Competition

First Prize

Stranger
by Shuntelle Pedley
Bundamba Secondary College, Ipswich, Qld

Once a sweet shy girl,
Different from what she is now:
A tattoo on her back,
And a tiger on her chest.
Once a sweet shy girl

Once such a bubbly personality,
Different from what she is now:
Always in thick, dark clothes,
With her alcohol in her hand.
Once such a bubbly personality.

Once such a sweet young face,
Different from what she is now:
Full of holes, with silver bars,
Full of makeup her beauty gone.
Once such a sweet young face.

Once my cousin, now a stranger.

Second Prize

Streaky Bay
by Juliet Cleary
Melbourne, Vic

 The pungent smell
of underwater shrubbery,
plastered our feet.
The bubbly waves,
creeping
up to our knees,
as we became drenched in babbled laughter,
and smiles.
We sat on the beach
on New Year's Eve,
watching silently,
and listening
to the roaring waves
in the background.
There we sat,
by the pulsating sunsets,
and just waited,
for nothing.

Burgundy,
was the colour of the fireworks,
raging about
In the murky sky,
meaning a new beginning,
a celebration of merriment.
The yellow
seashells planted into
the depths of the sand,
collected each day,
for great memories.
The fish,
fresh and hand-caught,
It was teamwork,
Every night.
And pink,
was the moments of recognized smiles,
bursting with childish happiness.
The freshened breeze,
swallowed our fears
and we forgot about any worries
that frightened us.
The mouth-watering
sweetness from the clams,
we found in the moist sand.
I could always count on that taste
to empty my mind,
while filling my mouth with a bitter,
but delightful tang.
I'd sit among the great rushes of water,
humming old tunes,
played in the car,
on the way to Streaky Bay .

Yes,
life at Streaky Bay
felt never-ending,
as if I could fly above everything,
and never be able to fall.

But it all ended, and it all passed
away.