Winner of the YorkMix Poems for Children Competition 2021

I was thrilled to win the YorkMix Poems for Children Competition 2021. Here’s what judge Carole Bromley had to say about my poem:

“The poem I chose was Simon Sebastian Samuel Stone, a rollicking, bang up-to-date cautionary tale about a lad who is addicted to his mobile phone despite his parents’ valiant attempts to distract him. It is very funny; older children (or increasingly younger children) would really relate to this one and it shows an admirable mastery of rhyming couplets. It even has a brilliant twist at the end. Fabulous poem. I loved it.”

Carole Bromley, Bridport Prize winning Poet

You can see me reading it here: Simon Sebastian Samuel Stone

Simon Sebastian Samuel Stone

Simon Sebastian Samuel Stone

was ADDICTED to his phone.

Climbing up a mountain path,

splashing in a bubble bath,

playing football or just strolling,

running for the bus — still scrolling!

To his hand it stuck like glue

(though once he dropped it down the loo)

Simon’s eyes were on his screen

every time that he was seen.

In fact, there’s very few could say

if Simon’s eyes were blue or grey.

Or brown perhaps, beneath his cap ­—

who knows? There’s probably an app.

This vacant figure he presented

drove his parents quite demented.

SIMON! LUNCH! his mum would roar

he’d slowly shuffle through the door

and chew a sandwich dropping crumbs

while swiftly texting with his thumbs:

 

BRB fam gotta eat

U still up 4 Minecraft? Sweet.

 

Then when he’d played six hours or more

he’d watch YouTubers do parkour,

or fall off skateboards trying tricks,

then choose a filter for some pics,

perhaps check TikTok’s latest trend—

and on it went for days on end.

Poor mum and dad — they barely saw him

(being screen-less they were boring).

Still, they had parental power

and so it was they went to Gower,

to stay at ‘Cliff Top Caravans’

(which scuppered Simon’s summer plans

of being quite the idle loafer,

phone in hand and on the sofa).

They’d brought him somewhere by deception –

and with TERRIBLE reception!

And further more – CALAMITY –

this quaint resort of sand and sea,

had NO WIFI whatsoever,

so a week would last — FOREVER.

No way to check the football scores

and constantly forced out of doors!

This thought filled Simon up with fright

and to his horror, he was right.

Look at nature! Mum implored

How on earth can you be bored?

There’s a seal! A shell! A flower!

There’s no fresh air like that in Gower!

Body boarding – that looks fun!

It doesn’t matter there’s no sun!

Build a castle! Fish with Dad!

Simon felt he might go mad.

The time dragged on, it was day five

(Our Si was only half alive)

he trudged along with Ma and Pa,

when suddenly — was that a bar?!

His screen lit up, and so did he

his message tone beeped wildly.

But…Gone again? Alas! Alack!

He stretched his arm, took two steps back —

AHA! The signal! On that ledge—

right by the sign:

 

‘STAY BACK FROM EDGE’

 

He whooped, he cheered, he shouted ‘YES!’

Then all at once— Well, you can guess.

The tide was out. He didn’t drown.

It really was a LONG way down.

His phone fared better though —in fact

its screen was only slightly cracked,

and soon put right by ‘FONES 4 ALL’ —

you’d never guess it had a fall.

His parents popped it on a shelf

(a substitute for Si himself)

and texted it occasionally,

things like:

 

Simon! Time for tea!

 

They didn’t get an answer, true,

but clearly that was nothing new.

Yet soon old tech becomes a bore

and relegated to a drawer.

These days Alexa’s in his place,

who answers them with charm and grace.

Perhaps they really shouldn’t oughta,

but they love her like a daughter—

rarely missing Simon Stone,

who was addicted to his phone.