Two primary school poets from Lochaber have shown their emotional language skills by winning the English and Gaelic sections of the High Life Highland Countryside Rangers Wildflower Poetry Competition.
In a competition that encouraged flowery language, Jasmine King of Morar took the English title, while Acharacle’s Eilidh MacKay took the Gaelic crown.
Jasmine’s Song of the Wildflowers, which describes the pink and purples of Scottish landscapes with a mixture of melancholy and beauty, impressed judges Rona Macfarlane and Pamela Sutherland, horticultural trainer and head gardener respectively at Inverness Botanic Gardens.
“Jasmine’s poem was so evocative of the Scottish Highland’s beautiful landscapes and native flowers. The writing flowed easily, naturally, and painted a wonderfully sensory image using simple but effective language. Well done!” Pamela said.
Rona added: “Jasmine’s evocative poem stirs memories of the beauty and peace of the North West Highlands, giving voice to the native flora and fauna we can be guilty of taking for granted. All of the judges were very impressed by Jasmine’s ability to paint a landscape with her words.”
Gaelic language judge Anna Stewart, also a horticultural trainer at Inverness Botanic Gardens, saw the spirit of the romanticism in Eilidh’s winning entry, Flùraichean (Flowers).
“It is a gift to be able to put into words what we see in nature. Gardeners and poets have this in common,” Anna said.
“They tap into the hearts and minds of their audience and this poem resonated because it had depth and observation. Keep writing, keep observing and protecting what is beneath our feet.”
The Wildflower Poetry Competition opened in April and encouraged primary school pupils from across the Highlands to enter an English or Gaelic poem about any element of wildflowers they had learnt from local rangers, Google Classroom, or their own research and experiences.
After entries closed in June, the judges had a summer to discuss what Highlife Highland described as an impressive volume, breadth and calibre of work.
Imogen Furlong, High Life Highland’s Countryside Ranger Service Manager, said: “The Highlands is host to a number of iconic wildflowers which provide forage to ever dwindling numbers of pollinating insects.
“The winning poems serve to celebrate the importance of flowers to biodiversity and lift our hearts in praise, and it has been a pleasure to read these entries. Many of these poems will be available to access on High Life Highland’s webpage for those who would like to read them.”
English language winner
‘Song of the wildflowers’ by Jasmine King (Morar)
English language commendations
‘Bluebells’ by George Appleby (Lochinver)
‘Buttercups’ by Niall Macleod (Ullapool)
‘The Field of Flowers’ by Ruby Everett (Halkirk)
‘Starry Stone Crop’ by Tara McEwan (Isle of Muck)
‘Dusky Meadow’ by Addie Simpkinson (Strontian)
The Foxglove by Mary Binnie (Acharacle)
Gaelic language winner
‘Flùraichean’ by Eilidh MacKay (Acharacle)
Gaelic language commendations
‘Dithien’ by Angus Urqhart (Gairloch)
‘Fuath-mhuc’ by Tamsin Patterson (Lochaber)
‘Song of the wildflowers’
by Jasmine King
The pink in the grey
The pink sun sets over the sea
over the islands to the pink bay
where the pink sea pinks lie.
Don’t forget me.
I am still there
hidden behind the flowers
my tiny petals in the breeze
don’t forget me, forget me not.
My spiky bush in winter
purple hats for fairies,
landscape covered in me
purple sun sets on the hills.
Scotland home to the heather hills.
Flùraichean
by Eilidh MacKay
Flùraichean
Tha iad cho àlainn
A’ gluasad gu socair leis a ghaoth
Sònraichte, sociar, snasair
Beàrnan bride
Cho mìn agus cho bòidheach
A’ coltach mar lollipop blasta
Na peatalan a’ flodraideadh air falbh le fuaim
na h-eòin suas, suas dhan adhar ghorm
Bròg na cuthaige
Gorm agus grinn
Na cinn mar trumpaid mòr trom
Na dealan-dè eireachdair a’ crothadh aig fois
Bròg na cuthaige
Neòinean
Cho beag ri luchag
Geal, buidhe agus uaine
Peatalan tana, caol
A’ comhdach na cnuic mar plaide geal
Neòinean
Ach nuair a thig a’ gheamhraidh
Theid iad falach
Ach a-mach thig na snowdrops brèagha
Geal, cùbraidh, grasmhòr
Flùraichean
Translation
Flowers,
They are so beautiful,
Moving gently with the wind,
Special, calm, elegant.
Dandelion,
So sweet and so beautiful,
Like a delicious lollipop,
The petals drifting away like the sound of the birds,
Up, up into the blue sky.
Bluebells,
Blue and graceful,
Heads like big heavy trumpets,
A beautiful butterfly, hanging at rest,
Bluebells.
Daisies,
As small as a mouse,
White, yellow and green,
Petals thin and slender,
Covering the hills with a blanket of white,
Daisies.
But when winter comes,
They are hiding,
But out come the beautiful snowdrops,
White, fragrant, gracious.
Flowers.