burgess were inspired to encourage students to participate in the competition through following a session by Red Room Company at the 2015 Australian Literacy Educators Association’s National Conference. 

The Grasslands

By Christopher Edwards (Year 6, Durack School, 2015)

Striped like the dark of night.
Striped like the colour of the blaze,
bright as day.
He is the savanna hunter,
lurking in the grass.
Learning the ways of the hunt,
the prey unaware.
Sleeping soundly,
protecting its young.
Teaching the young,
My tiger, of the grasslands.