Spirited Poetry 2019

Keywan (Age 8)

St Matthew's School

Hide and Seek With God

Dad, is God real because if She is where is She?

No son he is everywhere, He's a He, for goodness sake and He

doesn't have a key.

If God is everywhere, Dad, is He right next to me?

No son, I didn't mean that, I meant He's in heaven watching all over us.

Where's heaven, Dad?

Erm ... do you know where Grandpa went when he died?

No...

He went to heaven.

Actually, Dad, do you know what heaven looks like?

No-one knows what heaven looks like and no-one will ever know .

So I'll never know what heaven looks like, Dad?

Yes, we will never know what heaven looks like,

Unless...

Click here to hear this poem read by guest judge Paul Cookson.

Niamh (Age 12)

Chesham Grammar School

My Turn To Hide

"I counted to ten, shouted "here I come!"

I searched in the kitchen,where could he be?

I checked the fridge,the cupboards and the washing machine,

But all I found was cheese,salt and pepper,

And a few of my sister's dirty sweaters,

Next was the bedroom, I looked all around,

I listened for movement, but there was no sound,

I tried the bathroom but alas no luck,

All i found was a rubber duck,

Head hanging low, I had given up,

When all of a sudden God said, "look up!"

I looked in the mirror and what did I see,

God was standing there beside me!

God would always be by my side,

I grinned and said, "It's my turn to hide."

Click here to hear this poem read by guest judge Paul Cookson.

Liam (Age 14)

Millburn Academy

The Boxing Match

"Welcome back everyone to the annual 'Does God exist?' boxing match.

In the red corner we have 'not real'

And in the blue corner we have...

Wait.

Where is he?

There he is!

Sorry, we didn't know where he was... like most of the time.

Is Real is in the blue corner.

Is Real hits Not Real with a First Cause argument.

Not Real fights back with the powerful Big Bang Theory.

Is Real gets revenge with the question 'who made the universe?'

But Not Real strikes back with 'who made God?'

Well, I guess that's it for our annual boxing match.

Looks like it's ended in a tie.

Again."

Click here to hear this poem read by guest judge Paul Cookson.

Leyla (Age 6)

Parkhill Infants School

Diwali

Diwali, is a festival of

light over darkness

and good over evil.

I see shining animals.

I see a rainbow of

fire works. I see happiness

and family all together.

Amand (Age 7)

Curwen Primary School

God In My Dance

When the music starts I feel free and happy

and the emotions that I have are so amzing and the suit

feels fluffy

and soft and some of the moves I do is pike and also straddle and

many more

When I dance I feel closer to God in every step I do

It's like he's always there in school

he is always supporting me

I am so lucky to have him in my life and in my heart

Stuart (Age 11)

St Johns Church of England Primary School

Hope In The Darkness

I walk to see my hero die,

As tears gather in our collective eyes.

A broken Jesus holding a cross,

All hope in me was lost.

Whipped and beaten in thunder and lightning

I felt like a thousand angles lost their wings

Weak and trembling he got tied by his wrists

As he screamed in pain in the dark mist

He turned his head to see a weak and blonde man

He was a murderer and when caught,ran.

He did crimes and didn't care,

The punishment for this sinner was totally fair.

After that he turned to the right,

A guilty man full of fright.

Although his actions were sick and gross,

He was truly sorry and that's hat matters most.

Beside him two men. One evil one great,

They thought that forgiveness in them was way too late.

They were all going to their eternal rest,

Just then Jesus showed the hope in the darkness.

Derryn (Age 14)

Millburn Academy

My God, Not Yours

If your God is all powerful,

Why are so many people in the world suffering?

If your God is all loving,

Why is he your excuse to be hateful towards people who aren't like you?

If your God is all forgiving,

Would he really send people to the hot heaven for loving each other?

If your God is really there,

If your God really wants the best for us,

Why is so much going wrong?

My God isn't perfect,

But neither is yours,

He knows we all belong

My God tries to keep us all happy,

All safe,

And when he has his swansong,

The angels will come along

And finish what he couldn't.

Opefoluwa (Age 17)

Woldingham School

The Lord was not in the fire

In between thinly lit pages, skin grafts

of the divine woven together like

needlepoint stitch-work across time

under the squelch of my armpit as I sweat in a

room writing this poem, each keystroke stabbing the

tent of heaven, the distant noise of freedom like a wave.

During temple-kneeling, hands-folded, head-bowed,

genuflected perfect prayer. Back-whipping slitting

criticising pummelling worship. There is holiness in suffering.

I have always thought the most beautiful image in the

world is that of the priest with scriptured eyelids shut and

arms raised above his head coming to a mountain top in the

grasping of the Eucharist. how I have longed to photograph

that moment, to build a sweet tabernacle of immortalised memory

to cup in my own black hands (we are all as unthinking as Peter).

Perhaps he is in the silence.

Yes, he is in the silence.

Though in the silence I strain my ears,

listening, and hear nothing.

Jenny (Age 10)

Stopsley Community Primary School

Where Is God?

"Where is God on this planet?

Making people frantic,

I don't know his appearance,

So how am I meant to find him?

Muslims believe God can't be drawn

But if I was God that would make me forlorn,

the Hindu God has four faces,

Who all care for different cases.

God is the guard of heaven,

God is the guard of hell,

He protects the living

And watches over the dead.

Lots of people think God is brave,

But if he is so courageous

Why is he cowering away?

I've looked in the Church

I've looked in the Mosque,

I've looked everywhere but now I am lost!

Not physically, but mentally.

Maybe God is lost as well."