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Jackie Kay MBE, National Poet Laureate of Scotland, Commends Year 12 Poet, Evelyn Byrne’s, Sparkling Composition

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Poets are generally private individuals whose pens itch in the darkness of their own seclusion. But just occasionally they erupt, sharing the beauty and power of their craft with the wider world. Year 12 poet, Evelyn Byrne has done just that and in doing so has caught the eye of Scottish Poet Laureate, Jackie Kay.

Evelyn’s poem, ‘Diamonds’ was submitted with thousands of others to The Poetry Society’s annual Foyle Young Poets competition. Hers has been ‘commended’ by judges Jackie Kay and Raymond Antrobus and will be published in the Foyle Young Poets Anthology in 2020.

In addition to this public accolade Evelyn will receive a year’s membership to The Poetry Society as well as a number of other smaller prizes. This is a terrific achievement and testament to the quality of this student’s writing ability.

Evelyn, who also co-runs SGGS’s Young Writers Club, continues to be a keen writer in her spare time. She is especially fascinated in the genre of poetry and we look forward to seeing more of her work this year.

Ms Litterick, Head of English

 

 

Diamonds 

by Evelyn Byrne 

 

The fish ate the diamond,

ate the pearl, and the pearl became its eye,

which gleamed in the sunlight

as its rays rippled through the sea.

But then the fish became woman and 

she crawled her way to shore 

where they told her you can eat fish eyes.

 

So fish-woman cut out her own eye 

and ate it. Thus she couldn’t see or

breathe anymore but instead saw

the future where her eye became pearl,

became diamond again.

Her eye-diamond sliced open her stomach

and fish-woman began to bleed.

 

She bled until she wasn't woman anymore,

just fish, and fish was caught.

Gutted by monger who found 

that her stomach held another fish,

with milky white eyes and pearly tears

which fish-woman had once swallowed down.

They tossed her body back into the sea.