Here are the winning poems from Old Possum's Children's Poetry Competition 2008.

The poems are about the theme of 'work'. Why not read the poems? Aren't they great?

Winners in 7-8 age group, International Learners of English

When my Mom is Working
By Max Kondziolka, aged 8, from Ukraine.

What colour is a night?
What colour is a day?
Both are black
if my Mom is away.

I am just eight,
I am not ten,
But I understand
She has to work –
to provide the family well.

What colour is a day?
What colour is a night?
When my Mom comes back –
Both are bright.

Computer
By Cyril Kumaar, aged 8, from China.

I am a computer, I work too quick
E-mail and Internet, an easy click.
Tickety Tickety Tick
If you touch me, I’m so smooth,
If you punch me, I’ll blow
If you clean me, I’ll glow
I’m like your assistant.
When I’m happy, I give you a Beep
When something goes wrong, I go Boop.
That’s all I do.

A Fisherman’s Tale
By Sagnik Bhattacharya, aged 8, from India

There is a fisherman, who gets up at the crack of dawn.
Out of the house and on his lawn.
Feeds his goat,
And takes out his boat.
Watching the moon set –
In the lake he throws his net.
Hoping to get a fish,
Not to land on his dish,
But to sell it in the market.
Twelve fishes a day is his target.
All day he does sail
Come storm or hale.
Every day he gets only a pound,
But he does not complain or make a sound.
He returns home at seven,
Which is his heaven.
His wife gives him ale,
Listening to his morning’s tale.
Then on his rough hands she gives him a kiss
Although it smells only of fish.

Winners in 9-11 age group, International Learners of English

The Photographer
By Tudor Cristian Pop, aged 11, from Romania

The photographer takes photos,
Photos of animals:
A lion, a dog,
A tiger and a frog.

The little photographer
And the beautiful kids
Take photos
Of very old trees.

The photographer is at the seaside.
He sees a beautiful butterfly.
He takes a photo of the beach,
Then of a little red fish.

Wonder Child
By Aysesu Sicimoglu, aged 10, from Turkey

Ayhan works a lot,
In a repair work shop.
He doesn’t want to work,
He wants to play,
He wants to go to school.
He misses mum’s kisses,
In the morning.
Two little brothers he has.
He dreams of being the Captain of a very big ship.

The Bakers
By Tudor Frent, aged 10, from Romania

Bakers bake bread for people
Because people like fresh bread and cakes.
They wake up early in the morning
To knead the dough and make good bread.

It is very hot in the baker’s
It smells of vanilla and sugar.
The bakers sing while they knead,
Thinking of the joy of children.