YOUNG poets from a Glasgow primary school have impressed King Charles and Queen Camilla with their work.
Yara Tadfi, Devon Wyer and Joseph Quail, who are all in P7 at Bankhead Primary, won Glasgow City Council’s Coronation poetry contest with ‘Our Saviour’, an emotional and hard-hitting work highlighting the climate crisis and the need to fund the NHS.
The three delighted pupils received a touching thank-you letter from Buckingham Palace, which read: “I can assure you that their Majesties were delighted to hear of the competition and of the time and effort taken to create such an inspirational poem, which highlights many important topics in such an optimistic and encouraging way."
The letter, from the Private Secretary’s office, continued: “The King and Queen wish me to pass on their warmest best wishes and congratulations once again to you and all of the pupils and staff at Bankhead Primary.”
Pupils in primaries four to seven across the city were asked to submit verses on the theme: “If I were King/Queen for a day…” as part of the city’s celebrations to mark the Coronation on May 6.
Yara, Devon and Joseph chose to send a strong message to the new king in their fantastic poem.
“If I ruled/ And made a promise for a single day/ The very first thing that would come to mind/ The first thing that I’d do/ Is to fund/ The ones that tackled the plethora of deadly Covid cases that spread like a loose wildfire/ The ones that came to save us/ When we needed them/ And feared for our lives/ All our loved ones/The NHS.
“If I ruled/ I’d prioritise awareness/ Show young and old/ How precious life is/ Educate on sustainability/ Protecting animals and habitats/ Leading to a better tomorrow.
“The future would be beautiful/The problems of the planet are real/ But together we can solve them/ With hope.”
Judges included Lord Provost Councillor Jacqueline McLaren, who is also the Lord Lieutenant of Glasgow (the King’s representative in the city) and Jim Carruth, Glasgow’s Poet Laureate.
The pupils also enjoyed a visit to the City Chambers where Councillor McLaren congratulated them on their success.
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