Competition

Highly Commended

Funeral in a Small Town
by Violet Macdonald
Charlbury, Oxon, UK

The crows flock tirelessly,
Picking at the flesh
Of long forgotten memories;
The awkward fish scale bones resurface.
The writhing wings ache
With the talk of divine bodies,
Their creaking cries echo
On the walls of the church.

And as they grow tired
Of the taste of a dead man,
The black and shining wings outstretch
And disappear in the rain.

Highly Commended

Father to Son
by Violet Macdonald
Charlbury, Oxon, UK

If I’ve tasted the cyanide in your apple pips,
and the salt in your sweet tears of joy
If I've heard the C sharp in your laughter,
and the change in your vocal chords, boy;

If I've felt every sting of your anger,
and your height is still marked on the wall,
If I've shielded your eyes from the war zones,
and taught you to walk and to crawl;

If I've seen all your baby teeth fall out,
and your glare sends me nothing but pain,
then why do we still act like strangers
on trains?

Highly Commended

When I First Stepped Out
by India Nicholls
Kelvin Grove State College, QLD

When I first stepped out
Onto that stage
So filled with excitement
Such a buzz of emotions
I played my part
(Very well I'm told).

And though I was young
I still knew, I was certain
I was addicted.

I grew, and the stage grew with me
I played it like an instrument
You could not wipe the smile
Off my face.

I lived off applause
I breathed the electricity
The feeling of pure energy
Though soon, things began to change.
Growing up got in the way.
I said goodbye to a lot of things
And moved on.

Yet still, even now
The fire has not been extinguished.

The addiction is still here
Just waiting
For the next stage.