The lamp post
by Katherine Sit, Tintern Grammar
Years 5 – 6 Written Poetry Finalist
The lamp post
The lamp post stands beside the road,
half covered by weeds.
Its green paint is peeling,
and there are a few bird droppings on top.
It looks old, but it still works.
Rain falls onto the street,
and the lamp makes everything yellow.
The road is covered in puddles,
which shake whenever a car drives past.
People walk underneath it,
trying not to get wet.
Some have umbrellas,
while others just pull their jackets over their heads.
The lamp post sees them all.
It sees people going to work,
kids running home,
and people waiting for the bus.
Sometimes they stop underneath it
because it is one of the only bright places on the street.
One rainy night,
a girl stood there alone.
She kept looking at her phone,
then looking down the road.
She waited for a long time.
Eventually, she put her phone away
and walked home.
The lamp post stayed where it was,
watching her disappear around the corner.
Later, the street became quiet.
The rain got lighter,
and there were no more footsteps.
The lamp stayed on.
It didn’t know where everyone was going,
or why they left.
It only knew that every night,
people came and went.
And every night,
it was still there.
How did writing this poem make you feel?
Excited, happy and sad.
Which single line in your poem are you the absolute proudest of?
My most proud/favourite line in my poem is ‘The lamp stayed on because it shows how the lamp post stays there for everything that passes it, but gets ignored’.
Describe your poem in three words
Lonely, gloomy, ignored.
Where is your absolute favourite place to sit when you are brainstorming ideas?
I like sitting at a desk when brainstorming because I am more focused when I’m sitting at desk.
What skills do you think you strengthened through writing this poem?
I became more imaginative.
Why do you think people write poetry?
To express themself and enjoy their life.