Haelie Roberts, a Year 9 student at Olivet Christian College, has won the Student Poetry Competition in the Years 9-10 section for her poem, Hope in a Whistle. Here, she reads her poem.
Haelie Roberts, a Year 9 student at Olivet Christian College, has won the Student Poetry Competition in the Years 9-10 section for her poem, Hope in a Whistle.
The competition, part of our Arts Learning Festival, was open to students from all school sectors, and attracted more than 300 entries.
Announcing the winners, ISV Chief Executive Michelle Green said she was impressed by the creative confidence and optimism of the poems.
‘They have drawn on nature, natural disasters and personal experience to find strength and confidence in extremely difficult times,’ Ms Green said.
This is what the judges said about Haelie’s poem:
Classic balladry in style, this poem establishes a strong sense of imagery, which catches the reader’s eye and lingers in the mind.
You can watch Haelie read the poem in the video below, and read it for yourself, along with the students awarded honourable mentions in the category for their outstanding work.
Every day this week, we’re sharing videos of our winners reciting their poems.
You can also watch these videos:
Adele Bilney, winner in the Prep-Year 2 category, reading her poem, Winter, by clicking here.
Mehak Soin, winner in the Years 3-4 category, reading her poem, Silver Lining, by clicking here.
Felicity van Rensburg, winner in the Years 5-6, reading her poem, After the Fire, by clicking here.
Ravin Rathnayake, winner in the Years 7-8 category, reading his poem, by clicking here.
Derek Villaceran, winner in the Years 11-12 category, reading his poem, Summer Longings, by clicking here.
You can also find full result details in the news section of the Arts Learning Festival website.
Hope in a Whistle, by Haelie Roberts
The sky was fresh, the landscape too, the dew was on the ground
The sun was slowly creeping from the east.
A world of beauty wakening up from slumbering all night round
Sounds of life heard never to be ceased.
Then high up in the crimson sky, a bird of prey appeared
Something like an eagle to be seen.
A whistling kite flew swiftly, though as one meant to be feared
Soaring from the ranges to ravine.
He circled low above the brush, keenly seeking for
Dormant prey just waiting to be spied.
Circling still, he whistled out, a single piercing lure
‘Teeee-ti-tiiii’ he cried.
Then his beady eye caught sight of movement down below
He caught the passing breeze to make descent.
Plunging in a headlong dive he gained the bush plateau
A spiralling ball of menace on the scent.
Talons wide, his wings now spread he hovered just above
Then plunged and took his prey in swift surprise.
His talons closed on furry frame, he caught it by the scruff
There was no time to utter any cries.
Bird tensed its grip on squirming quest and caught the wind’s updraft
Triumphantly, he mounted for the crest.
His cunning eye rove peak to pile, seeking out the craft
Tucked away inside a homely cleft.
From a distance watchful eyes regarded all ago
A boy, intent on catching every act.
Often up before the sun appeared and out to see each show
He saw the kites’ performance most exact.
His interest was in birds of prey; he studied them with zeal
His entire life depended on this form.
It was he alone who gazed on them; observing to the meal
And wrote and marked down routine to un-norm.
Since he was just a toddling child, he loved to hear them call
His family shared the interest of his youth.
But then the day of fate did come and tragedy did fall
Leaving him alone to face the truth.
His mother gone, his father too, he fought to stay alive
While uncles, aunts and cousins fussed around.
They shipped him off to Dad’s aged bro to learn to tend to hives
Though never giving him a little ground.
He’d found a chance to be himself when Uncle Jesse said
“We’ll go a –watching for them birds you like.”
They waited still until they saw kites soaring from the head
Of the rugged cliff tops so alike.
Then he’d heard a high-pitched sound, a whistle so unique
The fire started in his heart anew.
“Teeeee-ti-tiiiiii!” he had that day heard shrieked
From the creature fully in his view.
And still he loved to hear them call; they gave him hope afresh
Telling him the past was now behind.
He now had thought to look ahead; and one that would refresh
His sorrow stricken body and his mind.
There was one thing that was hope to him; the call of freedom fire
Still burned strong and never would go out.
“There’s hope in a whistle, a whistle I say, a hope that’s still rising higher.”
“You can still live your life, though in sorrow or strife, just keep hope in your heart today.”
Honourable mentions
Tanya Robin, Year 10, Aitken College
When is our one day?
Sharon Zhang, Year 9, Carey Baptist Grammar School
Reminiscing on Lonely
David Dodson, Year 10, Trinity Grammar School
The Sin
Winners in other sections
Prep-Year 2
Winter, by Adele Bilney, Year 2, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School
Years 3-4
Silver Lining, by Mehak Soin, Year 4, Melbourne Girls Grammar
Years 5-6
After the Fire, by Felicity van Rensburg, Year 5, Harkaway Hills College
Years 7-8
Hope, by Ravin Rathnayake, Year 8, Haileybury College Edrington
Years 11-12
Summer Longings, by Derek Villaceran, Year 12, Lilydale High School
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