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Died as it lived—in a second<br />
In a day she preserved it in formaldehyde<br />
A kangaroo’s foetus. Jellybean<br />
Marsupial that it was, or would have been<br />
If it had found its way to the pouch<br />
But in her largest jar, she kept her favourite<br />
Parents weren’t supposed to have favourites,<br />
But she only had one. What could she do?<br />
But nurture that vestigial son for forty years,<br />
And then nurture him still.<br />
A son who’d shared her blood and flesh<br />
For seven months, and then<br />
Wanted out, bloody<br />
Lungs too weak to cry<br />
Eyes too small to see<br />
Fingers too short to grasp<br />
Heart too still to beat.<br />
Judge’s Comment<br />
This is quite a shocking poem – which is a sign of its effectiveness. The<br />
poet conjures an image of this frightening, disturbing place, with the final<br />
sad, unsettling image, one the reader finds hard to put aside.<br />
Carter WARD, 13<br />
Maitland Christian School<br />
EAST MAITLAND NSW<br />
Forever<br />
Forever we remain oblivious to the future,<br />
lost to the past and enduring our torture.<br />
Forever we take chances to settle our scores,<br />
losing some battles and winning some wars.<br />
Forever..........<br />
Judge’s Comment<br />
A thought-provoking little poem. The final line leaves us hanging,<br />
effectively evoking the feeling of forever being unrelentless.
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