A BUDDING young lyricist who took her inspiration from John Lennon has won a national poetry competition with her ode to peace.
Shreya Hegde, 11, won the National Schools’ Poetry Competition with her poem Imagine Peace.
The Rugby High School pupil wowed the judges – including William Blake Society chair Tim Heath, Brenda Emmanus OBE, and the competition’s founder, singer-songwriter Tally Koren – who all chose the poem as their favourite from hundreds in the age category 7-12.
Tally said: “Imagine by John Lennon will always be one of my favourite songs, but when I read Imagine Peace, it was so refreshing to have a song inspired by the original, yet so relevant now – and with the voice of the young generation.”
Shreya made it through to the final after winning the Rugby heat of the competition at the Benn Partnership Centre at the Vision of Hope festival last November.
Her winning words will be turned into a song, and she will receive her award at a special House of Lords event hosted by Lord Eames later this year.
Visit http://thenationalschoolspoetrycompetition.com for more information on the competition.
Imagine Peace
By Shreya Hegde
Imagine if…
We throw praises,
Instead of knives.
We hurl hugs
instead of abuses.
We light fireworks,
instead of bombs,
what a wonderful world it would be!!
Imagine if…
the fragrance of roses
replaces poverty,
rainbows can shelter
homeless souls,
we can all be guardians
to orphaned children,
what a wonderful world it would be!!
Imagine if…
we open the gates,
not close borders,
we embrace differences,
not shrug them away,
we see colours as shades,
not as skin tones,
what a wonderful world it would be!!
Imagine if…
the spirit of chaos
entwining the world
in its vice-like grip
….does harmony rip,
and friendship permeates all nations,
What a peaceful world it would be!!
