Best student remix entry, sponsored by DigitalNZ

"War Drums", by Carys Goodwin

A thousand tiny needles
Would be relief
Like a cool rain landing on scorched earth
Instead of the heavy thud –
War drums, rhythmic and strong
Men's voices rumbling

Hands clenched tight
The shape of their strong bare feet
Sending vibrations upwards
A haze of dust and sweat and sand
As the sun; bright, white light
Spreads across the dull landscape

I collapse, enveloped in the heavy duvet
Shivering from the cold sweat
My toes numb, pressed against the wooden edge
Straining against the intended confines

A prison inside my place of peace
Pressure from within
Until the explosion sends tiny shards –
The broken pane of an angry home
The pounding between my temples
Like the war drums, rhythmic and strong,
Of a thousand rumbling soldiers

Description and content sources

This poem is essentially about a headache. I had one at the time of writing it. I feel the interpretation should be individual to each person reading it, so I'm not going to go into detail about the deep 'meaning' behind the poem.

The entry used set 3 of the words provided by the Poet Laureate - hand shape intention between

Judges’ comments

This poem vividly summons the feeling of a particular kind of headache. The words from the set - hand shape intention between - are seamlessly integrated into a story told in well rendered images. A creative, skillful work that moves well beyond the obvious.

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  Best school student remix entry

  Awarded to the best entry from primary or secondary students. The winning entry will receive a MinoHD Flip video camera.