Poetry Competition 2016: First Place

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]irst place in our poetry competition goes to Emily Raisin! We were impressed with originality of ‘The Great Fitzgerald’ and particularly loved the use of lyrical language and rhythm…

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The Great Fitzgerald – Emily Raisin

There were pink smiles.

And yellow eyes

Above red lips and white cheeks

And silver souls upon green lawns

Where golden flutes did speak

A thousand words with their sharp clink

Of clear, crystal glass,

Which cut through the merriment

Of drunken, sequined laughs.

And blue waves of swaying song

Upheld the loosened limbs

Of the thousand guests,

Whose clouded minds

Flew with outstretched wings.

And there he stood –

A lonely man –

With black-tipped pen in hand.

Away from swelling stupor.

Away from swinging band.

His smile was grey, and his black eyes

Lay above pale, white cheeks,

Though something bright within his gaze

Shone as he did weep.

It reflected green in his tears –

An iridescent light,

Emerald in blackened stare –

A jade star in the night.

He looked down at the lake

That stretched out from the lawn

And thought of his next page,

His next character drawn

By the tides of the water,

The reflection at his feet

A sombre man with rippled skin

Close to defeat.

The jade star shone once more

As the pen flicked in his fingers

And one phrase upon his lips

Soft and silent lingered.

A dedication to the jade

In his blackened eyes.

A dedication to the green

That laughed as he did cry.

A thanks to the emerald

That offered him safe shelter

And made him rich

With inspiration:

‘Once again to Zelda.’

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Image Credits: Flickr / David Ensor (Header)