21/10/2026
Poetry Tyne poetry competition
Rebellion by Andrew Suggitt placed 3rd
A smartphone loiters on the top of the bedside cabinet,
Bright green dopamine hits flash up on the screen.
The lingering light of dusk passes unnoticed,
As a distracted 15 year old lies propped up on one elbow,
Devouring what’s inside.
But there’s no app, no social media, no meme at work,
This teenager’s too rebellious for that.
The sharp, familiar sound of a spine cracking gives her away,
As she flicks to the next page,
Devouring what’s inside.
An eyebrow raises subconsciously, followed by giggles,
Her mind’s eye full of magic, dragons, and broody young men.
A sigh and quick sip of tea accompanies the end of a chapter,
As she quickly moves on to the next,
Devouring what’s inside.
The phone tries one last battery warning for attention,
And a few more pages slip by.
The light of the screen dies for the last time,
As the young mind snores with abandon,
Devouring what’s inside.
This poem belongs to Andrew Suggitt
