Category: Entries 2019

Our wonderful adult, teen and junior winning entries from 2019.

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We fell in love in October by Charlotte Donaldson, age 15

Winner in the teen Writing Rammy 2019

When I first saw her it was October. I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought I felt sick, I thought her smile was too soft and that her eyes were too bright. I thought I hated her. I didn’t.

The second time I saw her was when I was out with a group. I didn’t know who invited her. Maybe it was me. She laughed and touched my hands. She was soft. I liked it.

The twenty sixty time I saw her she had promised to take me to sit under her favorite tree. I couldn’t help but smile. Of course she had a favorite tree, only she could.

We walked through the woodland and she placed her hand in mine ‘so we don’t get separated’, she had whispered. I didn’t mind, I liked the feeling of our hands intertwined.

We sat under that tree, the autumn leaves falling around us, until the world was bathed in the golden glaze of a sunset. She leaned her head on my shoulder. How could I ever hate her?

We walked out of the park and back to her house before I went back to mine. We stood on her doorstep, silent for what felt like an eternity. She kissed me on the cheek, her face flushed. And then she ran inside.

And so I walked away from home and returned to my house.

The eight-hundredth time I saw her we were sitting on the roof of the school. We weren’t meant to be there. We didn’t care. She had grown out her hair and liked it when I brushed through it with my hand. She gave me a smile that reminded me of gentle autumn months sitting under our favorite tree.

The thousandth time I saw her we were at a party. A Halloween one. It was crowded, loud, and messy. This wasn’t our October. She placed a hand on my arm and whispered that if I wanted to leave she would come too. We took her mother’s car and drove to our tree. We sat under its branches. We lay on our backs looking up at the stars. I could only focus on the feeling of her hand and the soft sound of her breathing. I turned to face her and so did she. She gave me one of her soft smiles.

We kissed, soft and warm. We were each other’s home surrounded by orange leaves.

Today when I meet her, we’ll have long finished school and finally be home with one another. I’ll drive her to our tree late at night. And at midnight, the first of the tenth, I’ll drop to one knee and ask her if she’ll stay with me.

And then it’ll finally just be me, her, the moon, and the month of October.

(c) Charlotte Donaldson

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Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All by Amelia Dewar, age 10

Amelia’s tribute to Maya Angelou won her runner-up in the Junior poetry section of the Writing Rammy

Snakes about to snap

Spiders in my cap

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Robbers in my house at night

Spaces that are very tight

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Monsters peering round my door

Loud footsteps on the floor

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Mice in the hall

A very creepy doll

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Eyes wide

Quick, hide

I make fun

So they run

I just grin

So they don’t win

Little shiny snails

Leaving slimy trails

They don’t frighten me at all

Not at all

Not at all!

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

(c) Amelia Dewar

Listen to Maya read her original poem:

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Garden Warfare by Aaron Pollock, age 10

Junior Writing Rammy 2019 runner-up

Sunny, Queen of the Sunflower Maids of Garden Shiny wanted to wage war against her neighbours, the Grey Caps because she hated their dull appearance. However, she had never taken part in war before. So she and her fellow comrades travelled to the Garden of the Succulents for advice. When she arrived, she was confronted by a tall green cactus with long, unequal arms and narrow eyes.

“Admiral Spike, first in command of the Succulents at your service, Queen Sunny.” He saluted, although his hands could barely touch his head.

“I know our kingdoms are not aligned, but I seek counsel about starting a War.” She replied.

A shiver of fear ran through to his roots. “The best advice is not to bring war upon your enemies” he urged.

Undeterred, Sunny headed to the Rose Garden. A tall red rose towered over her. “I am Red, Queen of Roses” she said in a posh voice. “Why have you come here today?” Sunny replied “for advice…” Red interrupted her “What for different costume designs or a new sparkly cro…”Sunny interrupted her this time “NO, advice about starting a war!” Red harrumphed, “Well I only have advice about making outfits…”Before Red could say anymore, Sunny and her crew had already began the journey home.

When she arrived, she saw her youngest sunflowers playing alongside the young mushrooms. She admitted that while the mushrooms were dull in colour, they were very kind and playful. She decided to take Admiral Spike’s advice.

(c) Aaron Pollock

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The Bin Brigade by Grace Malcolm

Winner in the Junior Writing Rammy 2019

Sally and Bob lived in an ordinary house, in an ordinary street.  Sally was keen on recycling but Bob hated the very idea of it, he thought it was a complete waste of time.

Sally would go outside every night and sort through the green and blue bin making sure the right materials were in the correct bin.  She nicknamed the bins in her garden, green was Gooey and Blue was Basher and they became her best friends. 

One night her brother went out and mixed up all the bins, he took great pleasure in doing this.  He was mean. The next morning Sally’s mum shouted “Sally and Bob get down here now!”  “Who has messed up all the bins?  There is rubbish all over the garden! You are both grounded until further notice!”  Sally was so upset, she went to her room, she knew Bob had done it to annoy her.  She sat and thought how she could stop him from doing it again.  “AHA!!! I know” thought Sally and off she went to get her writing pad and pen.

Sally wrote a letter to Paul Garner her local councillor,

Dear Councillor Garner,

We need more bins as a matter of urgency so we can recycle more and save our planet.  We need to recycle food, glass, garden waste and lots more for sustainability.  I want to breathe clean air and I want wildlife to be safe in their habitats.

 I expect you to consider my request.

Yours sincerely

Sally

One morning Sally saw a lorry arriving, she ran down the stairs and out of the front door to see what was being delivered.  To her amazement, four more bins came off of the lorry for every house in the street.  Sally was delighted!  She couldn’t believe that Councillor Garner had actually read her letter and took on board her suggestions.

She had more bins and more friends instantly! There was a brown bin which she called Bushy, a black bin that she nicknamed Banger, a grey bin that she called Grotty and finally, a purple bin that she named Precious. 

Sally no longer needed any more friends, she had everything she needed. She was going to breathe fresh air and animals would too.

Bob her brother was devastated when he saw more bins coming and couldn’t believe his eyes, how was he going to prank his sister with 6 bins?  He was either going to get caught or he was just going to have to recycle like her, “no chance” thought Bob,” I will find a way.”

Gooey and Basher told Bushy, Banger, Grotty and Precious how wonderful Sally was at recycling but how mean Bob was.  So the 6 bins put their bin lids together and came up with a plan. The next morning Bobs room was a rubbish dump, Mum said “if this isn’t clean by the time I am out of the shower, your X-Box will be removed forever!” 

Did he recycle?

(c) Grace Malcolm