With a focus on language arts in our curriculum, poetry contests are a good practice for our young creative minds. As a leading poetry contest, Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award is considered to be a prestigious prize for this art form. Since 2011, our boys have been entering this contest and have received the following honours:
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Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award 2022/2023
GOLD AWARD Keith Cheung 6B - The Spider's Will Orange-gold fireball sets, with bright rays from high, Stretching across the vast horizon, beautiful hues emerged. Dawn approaches, from the majestic, boundless sky. On a greenish frond, a tiny creature crawled, unobserved. Eight segmental legs expanded from its sternum, tickling. Silver strings spat out from spinnerets, the spinning nozzle. It scampered on the aspect by its tarsus, starting its craft-making. Dauntless, ignoring the obstructive impede and their jostle. Silk soared through air, as if the spider was knitting its raiment. It, carefully, danced on the magical lines of finesse. Gradually, it affixed the last bit, euphorically triumphant, Gazing at its paragon, it grinned celebrating success. A white stratified spider web formed by its perseverance. It was the masterpiece of its painstaking labour, The magnificent oeuvre of its perspiration and diligence, The diaphanous but inescapable insect-tangling saber. Flawlessly symmetrical, hexagonal-structured it was, As perfect and ideal as a mathematician's dreams, Its hardness, its firmness, its rigidity, all because Of the unique geometrical composition, supporting beams. As breezes of wind waved the withered leaves and gusted, The intrusive flare tattered the threadbare creation. The spider, powerless, fragments of the broken work scattered. The destroyer, now gone, leaving its brutal demolition. The spider didn't cease, remaking a stronger craftwork, As time flew, darkness to light, night to day. Strings overlapping strings, the artistic hexagon was done In an infrangible and impenetrable way. Not fearing the deadly attacks of the wind's fatality, Nor being washed away to nowhere by the deadly rain. Persistence, effort, determination and assiduity, The unbreakable web of strings it built and attained. The wind's smile pinned in the air, fazing. 'Not bad,' a breathless but vibrating howl popped, The spider sought a spot to rest, up gazing. Yet another turbulent troll, with gales, flocked. BRONZE AWARD Ethan Ngai 6E - The Calendar of Life His tiny paws struggled to open the door Of his beloved home, where he had a mutual feeling against. No matter what he did, the opening never had a bore. I protected him when danger came that I could sense. A smart pet he was, with talents of a different kind, But sadly, all he wanted to do was to open the cage. His tricks were deeply engraved in my mind. Then he played with his toys and got off his stage. One day I let him out and he was overjoyed, He leaped and span when he saw the great outdoors, And loved it dearly as I started to get annoyed, I gave him a sunflower seed when he missed the tours. After that experience he longed to get outside, His everwanting expression filled my inside with joy, And left me walking with a confident stride. He was always a good little boy. On a day I could never forget, He became ravenous like a beast and aggressive, With sharp claws that made people scream with regret. I decided to keep him in the house to stay passive. My parents sent him to the vet, And his spirit had weakened due to going out. It was a chilly day when he came back wet, And it was all my fault, no doubt. He departed the next day, A free spirit who loved to explore. The memory of him always made me feel gray. He was a great pet to the core. I missed him greatly more than ever And he was always a part of the family, Which would never change forever. Sadly, we couldn't avert this calamity. Cherish, pay attention, observe, Or it'll be gone with a blink of an eye, Which is impossible to preserve, So remember them before the end is nigh. Days of life are numbered without you knowing, Like a countdown, like a calendar hidden in mist. You never know when life will stop growing, Then wither, and dissolve according to the gods' checklist. Honourable Mention Eric Lai 6E - Treasure The winds swept across the deserted road. Withered leaves carried by the open hands of Mother Nature. A shadow crept across the hard concrete, As the heartless, ruff winds scraped her fur. The road was silent, only the howling wind was heard. Alone, fluffy paws absorbing the sounds she made. The hair, ginger and red, covered by coats of dust, Was dancing in the wind with her tail that swayed. Betrayal was way too much of an understatement, She had experienced much you don’t understand. The pain, was like blood, dripping from her wounds, Nonstop, incurable, as she sank into an endless quicksand. Soon, the sorrow turned into hatefulness, A feeling so strong she couldn’t outlast Seeking for revenge; she turned around, Facing the fear of many years past. Through the mist, a human shape formed. She tilted her head at the sight, confused. An awkward stare between her and the person lasted minutes, Before she inevitably grew bemused. I stepped out of the mist, sobbing, Kneeling down on the concrete road, alone. My hair messy with days of dirt and grime. Rivers formed from my eyes to my cheekbone. Gone, left, never coming back, The undeniable truth struck me like an unnoticing stab, Crumbled, like a rag doll, Needles fell from the heavens, engulfing me in their trap. Sometimes you never see the true value Of a moment until it becomes a memory. I used to see her as disposables, As only an accessory, Now I see her as jewels. Yet it was too late, lost, taken. So cherish your treasure, While it's still in your possession. |
YWPS Budding Poets (from left): Ethan Ngai, Eric Lai, Keith Cheung
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Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award 2021/2022
GOLD AWARD Ambrose Wong 6D - An Amazing Party Carrying my wonderful magic string, I jumped onto the somersault cloud with the spring That I borrowed from the Monkey King, Flying to the party which was in full swing. Righted myself, I landed at Pisa in a jiffy, Still feeling giddy and dizzy. Wait, I saw something defying gravity. It’s a tower leaning in reality. Eager to meet my passionate, persistent and pivotal friends, I left behind the tower and rushed to the hall’s ends, Wondering what things each genius recommends, Because I like closely following the latest trends. Admittedly, I was getting hungry, Wanting some food cooked by Gordon Ramsay. This time he roasted a duck with chilli and jelly. It’s crispy, spicy and extraordinary. To celebrate our party “Historic”, How could we miss out someone who’s terrific? What Mozart composed just now was not classic, But pop music with lyrics about the pandemic. I noticed Gauss and Einstein were not singing, But sitting in the corner and playing. As accurate as computing, as fast as lightning, They’re turning the Rubik's Cube with a view to winning. Van Gogh gave me his latest masterpiece, Which showed a majestic temple in Greece. He said it was once stolen by thieves, Who were just caught by the police. I asked Shakespeare to write about the temple, But he counter-proposed writing about Aristotle, Who was sitting at the bar table, The presence of both was a miracle. The party climaxed with Steve Jobs presenting the future traffic, Which was not only dynamic but also automatic. Together with my magnificent, marvellous and miraculous magic, All the audience said that it was absolutely fantastic. Yet, they all had the same question about the gala, Asking why these great men were here. Oh, my dear! Look at the first letter of each stanza! SILVER AWARD Roderick Yuen 5A - All Around Us I am surfing on a divine wind aimlessly, Viewing the scenery with a bamboozled gaze. Why am I here? Where is this place? I gape at the greenery inquisitively. Appearing, frolicking children in their merriment, Whose laughter echoes, echoes, in the air. They battle with sticks and marbles in pairs. Their twinkling smiles are full of the simplest enjoyment. “Let’s create more games with these sticks!” The children sow their seeds of imagination ardently, The seeds sprout – how lovely! How lively! Marveling at unremarkable sticks - me when I was six. Creativity is always there, sneaking into our feelings, Perhaps it is in the birds’ blithe cheeping, Perhaps it is in the leaves’ effervescent dancing, Perhaps it is in the lake’s tranquil rippling. I drift to the past and meet a hall of faces, all famous, Gleaming with the brilliant glimmer Of their ideas that led the world to be brighter. Mozart, Shakespeare, Hawking, C. S. Lewis… The symphony of thoughts in their mind steals my soul. In one is a void of nothingness – a black hole! In another is a phenomenal literary masterpiece – Othello! Their timeless brainchildren, sparks starting to grow and glow. Memories wash over as eagles swoop by, Of a bird wishing to be as free as eagles, Bound to his comfort-tree by his own shackles. Time flies and he lost his innate talent to fly high. He could only look on as the eagles soared, Deeply saddened. Stirring from a deep sleep, my mind fountained. The sight of a branch strikes a chord - The unremarkable sticks I marveled at as a child. The spark lit blossoms in everyone’s heart, treasured, Simple scintillations evoke tides of pleasure, My unseeing eyes can see a million miles. All around us in the hazy sky, Rived open, is the panorama of stars. Ascend beyond my confining cocoon and leave the caterpillar; Reincarnate as the vibrant, spectacular butterfly. Honourable Mention Horace Chan 6A - What the Lies Will Do There was a kid who told tons of falsehoods. He lied to all the people all for his own good. He played with his brother’s model in his room And he knocked it to the floor. He was doomed. The kid did not want to let others know That he broke his brother’s model with a blow. He wanted to get rid of this severe trouble, So he decided to lie (Well, he'd make it double). When his mum and brother went inside, They looked at the debris, very petrified. “Oh my goodness!” they both shouted out. “Horace, what on earth is this all about?” “I don’t know,” the kid shrugged when replying. But his mum just knew that he was lying. “Lying,” she said, “is never, ever fun.” “Tell us what you have really done.” However, the kid still refused to confess That he was the one who made the mess. “If,” his mum said, “you don’t tell the truth,” “I’ll be really hitting the roof!” The kid had finally admitted. But he could never play, not even a bit. The kid then let out a very loud “No!” However it’s the outcome, he should know. His brother laughed. Actually he had a plot. Before the lie he had already thought, "I'll break the model and lay the blame On that silly kid, which Horace's his name." He was happy with what the kid got. However in his heart he deeply thought, “What have I done? Why should I even make My brother unhappy, for goodness sake?" Knowing his model-breaking plan’s a mistake, He told his mum all the real and the fake. Then he said, "Brother, I have been so bad." “I’m very sorry for making you that sad.” However, it's only silence that remained, And nothing that the brothers have gained. If not of the lie, that avoidable cause, They wouldn’t have suffered from that loss. Honourable Mention Edgar Tsang 6B - Truth and Lies There was first a sound, as if a meteoroid had hit the ground. Or as if all the drums had started playing. Then the haze started clearing, and I was formed. A few hundred millions of years had gone, after which, the lone creatures started prowling the world, at first, all was well, but then the Lies unfurled. Truth was locked up by the malicious Lies, who was taken by surprise. He had never thought that humans were deceitful. He never thought that humans were untruthful. Sadly, they were. But, why, oh, why? Why would humans lie? The cause is none other than their self-centeredness. Humans created Lies due to their thoughtlessness. Lies were produced by mankind. They imprisoned Truth in the most discouraging place they could find. Nowhere else than the dark side of the moon, Truth thought this was his doom. Day by day went past. Truth remained aghast. Who knew this would happen to him? It seemed like a long and atrocious dream. Another million years passed by, and God descended from the sky. He gave the liars what they deserved, then saved Truth from where he was preserved. This brought light to the sky, who wanted to cry. Alas, all was fine from then on. But I, the Earth, hope this could remain for long. |
YWPS Budding Poets (from left): Ambrose Wong, Roderick Yuen, Horace Chan, Edgar Tsang
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2017/2018 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
GOLD AWARD Yiding Song 6C - Curse of Existence Journey beyond the countless galaxies, and walk beyond stardust. You would arrive to see valleys, seas, and machines starting to rust. These all belong to one crystal, turning itself slowly. No one would deny that it’s beautiful; it radiates power calmly. We, too, belong to this blue spark, in a sea of infinite lights. Do we exist to leave a mark, or just to spend endless nights? We gaze, we ponder, at the skies of stars at night; we think, we wonder, if understand the cosmos we might? Does the universe have boundaries? If so, what’s outside? Does every star have histories, unknown, yet contained inside? We came from stardust, and back there we go. Is our existence a must, or will we ever know? Fires raging across the world, with acidic-smoke-stuffed shelves. Burning over this blue emerald, are we here to destroy ourselves? The Earth and us,all ashes, among the infinity of the stars. Yet it's part of our life's paces, to forge through our existence's curse afar. |
Dr Lee and Yiding at the ceremony
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2016/2017 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
COMMENDATION & POET OF THE SCHOOL Matthew Chan 6E - Totally Christmas-ty! Come on, we must celebrate with might, Christ is born, glittering with sincere light! Christmas feelings whipped all over the city in bright. Ho ho ho! Santa would say, Here are all the presents, hurray! He will arrive with the stylish sleigh. Rock'n roll, that's cool with the snow, Ripping all the presents like an unboxing show, Rapping happily as the big winds blow. I would be so overwhelmed by the decorations, Impressed by instrumental insights over the nation, Interested by all my different observations. Silently, we waited for our saviour, Secretly born in a peaceful chamber, Sweetly sleeping in the hay-crafted carrier. Towards a better life with him, 'Twas because He saved us all from sin, The totally holy festival continued with us singing hymns. Magical night, quietly approaching, Making the people excited with the partying, Mass number of citizens blown away by celebrating. A unique day mingled with silence and joy, Above the skies there sat a holy boy, And that's the reason of why we enjoy. So what are you waiting for? Seasons greetings delivered right at your door, Saviour of ours is who we adore! |
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2015/2016 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
COMMENDATION, POET OF THE SCHOOL & BEST IMPROVISER OF THE YEAR Au Ting Hei Oscar 6B - Memory Rises As I stared at the eyes of my friend blankly Memories kept replaying continuously Palettes of tunes flooded into my mind Refreshing my brain from behind The scorching sun emanated warmth to beyond Embracing the land as if sharing a bond The sparkling butterflies glistened in the sunlight Rainbow of colours shimmered from dark to bright A smile shone filled with pride With a truthful friend side by side Sweat was rolling down our cheeks so red Without any plausible sign of dread Dashing across the green fields As a magical connection gradually builds Our souls soared up into the endless sky and galloped on the clouds up high Lying in beds of flowers We stayed still for several hours As aroma wafted into my nose A bond in our hearts arose and flowed Overlooking the spectacular view on a hill Nothing budged except for the chill Holding hands as we chimed a rhyme Lost in the tracks of time The scene was interfered As a white and pale face appeared Embracing me for the very last time He reluctantly said goodbye... As I stared at the eyes of my dead friend It whirled me into galaxies hard to comprehend Then an image started to bloom like a flower Engraved in the universe, a hidden treasure We were seen chasing each other in such harmony as if I were his brother Smiles were seen through my damp eyes As my courage and sense gradually rise Though my friend has left me forever There will always be an endless gleaming river Flowing gently in our hearts Reflecting our memory as it once again starts |
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2012/2013 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
MERIT Marco Yu 6C - Animals of the Frozen North First memories of the warm den, A cave scooped deep down the snow, Polar bear cub snuggled closely to his mother, All through the long grey northern winter. Dawn of a day, golden beam of the sky, The furry family stretched their bodies, spread around the cold, and snatched, tunneled out for food through the soft snow. A snowy owl flew by on silent wings, A fluffy white hare with bobble tails ran off. Mother bear growled at a white-teeth fox The cub bear stumbled in surprise. Walking towards the sea, Sniffed salty smell in the air. They heard the loud cries of the seabirds In a distance, a great whale spouted. A hole in the ice for catching seals. Mother bear looked for food, cub bear waited. Suddenly, a seal poked its head up through a hole, The astonished cub bear could not think what to do. The seal vanished quickly under the ice again. No supper! Cub bear trotted quietly after its mother. Crouched lowly on the ice, mother watched a seals’ bask. Cub bear explored around an icy rocky hill. Wow! A walrus of huge white tusks appeared. Cub bear ran in fright! The paper-thin ice Moving beneath, floating towards the sea, Stranding on an iceberg! A cry thundered. Shaking their coats, getting rid of water, New shapes gathered among the floes. Hunters in their boats, petrified. They sailed backwards leaving the Frozen North. Wildlife and humans first had a harmonic ensemble; now a rival. Yet, climate changes, animals struggled for survival. Keep a balance, build a future, Human needs are mingled in harmony with nature. |
Marco's certificate
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2011/2012 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
FIRST RUNNER-UP & POET OF THE SCHOOL Ho Yan Mong John 6A - A Day In the still road, the first bus’s wheels spin, Kids slide out the bus, Some are showing their uvulas, Some are wandering in “Wonderland”. The principal stretches her mouth, Teachers wave to them. Janitors point thermometer guns at their foreheads. Prefects look at them from head to toe. Then…cars honk others, Students push through pedestrians. Students go to the learning Island in lines, Others go up like birds in the sky. Some find ways through sea of people. Prefects open their mouth wide, Grab their shirts, and yell “Stop!” Echoes of giggles fill every corner. A P.1 boy checks his bag every two steps. Some want to see who’s faster, his friend or him, But are caught red-handed by a fierce prefect. The classroom is filled with laughter and happiness, Class clowns are ready for their shows, Classmates are buying tickets for the show, They are all flying freely. Ring a bing! It’s half past eight! Learning time! The boss starts to boss, The classroom is a museum, Students put their noses in books, Naughty ones whisper. A teacher stands in front of them, pointing at words. A PowerPoint appears behind. Some feel bored, And decide to talk. One throws a paper plane with his name on, Clever ones answer questions with their hands straight up in the air, One begs for a toilet break. Ring a bing! Again the bell rings! Students scream for delightfulness, Snacks appear on their hands. Some beg for one, Some beg for all, But some have none. Card games, chess games, all sort of games. The unfortunate ones read aloud in the hall! Ping a pong! A table-tennis match has just begun! Ring a bing! Again the bell rings! Students put their noses in books, Naughty ones whisper. A teacher walks in between rows, pointing at pictures. White words appear on blackboard behind. Many feel bored, And decide to talk. Two throws a paper plane with their names on, Clever ones answer questions with their hands straight up in the air, Two begs for a toilet break. Ring a bing! Again the bell rings! Everyone quickly packs their things, it’s the end of the school today. Students hurriedly write on their handbooks. Students stuff things in bags. They line up to their parents Some shows their uvulas, Some are still wandering in “Wonderland”. MERIT Huang Chak Hei Ocean 4D - A Nightmare with a Madly Mammoth Musty Beast It was half past midnight, So dark except for the moonlight. I had a horrifying, hair-raising nightmare. Ghastly ghosts were dangling in the air And glaring phantoms were wriggling everywhere. The wind wailed in the wild wistfully. I saw a madly mammoth musty beast Which was as enormous as a mountain at least. It was fantastically fabulously famished. It chased me down. I tripped over a stone and fell onto the ground. I screamed from fright. I fainted and could not fight. I trembled frantically. I wanted to resist daringly. Suddenly, the beast vanished in the air miraculously. A stream of tide threw me up. I was a pup splashing around in an extraordinary tub. Then a beam of light woke me up-- I found myself stuck in my bed like a foolish dub. My mum gave me a big warm hug. I grinned at her with a gleeful mug! Poon Kwok Hang Henry 4C - Nightmare in a Spooky Place I dreamed that I arrived in a spooky place, As I walked in, a ghoulish ghost began to chase. It chased me as fast as a leopard, all the way to a farm, I wondered if it wanted to do me any harm. Suddenly, I glanced at its devilish face, It seemed to want my blood for a taste. I heard a loud scream coming from a room, There emerged something bright out of a tomb. Bright as the sun, Even the ghost was stunned. I walked towards the light, And it became increasingly bright, The light became brighter and brighter and I couldn’t see, Even the ghost was no longer with me. I heard a loud bang which sounded like a warning, The last thing I heard was “Good-morning”. Tang Cheuk Sang Steve 4A - I Wish I would Be... I wish to be a marvelous medicine, To free sick people from pain inside. Lighting up their life, And give them sunshine. I wish to be a silly raindrop, To irrigate the arid land with a plop. Making joke sometimes shouldn’t be stopped-- To soak a lady’s top! I wish to be the tiniest micro-organism—Euglena[1]! To be as green and bright as a perfect pea. Being a new foodstuff for all who starve, And save the whole world with a laugh. I wish to be “A wish for everyone”, To help them solve their very own problems. Bringing peace in their soul, And be unique and never grow old! [1] Euglena—A common unicellular alga of freshwater ponds. COMMENDATION Cheung Tak Hei Felix 4C - Children in Four Seasons Don’t just ask children what they’ve learnt today, Sit beside them and listen to what they say. Instead of attending after school lessons, Children enjoy doing silly things in different seasons. In spring, they like singing in the rain, Or go cycling down the muddy lane. In summer, they enjoy swimming in the red hot sun, And spend the whole day with friends having fun. In fall, they like flying kites at the countryside, Or go to the playground and play swing and slide. In winter, they enjoy making snowmen and snowballs, And go skiing or snowboarding when snowflakes fall. Don’t just force children to read textbooks, They want to go outside and take a look. They may be lawyers, doctors or bankers someday, But today, they are just children and need to have time to play. |
Five awardees from left: John Ho 6A, Ocean Huang 4D, Felix Cheung 4C, Steve Tang 4A, Henry Poon 4C, with English teachers
Henry Poon 4C with parents
Felix Cheung 4C with parents and English teacher
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2010/2011 Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award
MERIT & BEST IMPROVISER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Cheung 6C - Melody of a Normal Holiday No more “sit down boys!” No more “stop playing with toys!” The school bell has stopped And the school gate is locked. *** Today I woke up early So I’m still drowsy. The air blows into my eyeball Out of the window is a glistening fireball. The azure canvas moving smoothly; The niveous marshmallows wandering slowly. Kids springing with sounds, “Ha, ha, ha, ha, yeah!” Children gazing around. Branches trembling their wrists rapidly; Flowers twisting their bodies carefully. I hit the ball with all my might And toss it into the basket in my sight. Some furry creatures start yelping; Their masters start strolling. I continue to go jogging on the playground, Passing over a grey adorable hound. *** Then the rain dashes down. Huge, huge raindrops, “Sssss…cling clang…” So everyone stops. I don’t want to have a shower outside. Immediately I go home to hide. *** I lay on the puffy fluffy bed And open my mouth and say “Good night, mummy!” “Have a good sleep, daddy!” I stare at the round amber wheel’s light beam, Entering the village of dream… *** Waiting for the new day’s song, The melody of the holiday still goes on… POET OF THE SCHOOL Enoch Kao 6D - Four Mysterious Seasons The grass grows green that I have never seen. The birds sing blissfully, when the river dances joyfully. The butterflies fly in pairs that excites the woken bears. The flowers look colourful that puzzle the rainbow. A season filled with fantastic things -- That is Spring. The bees buzz ecstatically, the flowers peep secretly. The seas look up to the sky that makes the clouds a bit shy. The sun glazes at the ocean where we find the moon’s cool reflection. The rain paddles on the arid ground that makes a dash sizzling sound. A season with a character -- That is Summer. The wind puffs the thirsty trees and leaves turn into golden sleeves. The grey clouds are heading home that makes the blue sky stay alone. The hairy squirrels gather nuts that the bald trees become huge nut huts. The cubs are getting playfully tired and the forest is a cosy place to hide. A season with such a changing momentum -- That is Autumn. The trees shiver in the hysterical gale, That Spring, Summer, and Autumn are just fairytales. The rivers are sealed with glassy ice in which white is the only colour in sight. The snakes hide inside their deep buried burrow, and lone wolves are the only friends of snow. The feathery snowflakes float in the icy air, and the world looks like a quiet fair — A season with wonders, That is Winter. |
Jeremy Cheung 6C (left) and Enoch Kao 6D with their teacher and trophies
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