Poet pupils published (From Penarth Times)

Poet pupils published

A GROUP of poets from a Penarth primary school will have their work published in a national poetry collection after winning a prestigious competition.

The poems written by pupils, aged 10 and 11, from Albert Primary School, were chosen as winners in the Young Writers 2005 Poetry Competition.

Their work has been published in a collection called Playground Poets, which includes the work of primary schoolchildren from around the country.

Huw Jones, headteacher at Albert Primary, said: "Our pupils were selected from more than 5,000 entrants.

"I am extremely proud of them and am highly impressed by the standard of work they have produced.

"Some of the work is individual, other pieces has been produced jointly as pair work."

The Young Writers organisation say that children often come to poetry with negative preconceptions.

They aim, by encouraging children to write poetry and read poems written by their peers, to bring poetry to life and to demonstrate its value as a powerful means of expression.

Young Writers have been running their annual poetry competition in conjunction with schools for 13 years to encourage the reading and writing of poetry by young people.

Here is one of the Albert children's winning entries:

The War and The Peacekeeper

The war and the peacekeeper,

Were taking a stroll one day,

They were arguing very fiercely

About the time of May

And this was odd because they were

Arguing in the hay

"The May should be in December,"

Said the war to the peace,

"No, it would be much too cold,"

Disagreed Peace, "I'd have to wear my fleece.

Agree with me my dear War

Or I will call the police!"

"Don't you dare," cried the war

"I've had enough of this,

I will eat your soldiers