lightfast, pair, hold, justice, endure

Here are our entries for the 2025 Given Word Poetry Competition. All our poems had to include the five given words: lightfast, pair, hold, justice, endure. See if you can spot them!

 

She Left

We were a perfect pair
We held hands to withstand our despair
She sought justice for our
            friendship
Walked in sync to endure
            our hardship
We were like lightfast fabric
            a bond that never fades
Tears fell under the shade
She was like a sister to me
            we skipped around carefree
On my own now, she found
            a new friend
I guess its just me now
            until the very end…

Ila Rutherfurd

The Pain Experience

I endure this pain
and cry out for justice.
I lost to a game,
holding my lightfast ball.
As I suffer from losing,
sitting alone with my hope
strip off my pair of shoes
and start to give up,
tears well up in my eyes.

Jharred Jacinto

22 February 2011 12:59pm

as I hold time between my palms 

I take a look around

these houses were built to endure centuries

but now they're torn to the ground

a pair of tears rolls down my cheek

I thought I was lightfast, indestructible

but now,

I’m lost

justice slips off of me like a stick of butter

Daisy Forster

Grandad, listen 

Grandad, hold your breath 

Grandad, pair your shoes 

Grandad, endure your justice 

Grandad, listen to me from the heavens

Lightfast hair never fades in the sun

Brodie Morris

The fear of losing

The laughter echoes, a lightfast melody,

in the chambers of my heart, eternally.

As I endure the hardship of grief, 

as I hold onto your ashes

I walk in the ripples of the ocean

thinking of your favourite spot to sit.

A pair of seagulls dive into the shining water

the birds fight for justice 

just like you.

 

Sankalpa Poudel 

 

Year 4 Given Word Poems

Enjoy these Given Word Poems from our Year 4 students. I think they did an amazing job of getting all five of the Given words in their poems! Look out for them: feather, eat, time, whisper, phantasmagoria.

Beach Dreams

I hear the waves calling me

while I look 

for a phantasmagoria 

of rainbow feathers, 

gold and magic shells

buried in the smooth sand

I watch

a baby seagull

eat a sandwich

I look at the time

wow!

it’s already 1pm

I hear a whisper

coming from far away, out in

the ocean

I wonder

what it’s saying?

Hmmm . . . maybe it’s saying

there’s more treasure in there?

by Bridget I.

The Sun and the Moon

A bright moon starts to appear

in the dark sky

when the phantasmagoria

hits my eyes

and the whisper smacks

the drum of my ear

time ticks

almost time to go home

going home in the shiny car

when we arrive

I eat cereal

then tuck into bed

lie down on the duck feather pillow

I wake up and look outside

for the moon

but why is it not there?

by Ella K.

Phantasmagoria

Beach Day

I hear the waves whisper to me

I see my friends eating a vanilla ice cream

from mr whippy’s van

I stare at the time while it hits nine

I find a girl with a phantasmagoria of shells,

silver and gold,

feathers and dusty autumn leaves

I feel the sand touch my feet

as the waves come crashing to me

I start to wobble

I tumble on my knees

while a crab as red as fire

pinches my feet

I see a seagull munching

on my friend’s ice cream

Bridget screams, Ahhh!

I shoo the seagull away to the bridge

but . . . where did that crab go?

by Celia A.

At the Scary Restaurant

It’s time to eat dinner

at the fancy diner.

The whisper of the wind 

blew a duck feather in.

The diner ghosted me

on the leather seat,

if felt like phantasmagoria

while I was eating.

Is this a dream?

Or a nightmare?

by Maggie M.

The Shadow

Panting,

Hoping for

A glass of water and something to eat,

Night comes

To an end, just a dream, but

A tree crates an unusual

Shadow one

Moment in time,

A dark feather like shape

Growls, and I whisper, hello?

Only

Roxy,

I laugh

As my ginger puppy jumps on me!

by Thomas C.

The Secret

I wake up to my orange clock

the time is 8 o’clock

I hear the chime

I go downstairs to eat.

My friend 

whispers me a secret

I gasp.

my baby brother finds a feather,

black and white,

it tickles

my nose.

I felt a phantasmagoria

of emotion 

come to me and then

vanish.

by Thomas C.

More Given Word Poems

Here are a few more poems written for the Given Word Poetry Competition, from our senior poets. See if you can spot all five of the Given Words, which had to be included: feather, whisper, time, eat, PHANTASMAGORIA.

                                      

Titanic

I look up at the ship of dreams

or is it just a 

phantasmagoria

Is it there – but I can hear the 

whispers of excitement 

ladies wearing feather and tulle hats  

and leather shoes stomping around

I look at my ticket then check the time

should I go on – or go to

The Grapes

to grab something to

eat,

or maybe a final drink?

By Daisy

The Beach is a Phantasmagoria

The beach is a phantasmagoria,

a fantastic fantasy in an auditorium. 

As the waves eat at the sand 

I hear a faint whisper 

almost like my elder sister. 

Time is flying fast now

although I don't know how. 

As a feather brushes past my nose 

I forget all my foes. 

The perfect place to start from scratch

as I look over my shoulder 

at the joyful bach.

It's easy to stay but hard to go . . . 

By: Mila C

Hallucination

Phantoms

Hovering

Above

New Zealand

The wind whispers like 

A

Snake as it eats 

Mice one

At a time,

Griffins with golden feathers swoop down,

Orcas 

Racing

In the crashing waves 

At the beach

by Perez S

PHANTASMAGORIA AT THE GOLF COURSE

Purple dazzling feathers

Happily falling from the
Aquarium roof in the
Night sky
Ticking off time
As we eat
Spinach with a lovely scent of
Mild mint sauce, all
At the
Golf course cafe
Observing every little thing while my dad is
Racing my sister
In
A one hundred metre spring race

by Brodie M

 

As Night Ate the Day

As night ate the day

And the sun went away,

While looking up there

In the world where,

I remember a story

In my history.

Where stars twinkle and dance

I hear a whisper

with my lovely sister,

We’re having a magical time

We feel like birds in warm feathers

in a phantasmagoria dream

by Victoria K

A Phantasmagoria of Poems

Enjoy these poems by our year 5 and 6 students, written for the Given Word Poetry challenge. Each poem had to contain the words: feather, whisper, time, eat, phantasmagoria.

Grandpa’s House

In the small house:

a phantasmagoria of feathers,

rocks, marbles and . . . 

a little whispering sound

I look around

but there is only a small mouse

eating a piece of cheese

Suddenly, 

I hear a laugh – 

By the time I turn

in the doorway 

stands Grandpa

He smiles 

and gives me a marble

with a rainbow inside

by Charlotte L.

Friendship

a noisy seagull flies over 

me and my friend

and drops a pink feather

we collect

a phantasmagoria of shells

shaped like animals and letters

‘Smores!’ my mum calls

time to eat

as we watch the sunset

we whisper quietly 

to each other

saying, ‘it’s pink like a flamingo’

we hear the ocean

splashing on the 

golden sand

by Phoebe I

My Pop’s Garage!

Spiderwebs surround the jars and roof

a phantasmagoria of stuff

an old car from 1939

rusted and broken

dusty furniture

rickety, antique

the garage door rattles

when opened or closed

feeling like I’m not alone 

the time ticks by . . . 

as I stumble over

I come to a book 

filled with unique feathers and

birds eating chips on the beach

a squeaky door with a rusty handle

a rusty, old bicycle with scratched paint

old crutches that I love to play on

and the wind whispers 

and bounces off the the roof

by Lily S.

Phantasmagoria Nightmares

In my room with my cat 

I hear the shadows whispering to me

I look at the time

I see it’s twelve o’clock

then I remember I haven't eaten my dinner

I clutch my dream catcher with its dove feathers

hoping that this nightmare would end

I hear scratching on the door

my doorknob creaks 

and the door opens 

I see two shadowy brown eyes

I blink twice

then a black cat jumps on my bed 

I fall off my bed and I wonder 

if it was reality or a phantasmagoria?

by Vinnie HL

The Phantasmagoria Box

a piglet with a spotted scarf

a little white pot

a mini book with a yellow dragon on the cover

a squishy globe 

a glass candy ornament with blue stripes

a grey shiny sticker, soft as a feather

a red paintbrush

a silver pirate ring with an eye patch

which whispers to me

a gold bell that rings – time to eat

a big black button with four holes

and a phantasmagoria of spiders

by Mila-Rose R.

The Swimming Pool | by Aiden W

 

Phantasmagoria | by Ella K

 

My Grandad is a Wizard | by Bhaarati

 

Bhaarati | Published Prizewinning Poet!

Our Russley Writers' Club students worked incredibly hard on their entries for the Given Words Poetry Competition. Their poems had to include the five 'given words': feather, whisper, eat, time, phantasmagoria. We were beyond excited to learn the results of the Given Words Poetry Competition this morning.

There were 250 entries for the Poetry Competition and the judges awarded one winner in the adult's category, a winner in the Under 16 Category and one Special Mention.

The Special Mention was awarded to one of our Russley Writers, Bhaarati Sharma, for her poem My Grandad is a Wizard. Congratulations Bhaarati, on this fabulous achievement!

The winning poems and a selection of judge's picks have been published on the Given Words website. The winners will also receive books courtesy of The Cuba Press and Massey University Press. 

Another two Russley Writer's Club authors also had their poems selected to be published on the website: Ella Kang for her poem titled Phantasmagoria and Aiden Wong for The Swimming Pool.

You can read Bhaarati's poem and the judge's comments here and read Ella's poem along with other selected Under 16 entries here. 

Well done to everyone for having the courage to take the leap and enter! 

Given Word Poetry Wall

Earlier this term, our Russley Writers created some poems for the Given Word Poetry Competition,  

The poems had to include all five given words. The words were: feather, whisper, time, eat and phantasmagoria. Some of our students were involved in the choosing of the words and helped to create the promotional video for the competition. (See link below).

We explored the meanings of each of the words and went on a hunt for imaginative connections, rhymes, alliteration and synonyms. We played with free verse, rhythm and rhyme and acrostic poems. 

Even though the challenge seemed too tricky at first, every student created a poem and managed to include all five of the given words -- yes, even phantasmagoria!

The best part was seeing them all typed up, sharing them with each other and then . . . sending our poems to Spain!  Charles Olsen, the organiser of the competition (and one of the judges) is based in Spain. All of our students were super excited about their writing being read by a poetry expert on the other side of the world.

There were over 200 poems entered, so I'm sure our writers faced some very tough competition. We look forward to reading the results when they are announced in the coming days. 

In the meantime, you can pop into the Russley Writers' Club room and read all our poems on the 'Given Word' Poetry Wall! (I've already seen some junior students studying the wall closely, sounding out 'whisper' and 'phantasmagoria'!)

Click HERE to watch Given Word Video