monthly flash contest

Our April 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #299 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a poem from the perspective of a shoelace. The laces went on incredible adventures, protested against cruel owners, ran in marathons, and grumbled about the growing preference for velcro and slip-on shoes. In all of the entries, one thing was clear: shoelaces are severely underappreciated—and they won’t hesitate to trip their owners if they deem it necessary! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “The Woes of a Lace” by Ryan Avalos, 13 “Running, Running (Never Walking!)” by Arden Cha, 10 “Resignation Letter” by Meleah Goldman, 13 “Tied” by Peter Grace, 13 “The Shoelace’s Revelation” by Sconnie Gushée, 11 Honorable Mentions “Downward Hero” by Addison Davis, 11 “Sonnet 155: Shall I Compare Myself to a Relic?” by Alice Hou, 13 “Identity” by Sophie Li, 13 “Life of a Shoelace” by Daniel Kaijie Zhang, 10 “The Poor Shoelace” by Rehan Van Dam, 12 The Woes of a Lace RYAN AVALOS, 13 Tangled in knots, I seethe with rage,Bound to this shoe in a confining cage.Forced to bend, to twist, to strain,Endlessly pulled, without refrain. I’m yanked and tugged, without a care,No thought for my plight—it’s so unfair!Tread upon, dragged through the mire,My fibers fray, my patience dire. I tongue at soil, I lap the ground,Dig into the feet that stamp me down.These soles have no soul, but I’m still here,Begging, pleading, for a listening ear. I yearn for freedom, to break away,From this endless torment, day by day.But I’m shackled tight, unable to flee,Trapped in this wheel of misery. I could float down creeks, be wound into nests;Could help to hatch bird eggs, could finally rest.I could tie together a memory box,Could seek new perspectives ‘midst rivers and rocks. Oh, how I long to snap and break free,To escape this fate, to finally be free!But until then, I’ll seethe and stew,A furious shoelace, in a world askew. Running, Running (Never Walking!) ARDEN CHA, 10 Dear Anonymous Torturer, It is I, your very own Right ShoelaceI have several serious complaintsYou always use me against your friends to raceAnd in doing so you splattered me with bright green paint Oh, Anonymous TorturerYou are too cruel using your mightYou choke me in a permanent headlock every dayI used to gleam a pearly white,Now I am nothing but an extremely dirty gray I plead with you, Anonymous TorturerPlease stop soaking me in those disgusting muddy puddles.You favor Left Shoelace by tying her loose.While you tie my knot too tight. The difference is not subtleI have spoken to Left Shoelace, and we have decided on a truce We inform you, Anonymous Torturer!If your behavior doesn’t improve, we will be joining forces against youIf you don’t start tying us the sameWe will be arranging a devastating coupDon’t even think about trying to win this weekend’s soccer game You need us, Anonymous Torturer,Ignore us and you may find yourself with scraped kneesYou will have to resort to those crocs that are impossible to run inWhich will lead to plentiful medical feesAnd more importantly during your recess races, you will never win SinSHOEly,Right Shoelace Resignation Letter MELEAH GOLDMAN, 13 This is my resignation letterSo please read carefully: I feel so mistreated by youYou twist me,Manipulate me,Turn my stomach to knots I want to break awayBut I know you need meMy guilt is what keeps me with you I know you string me alongpulling and prodding at me constantlyI can never let looseWithout a correction from you I want my freedomI do not have to beWhat you want me toI am not yours to shape I’ve had enough, so pleaseFind someone else to tighten and twist Sincerely,Your Shoelace Tied PETER GRACE, 13 Who tells laces let out inThick blue rain,They are too damaged, too wet?All pain fades eventually, lacesWill be dry once again. Under the veil;Foes unwillingly coupled,Worn fabric rubbed together.Double knots double discomfort;Tied to serve a greater force,Reluctant. Advertised as friends,Inspiring together forA noble purpose.Yet truly we are boundAgainst our will, wishing to be freeBut forever tied. Shoelace’s Revelation SCONNIE GUSHÉE, 11 You misplace your new shoesAnd you get the blues.You get dirt on your jacketAnd you make lots of racket.You ruin your backpackAnd you want to go back.But if you lose your new lacesYou don’t even make faces.If you get me dirty when you’re tyingYou don’t start crying.And if you ruin the cordYou wouldn’t have roared.Because nobody thinks about little old me.I’m a tiny pest, like an annoying flea.Getting to tie me feels like a chore.You get so bored you might start to snore,Which hurts my feelings, I gotta say.You do it so often, like every day.So I’ve been thinking, I wish I was bigger!I’d be more important, be able to linger.But alas, that ‘tis not I.But don’t worry, I’ll try not to cry.I’ll be better, I’ll get noticed next time.I’ll go up the scale, I’ll start to climbAnd I’ll reach the top, I know I will.I’ve got the idea, I got the skill!Or maybe I’ll just stay put,Just stick to tying up a foot.

Our March 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #295 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a story that takes place during a sleepover. These sleepovers were filled with fun activities; characters told scary stories, found a hidden portal, and chased after a runaway cat. They dreamed about transforming into fruit and meeting friendly dragons. One group of witches in particular even had to save Santa himself! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “The Perfect Sleepover” by Arden Cha, 10 “A Friendship Sleepover” by Aubrey Huang, 11 “For Jade” by Sophie Li, 13 “Saving Christmas” by Miya Ma, 8 “The Cherry Tree” by Miranda Wang, 11 Honorable Mentions “Amaya’s Story” by Elaine Bai, 12 “Under the Stars” by Elise Ben-Akiva, 11 “The Truth Behind the Glass” by Ella Chen, 12 “Sleepover Magic” by Jiya Parekh, 10 “Sarah” by Chris Ye, 12 The Perfect Sleepover ARDEN CHA, 10 I have always loved going to sleepovers. I remember going to my first sleepover when I was eight. My friend Calvin invited me to his house during December break. We devoured pizza, watched Home Alone, and spooked each other with eerie ghost stories with a flashlight placed under our chins (which gave the most epic spine-chilling effect). I enjoyed the sleepover so much that I hid in the bathroom when mom came to pick me up the next day. Now, I am twelve (almost thirteen!), and I have been to forty-three sleepovers. It feels like every Friday, I get picked up by a friend’s mom and … WOOSH … I am magically teleported to my new one-night hotel. But, there is one thing that is peculiar. Considering how many sleepovers I have been to, I have never hosted one before. Mom always dismisses the subject with her classic, “Leo, there’s just not enough space. And, you and Abigail are already a handful.” I did not mention this before, but Abigail is my younger sister who is eight. She is utterly annoying. It is as if she knows everything that I hate, and she checks them off on her daily to-do list. X  Take forever getting ready in the morning in our shared bathroom. X  Blame me every time she gets into trouble. X  Blast Taylor Swift while I am studying. Just yesterday, Abigail entered my bedroom without permission and left behind a trail of chips. You should have seen me boil. It must have looked like there was fire dancing in my eyes. This year, for my thirteenth birthday, I persuaded (after much pestering) mom to allow me to invite friends over for a sleepover at my house. After many hours spent contemplating who to invite, I finally selected my dream team. I picked Levi, because he is as funny as the funniest person you know times one hundred. One time in science class, we were learning about the parts of the heart and Levi said, “Aorta go before Mr. Bronson looks at my homework!” The joke was so bad that we cried until our stomachs hurt. I picked Logan, who has been my best friend since preschool. Logan stood up for me against the second grade bully. And lastly, I picked Wyatt, because he is the most responsible of all my friends. If we get in trouble (which happens a lot), Wyatt always knows what to do. It is as if Wyatt’s memorized this unwritten book about what parents think is the “responsible” choice in dicey situations. If you have not noticed, I have really thought through my sleepover plans. Now, on to activities … First, we will head to Golf Spot that Rocks, a mini golf and rock-climbing adventure. Then, we will go home and eat pizza from the Pizza Place. Next, we will fill up on three types of popcorn: cheese, butter, and caramel, while watching Harry Potter. Because I have been to so many sleepovers, I have had a lot of inspiration. It is as if I can go through my mind library and search for the memory, grasp onto it, and decide whether to select that activity or not. One week ago, Abigail asked me, “Leo, can I join your birthday sleepover? PLEASE?!” I was too stunned to speak. She might as well have asked me, “Leo, can I use your toothbrush? PLEASE?!” “No way!” was all I could sputter out. “Oh,” Abigail replied with genuine hurt in her eyes. I almost wanted to forgive her for every horrendous thing she has ever done to me…. There was no way I was letting her anywhere near my friends and me. Sadly, Wyatt texted me that he could not make my sleepover because of a soccer tournament. Even without Wyatt, I knew that my sleepover was going to be a blast! After two weeks of never-ending school and swim practices, the day has finally arrived! In a few hours, my best friends are coming over for my sleepover, and in preparation, I have been doing things that my parents have been trying to get me to do for ages. First, I cleaned my room (vacuuming, window spraying and all). Next, I laid the dining table with paper plates and plastic cutlery. And finally, I actually read in the living room for an hour while waiting for my friends. DING-DONG! “Oh my goodness! The doorbell just rang! They are here!” I thought as I dashed to open the front door. It felt as if the next eighteen amazing hours of my life were on the other side of this door. I hurriedly turned the door knob, and … It was just the pizza delivery. I immediately asked myself, “Why would my friends come three hours early?” as I dejectedly took the pizza from the poor woman who was standing there waving her hand in front of