Competition

First Prize

Whispers in the Dark
by Scarlett McLean
Westmere, Victoria

'Let's make her pee the bed'
Came the cruel whispers of my roommates.
These minty murmurs lingered in the air until morning.
The carpet iced over as the bully and her sidekick strode in.
I would lie there, some nights wishing I were dead
Silently weeping until my eyes were red.
The sweet smell of perfume turned into toxic fumes
The sound of cars turned into gnashing teeth
The girls singing changed to nasty incantations
The clicking of the keyboards, sharpening of claws
Velvety beanie babies transformed into deadly jagged scorpions.
The fan, a bubbling cauldron.
The whisperer was as slippery as a snake
She always found a way to wriggle out of things.
Sinking her fangs in as far as they would go,
She spat venomous comments
Her stares meant death.
You supposed if revenge was sweet, she was a definite sweet tooth.
You could be petrified by one look from this medusa.
Trapped in my timber treasure chest
I could feel the sheets tighten, like they were eating my body.
The nightly call, 'Lights out'
Came exactly at 9 pm
At 9.05 the whisperer began
The room transformed to a pit of vipers
The darkness was the sign for the ritual to begin.

Second Prize

Ned Kelly’s Last Thoughts
by Holly Goldsack
West Moreton Anglican College, Ipswich, Qld

Alone I sit in my prison cell,
Today is the last day of my life,
I'm to see the hangman at dusk,
The catholic priest comes in to give me faith,
I wonder; "Will I go to heaven or hell??"
The coppers hate me. Why??
I'm an Australian son and I fight for justice,
I miss my family and the bush,
They call me an outlaw,
But I believe in freedom and independence,
So what wrong have I done?
I'm a victim of the law who will wear his armour no more,
Will the people remember my name??
Such is life.

Third Prize

We are the Future
by Caitlin Stark
Middle Park, Qld

We are the future, you will not live to see
We are richly invested, by the wisdom of your years.
We are the sprouts, the new growth, the shiny green leaves
We hold your hopes, your dreams and your fears.

We will strive for a future that is richly blessed.
For we are the young warriors, and we will not rest.

We cherish the values, in that we are one.
We will not rest, until our day has come.

So sleep now, rest, ‘tis your reward.
We honour your memory and strive to move forward.