Take off your shoes to connect with yourself.
COMPETITION WINNER: Lauren M, Y7
Cold, shivering, teeth chattering, I put my bare feet up against the fire.
I feel a tingle of warmth and a sensation of joy rush through my blood.
Competition Winners – Barefoot
Congratulations to the winners of this half-term’s creative writing competition, who had to write their entry in only two sentences! Everyone’s entries were excellent!
The results are:
Winner – Lauren M, Year 7
Runner up – Yazhini R, Year 7
Well done both of you! And thank you!
Their work will be posted on the Green Light blog shortly so keep an eye out. 🙂
Writing Competition – Barefoot
This half-term’s competition is on the theme…
Barefoot!
Simply tell us about the best or worst place to be without shoes in a maximum of 2 sentences!
Deadline: Wednesday 10th February
Email your submissions to thegreenlight@aggs.bfet.uk
We look forward to reading your responses!
‘Barefoot’ – Mairead B, Y8
The warm sand on bare toes,
The ocean water as the tide goes,
The soft pebbles on the shore,
The green grass on the floor…
Hawaii is home for the barefoot.
But wait, not the hot rocks covered in black soot,
Not the fiery lava where the volcanoes erupt,
Not the seaweed which happens to interrupt
Your pleasant swims until a shark BITES
I guess Hawaii took away your Barefoot rights.
‘Shoeless’ – Preet G Y8
To feel the whooshing wind on my face again, blasting by my ears,
The smell of the simply fresh, salty air.
I think of the times in the soft sand or tiptoeing on the rocks,
I think of the times I ran, running shoeless on the wind-swept beach
To feel a slight cool breeze, causing your hair to float
The sweet, sweet scent of honeysuckle and red rose
I think of the times in the cool green grass, tickling your feet
I think of the times I ran, running shoeless across the garden
To feel the warm comfort, settling down in front of the TV,
The smell of food, wafting from the kitchen,
I think of how I am now, settled in a blanket, feet nestled in a rug.
I think of how I am now, shoeless in the soft carpet, writing this poem.
`I used to be me` – Maia S H
 Centuries come and go, with each one we hide ourselves away; just a little bit more they say.
 I used to be barefoot.
 Now I am not.
 I used to be me.
 Now I am perfect.
‘A Poem’ – Chi O Y8
Exposed.
Sharing emotions,
Dishing out parts of me,
Showing you apart of me,
It makes me feel
Exposed.
And it’s like the messy,
The pressy and stressy
That I guess he
Poured out of me,
Like Pepsi
Are tangled in knots.
Knots on a stage
That everyone’s watching.
Like I’m in a glass cage
or on an open page.
This isn’t a come-of-age,
Where the loving teenage
Girl,
Tells the cool teenage
Love,
All the emotions that uncurl
In her heart, in her mind.
This is a different kind,
This makes me anxious,
Stressy and messy.
And unless he
Forgets me,
I’ll feel as if my heart’s on show,
A spot of grass in snow.
As if everyone’s running
But I stay put,
Like they wore shoes,
And i was the only barefoot.
`A Poem` – A Student
Why does my heart beat so fast
from simply walking into the same building everyday?
A place where i have to learn and work under the watchful eyes
of people who tarnish my appearance, my dreams,
my happiness;
anything I love will soon be what I despise most.
Anything I do is taken the wrong way.
I fall down a deep dark ditch of despair and demotivation
whilst my pathetic peers thrive
from the hateful lies they slither around about me.
Why should I feel embarrassed for my existence?
Wouldn’t my life be easier if I was popular, likeable,
conforming to unachievable standards i’m expected to accomplish?
I’m trying to make my way out of this hellfire i’m enduring
but what’s the point?
The intelligent ones get praised for perfection
but I get swept aside,
castaway,
when i’m  trying to be my best.
They say grades don’t define you
but my 52% is ridiculed amongst those with 100.
Am I good enough? Am I prepared
for the intimidating world of work
where capitalism and energy consumption erodes society?
I feel barefoot. I feel like I don’t fit
into a single pair of shoes because I don’t know
how to fill the empty void growing inside me,
branching out like a poison tree
killing its surroundings
one by one.
I feel unprepared for my future, with no knowledge
of how to live a regular life.
It no longer matters if I’m unique or creative;
My talents deteriorate
Under the sheer pressure of
Trying to be normal and accepted
To progress anywhere in my future.
`Barefoot Haiku` – Riya G, Y7
A grassy meadow,
One summer morning in May,
Is barefooted bliss.
