Divine Poetry Competition 2008
Anne Fines, children's author and judge
Divine!
I’m a very special chocolate
As many people know.
Farmers battle injustice
To make my cocoa grow.
‘Divine’ is what they call me,
For that is what I am.
I’ll give you that warm feeling
No other chocolate can.
For when you taste my chocolate,
Think of those who care
Enough to work together
To ensure my price is fair.
Divine is more than chocolate;
It’s hope and determination.
Ensuring Fairtrade cocoa
Is consumed across the nation.
The growers back in Ghana
Receive a fair and stable sum.
Ensuring developing countries
Are rewarded for what they’ve done.
2008 is my birthday;
Divine is 10 years old.
Let’s celebrate the rise from poverty
In the decade I’ve been sold!
Hannah de Freitas (age 11), Penwortham Girls’ High School, Preston, Lancashire
Fair Trade
Everyone loves chocolate, milky and sweet.
Just one bite is a valuable treat.
I never knew what to choose, there are so many kinds,
But that was before I tried chocolate Divine.
I agree with fair trade, I have to say,
I just wish others would feel the same way.
Every human on earth deserves their share,
To make the society even and fair.
But what if we could mingle the two,
Is it a possible thing to do?
My two favourite things, both together in one.
But I need not worry as it’s already done!
And that’s exactly what Divine Chocolate do,
They pay the workers that make chocolate for you.
They help to lower the poverty count,
By paying the farmers a fair amount.
Even though Divine Chocolate may cost a bit more,
You know that your money is helping the poor.
We get what we’re worth, so why shouldn’t they?
We’re all worth the same at the end of the day.
So next time you eat food, think how it was made,
Think about poor families, think about fair trade.
Remember some communities aren’t as lucky as you,
Enjoying Divine Chocolate’s the least you can do.
Madeleine Lydia Davies-Brown (age 11), Whittle-Le-Woods Church of England Primary School, Chorley, Lancashire
Divine birthday poem
Chocolate so Divine
So good to eat
Kuapa Kokoo farmers
Serve up this treat.
They all have a say
In how the company is run
Fair human rights
For everyone.
Pa Pa Paa
Best of the Best
Better chocolate
Than all the rest.
So Happy Birthday
Is what I say
Keeping making chocolate
The Fairtrade way.
Declan Hendry (age 11), Corpus Christi Primary School, Glasgow
More than a bar of chocolate
More than a bar of chocolate, sitting on a shelf,
More than a bar of chocolate, which brings a company a pocket full of wealth.
This is more than a bar of chocolate, this is fairness,
A chance to raise awareness.
This is more than a bar of chocolate; this is a chance to earn,
An opportunity to learn.
This is more than a bar of chocolate; this is a family’s happiness,
A step closer to healthiness.
So next time you visit a shop,
Just stop.
Who is it going to? How much will they get?
For this is more than a bar of chocolate; but have you shown your support yet?
For Divine is special,
And it’s their special day.
So let’s join together and cheer, “Hip Hip Hooray!”
Sophia Clemans (age 14), Torquay Girls Grammar School
Happy 10th Birthday Divine!
It’s your birthday let’s celebrate
Give them your help; it’s still not too late
Thank you Divine for what you have made
We hope you all have been fairly paid.
With hope, togetherness and determination
They now have a thriving democratic organisation.
So here’s to the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo
For their effort, hard work and commitment too.
Poverty and suffering is all in the past
Now let’s eat some chocolate and all have a blast.
They can go home to a nice warm place
Knowing that they have a smile on their face.
Fairtrade has helped rebuild new life.
It has freed the people from despair and strife.
Let’s all raise our voices, sing loud, stand tall
HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY DIVINE AND TO ALL!
Hannah Constable (12-16), Penwortham Girls School, Preston, Lancashire
Birthday Cocoa
I’m a Ghanaian cocoa farmer
And I’m very proud to say,
I grow the finest beans
In the world today.
We pick them and we grind them
Till they’re very fine,
To make your chocolate bar
Wonderful by Divine.
It’s wrapped in gold
Which is a symbol of the sun,
We work so very hard
Just to be number one.
Fairtrade has changed our lives
We finally get a good deal,
Thanks to all you chocolate lovers
We can gather round and have a birthday meal.
Jordan Braidwood (age 13), Emerson Park School, Essex
Divine: The Fruits of Chocolate
I have never tasted the taste of chocolate,
But I have seen a plantation of cocoa trees shiver at moonlight,
I have felt the leaf mulch give under my feet,
I have heard the insects whirring in the canopy,
I have sensed the pods swell and ripen ready to drop,
I have felt the sharp knife slice through the stalk,
I have heard the richly coloured orb drop to the floor,
I have smelt the fermenting beans wrapped in their green cocoons,
I have heard the sounds of drying beans rattle through fingers,
I have sensed my satisfaction at the balance of the scales.
I have never tasted the taste of chocolate,
But I have tasted the fruits of my labour.
Heather Ellis (age 48), New Barnet, Hertfordshire
Divine Celebration
Do you taste the justice in your mouth?
Roll the flavour round your tongue, realise that this equates to
Opportunity New beginnings
Hope
Independence Freedom Reward
Is that what your cocoa cravings are?
They are a taste bud celebration of a good deal,
Make you feel good inside your stomach and inside your heart …
K Isherwood (age 18)