FIRST PRIZE
Still Here
I’m here, a lucky one
Others did not make it, others still endure it
It stood in the shadows for three long years
Watching. Waiting for the drugs to fail.
Even the medicine had a cruelty
My body pumped with poisons
Sterilising my life
Wiping out every part of me, forever?
Baldness, bloated body,
It was so fast yet felt like a lifetime
A ghost of my former self
I struggled on, it was mocking me.
My physical strength crumbled
Dependent on wheels and a helpful hand
It came out from the shadows, cackling
Willing me to give in.
Dihydrocodeine,
Mercaptopurine
Vincristine and Septrin,
Just a handful of memories, forever in my past?
Yes, I’m here, a lucky one
Others did not make it, others still endure it
The unfortunate will never be forgotten
The rest will carry on fighting
Yes. I had cancer.
SECOND PRIZE
High Expectations
Live or die on every test,
Must keep going, must be best.
I’m a screw-up, a failure, a fool,
I’ve become an obsessive tool.
Pain from a mistake, wound from a blunder,
Their high expectations dragging me under.
Why do I care if they’re pleased or not?
I give my best, that’s all I’ve got.
It’s up to me, I have the choice,
I’ll speak proud and raise my voice.
It’s up to me if I fall or fly,
Than be this way, I’d rather die.
You pressure me and shut me in.
Fail or pass, I still won’t win.
Forsaking all you put me through,
I’ll do what’s best for me, not you.
Joshua Gardner
THIRD PRIZE
I Wish ….
I wish that I could see the world,
But all I see is darkness.
All I feel is the emptiness inside me,
As the face of the Earth disappears.
I wished I’d told my partner I love you,
Before my voice drained out.
The life I lived is now a dream,
But the memory stays within.
I wish that I could hear the laughter of children,
But silence has come upon me.
The inaudible has come and my ears have gone,
And the sound of unwanted peace begins.
I wish I could run and skip and jump and hop,
But my legs have come to a halt.
My exercise and activities are now all over,
As I await the day of darkness.
I wish………………
Angela Yee
