McMaster Class of 2025: Poetry Contest Winner

Micah Marcelino

“It’s time to heal”

A warm summer that we planned to remember,
Was suddenly cold like the month of November.
When you confirmed all of my greatest fears,
And left me with a broken heart and a million tears.

And I recall laying in my bed for days,
My beautiful world, suddenly a new shade of grey.
I began to wonder where it all went wrong,
Did I push you away? Was my love too strong?

I became insecure, I began to question,
Picking out my flaws became my new obsession.
My emotions consumed me without any relief,
I didn’t realize that these were the stages of grief.

A battle with my heart and with my mind,
My body not used to me being so unkind.
“What do we do now?” My mind said intensley,
“It’s time to heal.” my heart said gently.

I began to water my garden, and let you go,
There wasn’t room for you if I wanted to grow.
So I said my goodbyes to my partner in crime,
And whispered to you “in another lifetime.”

I spent the rest of the summer working on my future,
Putting my soul back together with careful sutures.
And on days when all I felt were gloomy showers,
I reminded myself, “no rain, no flowers.”

I met new people, fell in love with being alive,
Learned that even in the hardest moments, I can survive.
And sometimes there are days when the baggage is hard to unpack,
But I can’t wait to start with a clean slate at Mac.

I wanted to start new and leave my city behind,
Go to a place where I was undefined.
I needed a change, a brand new stance,
McMaster University gives me that chance.

So if you are reading this, and you feel like a mess,
Be patient with yourself, you are trying your best.
Tomorrow could be the day it all comes together,
Just keep on braving the stormy weather.

Thank you to our judges:
Ross Belot
Haider Khan