Smoke Screens

Southland Times, Issue 25312, 15 June 1935, Page 23

Smoke Screens

—First Prize.— Scarce were the twelve gold Maids of Day awake, Bearing the burnished bubble of the sun; When all the chimneys of the town awoke, Belching discordant cries and evil smoke, The turmoil of the city had begun. Before a thousand spewing chimney tops, I saw the lovely heavens fade and reel; Trees shuddered in their sordid, smoky green, The lovely day was dingy and unclean; Commerce spumed Beauty with an iron heeL to Cousin Chrissie Ross (16), 24 Lochcnd street, Tainui, Dunedin E.l. . —Second Prize.— Twas wartime! And thg bugle sound ' Was heard at every turn; But still the people hurried by, Their livelihood to earn. But suddenly the siren rang— To warn them of these raids, The people then for shelter ran— They left their various trades. Then up there went into the sky, Dark clouds of dirty smoke. This went to hide their city big, From warring German folk. Those Germans came to raid that place, >, To spoil man’s lovely work; But British folk have means to hide, Themselves, from those who lurk— Up in the sky, just waiting there, To spoil our lovely scenes; But then the town is hidden quite, With what we call Smoke-Screens. —l/_ to Cousin Patricia Summers (15), Orepuki.

—Highly Commended— Do you know what’s happening, When your fire begins to smoke, And you have to leave the room, Or stay to cough and choke.

Tis the little fire fairies, Come to hold an annual ball. And they are going to have it In your warm, and cosy hall.

So the artful little creatures Put a smoke screen round the fire, And hidden from inhabitants, Dance in peace until they tire.

Next they eat of fairy dainties, And drink the sparkling dew. Then riding on their smoke-screen Vanish in the hazy blue. —2 marks to Cousin Sylvia Scott (14), Queenstown.

—Highly Commended — In a cloud of curling smoke, I saw screens that made me fear, If these had really happened— The visions of yesteryear.

For floating through the smoke-

clouds, Was a warrior and race, Armed with lances and scabbards, They then met me face to face.

The next scene in the smoke was— A volcano spitting fire. Next came a plague and earthquake Things that made me easily tire.

Then I stirred up the embers, And laughed, as if ’twas a joke, At the visions and screens I saw In the harmless, curling smoke. —2 marks to Cousin Lilian Todd (15), Toa P.O.

—Highly Commended— Stately sombre battleships, Guarding British lands; Bristling with the guns they use, To save our golden sands; See afar off, raiding ’planes. Making t’wards them too! Now they’re in a pretty fix, What now, will they do? Marines are called upon the deck, Soon they get to work—

Send up clouds of dirty smoke, To hide them from the Turk. When they send up all this smoke, Turkie sees no scenes, All he sees is smoke, smoke, smoke, What we call Smoke Screens. —2 marks to Cousin Patricia Summers (15), Orepuki.

—Highly Commended— Said Robert, “You must act decoy, And so, be our smoke screen. You’ll make a jolly ghost, old boy, While we slip off the scene. The other boys will think, for sure, That mischief’s going on. They’ll think you caused a stir to lure Them off, from where we’ve gone.

“And oh! twill be a glorious hoax To give their pride a fall, And it will be such fun to coax And then defraud them all. They’ll watch us go, and so will think We go at mischief’s call, And we will snigger through the chink That’s in the bedroom walh”-

And so those conspirators planned For love of fun was strong. But little did they know, a hand Would make their fun wait long.

And so the victims of the plot Sat in the room next door. And planned to make the jolly “lot” Take back their plot and more.

At night when school seemed all asleep Ghost glided down the room. But luckless, fell in writhing heap, Sore prodded with a broom.

The chuckling trio at the chink Were quenched with streaming eyes, (Four pistols filled them to the brink.) Small wonder at their cries.

The dripping plotters crawled to bed. Oh! how had they been seen,

They wondered why they’d ever said, They’d plann’d a good smoke screen. —2 marks to Cousin Isobel McKenzie (13), Dipton.