Wednesday 10 November 2010 Mia Ottman, a Y10 student at The Grammar School at Leeds , has won a national poetry competition for her poem on the subject of home. The 14-year-old penned Home Under Stress for a competition featured in the Young Times section of The Times newspaper to celebrate National Poetry Day. As a starting point entrants were asked to use one of four first lines on the theme of home written by award winning poet Daljit Nagra. Nagra, who judged the competition, congratulated all the entrants for the high standard of their poetry and said that it was pleasing to see young people engaging so wisely with their imaginations. He particularly praised Mia’s poem for its ‘playful use of simple and complex language’. For Mia, winning was a dream come true. She said: “It is fantastic to get such positive feedback. Winning has spurred me on to write more poetry.” Mia’s poem is reproduced below. Home Under Stress When the plug leaped out of the wall It did so in despair, And the anxious TV stopped its frantic flickering. The impression of the argument weighted heavily on the sofa Whilst the telephone anticipated rings of reconciliation. The cup gnawed at its chipped lip, expectant. The kettle suppressed an embarrassed bubble, Tension compelled it to let off steam. The clock, registered its alarm with frenzied beeps And the tap lost control, Let out a trickle. The fridge’s fragile stomach heaved, Catapulting the remains of last night’s dinner. Desperate to pacify, the vacuum cleaner hyperventilated. It looked to the mirror, who reflected on the situation, “Let the dust settle”, it said. Senior School News
