Reflection Poetry Competition
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We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to all who contributed their beautiful poetry to our volume’s poem competition. After much deliberation, we have chosen six that will be featured on the following pages. We thank you for your willingness to share your work and for your passion which can be clearly seen. — Henri ❤.
.1 At Dawn I Went Outside
— AARUSH THAPA
I went outside and felt,
Raindrops falling down my face.
Light as a feather, soft as a cloud.
A refreshing moment to embrace.
At dawn, I went outside and saw,
A heavy and misty fog around.
Mysterious, ominous gloomy it was.
I closed my eyes and lifted from the ground.
At dawn, I went outside and heard,
Rustling leaves as I took a step.
Brown, dull, depressing it became.
But one day we’ll fall and then decay.
At dawn, I went outside and smelt,
Freshly cut grass, the refreshing scent.
I strolled through one path out of many,
Till nobody found me to be present.
.2 At Dawn I Went Outside
— NAME TO BE ADDED
Memory is a cup of hot chocolate.
It’s Sweet Drink it after stir.
Memory is a box of jewelry.
It’s Fragile Handle it with care.
Memory is a steady ferry.
It’s Steady Takes us to faraway stars.
.3 Leaves have fallen
— Emily Appleton
Leaves have fallen from their branches
Frost covering the lawn
Cobwebs collect icy droplets
Short days start with dawn
Winter clings to naked trees
Weak sun tries to burn the fog away
But the mist refuses to disappear
Short days are broken at midday
Robins are the most life outside
As everyone else hides from the squall
Snow drifts down slowly as
Short days end at nightfall
.4 Once I was A Seed
— Neel
Once I was a seed;
For miles, I was carried by the wind’s inexorable force,
But unlike my kin, my life had not ended as bird feed.
My once hard exterior, was soon shed, like the leaves of Autumn.
Once I was a seed;
Through countless winters, my innate yearning for survival prevailed.
Soon my trunk would stand tall as it is proud, (I am sure all would have agreed)
My branches: a home within a home for birds. My roots for worms.
Once I was a seed;
I had leaves — leaves of colours no paintbrush could do justice.
My buttress roots, prominently erect and of the utmost esteem
How tiresome it must have been to measure from my roots to my chutes.
Now, here I lie, rotting as no more than an unsightly seat for him
The smell of gasoline, plaguing the very air I once cleaned, for him.
Seeing me in a such a state, he likely doesn’t remember that.
Once, I was a seed.
.5 An epiphany of epiphany
— Neel
Here I sit bemused
Struggling for an epiphany of epiphanies
I must continue to write without clues
My eyes wander out of a window
Dreaming for a reason to procrastinate
Perhaps the dandelions which droop
Or the rain, which caused it to…
I must hurry, else I’ll be late
Perhaps I will find my spark in history
For many great eurekas have come from it you see.
Of course! Who else more fitting than Archimedes,
The Greek Jack of All trades who coined ‘Eureka’
An exclamation that can only be described as an epiphany
Regardless of if you have ‘found’ the solution to expose a silver crown
Or an idea for some poem
Epiphany will always be a feeling In a league of its own
.6 When I reflect
— Julius von Loeper
When I look back and reflect
On the memories I select
The good, the bad, the in between
Are what I have lived and seen
The lessons I’ve learned in life
Not just the thrive and strife
The people, the places, and all the things
Memories that will forever sing
The memories I cherish deep
And all that I have to keep
Those moments, once lost in time
Now remain in my heart and mind
Once, I was a seed.
