2012 School Magazine

AWN AVII

ZOE MCDONALD 19Bi

WINNER OF THE MARY ALEXIS MACMILLAN PRIZE FOR YEARS 9 AND 10. AWARDED To THE BEST INDIVIDUAL POEM. A heart wails for a lost child Not gone yet but nearly. nearly Always asleep. never awake; A wisp of memory clinging to her face Like emeralds glimmering under her eyebrows, Eyes once bright and keen Eyes brighter than the light of day Starting to fade. to leak away Eyes always closed. oblivious to the world around her Hollow cheeks and a pale grey face A lifeless dollwrapped up in a bed. Hair thin and stringy on her once beautiful head Peaceful. eyes closed and hands resting on her chest. No more machine to interrupt her very last sleep She will always be beautiful and her memory will be Of a girl wide awake and never asleep

AIR I^I I lull

ISABEL PRIOR 112Gl

WINNER OF THE BETTY WOOLcocK CHALLENGE cup STUDENTS IN YEARS 11 AND 12 ARE ASKED To RESPOND To A SHAKESPEARE QUOTE IN ANY WRITTEN FORM THEY CHOOSE Everyone's agreed that the service was beautiful Her uncles eulogy touching and the Cat Stevens song just right Now. the father is wringing gummy hands at the door. Lips mashed together. forehead shining Muggy heat and platitudes snag On the low. vermiculite ceiling Aunty He lens trying admirably to keep the flies out of the dip While Rob wonders vaguely who's won the cricket A group clots around the canapes Where one bold teenager ventures an opinion. Hoping he sounds worldly. and everyone smiles politely when the father remarks how sorry he feels for politicians' wives Then the door slides open and a little cousin comes in from swinging on the rail. She's dragging an ugly Cabbage Patch doll and her face 15 Pink and grubby where she's fallen. She starts to howl And then there's this sticky silence Punctuated by the laboured shudders of the air-con And a pair of galahs gassing in the manna gum Until the priest. patting the mothers hand absentty. says God all the little ones who are dearest to him And reaches for the last eclair

I'M

CARMEN ZHU 18Rl WINNER OF THE MARY ALEXIS MACMILLAN PRIZE FOR YEAR 8, AWARDED To THE BEST INDIVIDUAL LYRIC POEM

What would happen to me If I was to take a break

A break from life A break from pain A break from anything that troubles me I would tell you my troubles. You will let them melt to dreams Slowly

11 I could dream Only one dream I would make it special If I could dream Only one dream I would dream about you

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