Competition Entry

Autumn is coming
The leaves begin to dance,
As if they were dancers,
While the wind carries them away.
The rain
Like a sweet lullaby.
The leaves
Colorful chameleons
cover the hills in orange.
The beaches, crowded in summer,
Are now empty.

Autumn,
such a sad season
But for me it means happiness
Because of its infinite shades and colors

Autumn has arrived
The leaves fall
Slowly

A cold touch on my arms
Chills up to the neck
The colorful flowers fade away like butterflies

The chirping of the birds
gives way to a thick fog

I walk,
and I hear
the leaves crunching under my feet

Trees with orange foliage
covered by clouds,
protecting them from the grey sky of anger.
The falling chestnuts
on the moist ground
in the chilly morning light.
Raindrops on a little girl’s bedroom window
she looks out and sees
a wet mocking bird.
Young folks in light dark clothes
meet in the main city square,
hiding the face of Autumn

WINNER

The sky is grey
July is well underway
The grass soft to the touch
The wind blows lightly

I am at peace
Birdsong all around
An escape from reality
A world of chaos

Constantly changing
Evolving
I lay
In the natural world’s embrace

But despite the nature all around
The distant sounds of man’s creations are forever present
For the modern world is always here
Forever looming over nature

Even as I stare at nature’s beauty
The sound of cars stays forever present
As nature fades
To the background

Forever my love is yours,
Through thick and thin,
Throughout every season,

During wearing sweaters,
Or sipping hot chocolate,
Wearing your sweet dresses
Or picking out flowers,

I shall always devote my love to you,
Through thick and thin,
I am yours.

My devoted love is forever yours,
I will always be your loyal passionate devotion,
You will always be my special one
But I am forever yours in every fairytale.

In a sea of “normals”, I stand alone,
The weird kid in a world that feels unknown.
A puzzle piece that doesn’t fit the mold,
A story waiting to be told.

They laugh and whisper, pointing fingers my way,
But I dance to a rhythm they can’t sway.
I wear my quirks like a badge of honor,
For in my strangeness, I find my power.

From the sidelines, I observe and learn,
The beauty in being different, I discern.
While they seek to blend, I dare to stand out,
Embracing the shadows, without a doubt.

I paint with colors unseen by their eyes,
Creating art that makes my spirit rise.
While they conform to societal norms,
I bloom in the chaos of creative storms.

In books and dreams, I find my solace,
A refuge from a world that lacks promise.
I’m not defined by their judgmental gaze,
For my worth lies in the path I blaze.

So let them laugh, let them misunderstand,
I’ll keep dancing to my own command.
For I am the weird kid, the one who’s unique,
And in my strangeness, I find the courage to speak.

love is in the air its such fun
open to get a lovely kiss
very cozy in my bed
empathy girl or boy

ignorant people sometimes
smell love in the air
smell the breeze through the roses
promises to be keeping
open to options
open to new things
king of the house
you and me to be loved
love is s at the end of the day

WINNER

It’s October, remember?

In a world that judges without insight,
Our identities are trapped, held tight.
Defined by those who don’t truly know us,
Leaving us feeling lost and low.

We’re told to hide away, to conform,
Accepting a label that shouldn’t be the norm.
Told our dark skin makes us unworthy of love,
A narrative that’s been pushed from above.

Race, a construct born of ignorance and fear,
A response to differences that became severe.
Our brothers and sisters, bought and sold,
Taught their worth was lesser, with no chance to be bold.

Our purpose in life was silenced and lost,
Treated as if we were worth less than the cost.
Our protests deemed mere acts of aggression,
Fuelling stereotypes, pushing a false impression.

But why? What caused such harm and strife,
That white men couldn’t bear a peaceful life?
They subjected us to torment and despair,
The weight of their prejudice, too heavy to bear.

Being black became a crime, a societal disdain,
Stripped of humanity, considered a stain.
Our worth reduced to nothing more than a dime,
A perception that has permeated time.

Yet, is it all true, this portrayal of shame?
The notion that me being black is to blame?
We weren’t destined for turmoil and decay,
But sadly, it has become our everyday.

The pain we feel is achingly real,
A trauma that words can hardly reveal.
But it’s time to question the narratives we’re told,
To challenge the beliefs that have taken hold.

Being black does not mean we are lesser,
Not a burden, a looter, or an oppressor.
We’re not defined by hateful slurs and lies,
Our worth so much more than society implies.

Stop, and truly think before you speak,
Your words can cause wounds that go deep.
Rivers of migrants, rivers of blacks in this land,
But without us, tell me, would your wealth still stand?

In the face of adversity, we’ve persevered,
Building nations with struggles we have steered.
So think again, before you cast the blame,
Being black is not a source of shame.

We’ve carried the weight, the burden of this fight,
So the effects of our sisters that fought the norm will not be cast out of the light.

– Black in October, Black forever

The signs of Autumn can vary
Though it always starts with the leaves
They fall off the trees
Leaving the trees bare
and the ground covered
The ground can look messy
The ground can look nice
The temperatures drop
And the nights grow colder
also darker
But oh, is Autumn a blast!
The signs of Autumn can vary
Though it always starts with the leaves