Flash Contest #24: Write a Poem That Can Be Read Up or Down.
Our October Flash Contest was based on our weekly creativity prompt #121, another great prompt from Stone Soup intern Anya Geist. It always feels like a little miracle that our writers can craft these pieces of work, and give us two poems in one! Whether we end up with two poems that emphasise one another's points, or whether the poem says the opposite depending on which direct you read it in, all of these poems really make the reader think, and even when the topic is sad, the form brings great pleasure. It wasn't easy to narrow the choices down with the large selection of poems on a diverse range of topics, but with Anya's help we were able to come to a decision. Thank you, Anya, for a great writing prompt and some wise judging!
Congratulations to all this month's entrants, and especially to our Honorable Mentions and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below.
Winners
Home by Arishka Jha, 12, Redwood City, CA
Perspective by Lily Jones, 10, & Sawyer Hanley, 10, Eugene, OR
A diary of a young musician by Alice Ruan, 8, Beaverton, OR
Fall Fiesta by Adele Stamenov, 11, Bethel Park, PA
War, Love, and Peace by Chloe Zhang, 9, Portland, OR
Honorable Mentions
Save the Earth by Prisha Aswal, 8, Portland, OR
Wild Fire by Cathy Jiang, 11, Portland, OR
The Light by Grace Mancini, 12, Glenside PA
Fire and Water Collide by Sophie Yu, 12, Houston, TX
My Toys by Jessie Zhang, 8, Portland, OR
Redwood City, CA
Home
Arishka Jha, 12
lost.
hope is not
truly important and
the belief that happiness can exist here is
simply an illusion.
ignorance is
beautiful and
life is
money, power, destruction, and nothing more.
it is unrealistic to believe that we live in a world of
happiness, learning, and freedom.
we are surrounded by
constant confinement.
really, there’s no such thing as
home.
Lily Jones, 10
Eugene, OR
Perspective
Lily Jones, 10, and Sawyer Hanley, 10
By him
I am hurt
It’s a lie
He is nice
And what I say next is not true
He is a despicable mean guy
No, I believe
He is kind and caring
Never will I accept
He’s rude
He’s friendly
And I refuse to consider
He is selfish
Beaverton, OR
A Diary of a Young Musician
Alice Ruan, 8
Today is the day I will make myself clear
I am no good at music
And I refuse to believe that
Violin songs are heartwarming
I hate harp
It is not true that
I would rather play piano instead of video games
Scales, songs and practises are a waste of time
I refuse to believe that
Music brings harmony
I am positive that
No one likes music
It is not true that
Music is strong, and brings people together
Today is the day I will make myself clear
Bethel Park, PA
Fall Fiesta
Adele Stamenov, 11
The wind blows freely
Crisp air fills with excitement
Leaves glow through the breeze
Colors splash above
Small kites dominate the sky
Dancing in the park
Like a fiesta
There is always so much joy
In windy fall days
Portland, OR
War, Love, and Peace
Chloe Zhang, 9
War is everywhere
It is a lie that
Everyone is at peace
It can not be more true that
People can not love
Only the morons think that
The world revolves around love and peace
I am sure that
We will never see a day of peace
It is a lie that
Love exists
I’d rather believe that
Life is cruel and harsh
It is a lie that
Anyone can be at peace
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