2021 Young Poets

Congratulations to Jayant Kashyap with his winning entry

Earth, Fire

            after Yvonne Reddick

As children, we’d washed your stories off in the river because we didn’t
know what else to do.

                      We did it the same way you hid them under the pillow every
night after we were asleep — tucking your hand in first, softly, and
then, just the act of letting go.

				We were told that you’d be the one to never
leave; and then, if you keep looking, the dead don’t leave.

								So, once we’d
kissed your name on the surface of water, we left you there — we’d think
of you later, occasionally.

				Like, that night, once the fire was out, we’d wanted
to take you back home, your ashes implying just about everything: life;
loss; love. After you, we’d wandered until dawn — hoping there’d be no sun.

Today, we’re in need of a story again. Perhaps one in which there are three
kind men and nothing evil happens?

				                   Perhaps your stories will be sad anyway now.

Perhaps we should have looked back.
 

            (for Grandma)

2021 Winners

Position	Title	Author	Download Link (Subject to Availability)
1st	Earth, Fire after Yvonne Reddick	Jayant Kashyap
2nd	Firefly	Cheyenne Macrides
3rd	After the Fall	Sarah Ang

Our thanks go to the shortlist team, to Phoebe Stuckes our 2021 Young Poets Judge and to all those entrants who made the competition so tough for the team.

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