All these poems were so beautiful and inspiring, and I loved the twists on the theme each poem had! It was hard to pick a winner, but here's my personal feedback on your poetry.

Honorable Mentions (no particular order)~

Celine BurningBright! I love the way you list all the things that you hope you can do, and the way that repeating the first line ties it all together into something meaningful. It's simple, but heartfelt, and seems to reflect deep thoughts and desires; I also like the things you chose and the order in which you put them, and the line at the end saying "Hope is enough." All in all, great job :)

Cloud Bunny! This one has beautiful imagery, and again, it's simple but somehow pure. It has a peaceful, hopeful vibe, and also seems to promise that Hope will continue forever, which in itself is hopeful. I love how the poem says that hope is things like stars and trees - it focuses on the natural world - and then with the final lines says that hope is you. I love this message, and you transmitted it in a beautiful, meaningful way :)

Ayles C.! Everything about the poem is powerful, but also entirely hopeless - it's an interesting interpretation of the theme. There's a sense of despair and having come to the end of everything the narrator cared about, especially in the lines "There is no hope in tomorrow./No more light in your eyes." There's a feeling that the narrator has decided that it's time to give up on hope, which is interesting; the structure of the lines is also wonderful. This is a great poem :)

Hawkstar! The theme of new beginnings and things continuing is really strong in this one, which I love, and which ties in very well with the message in the last two lines. The things you compare hope to are very symbolic of hope, in my opinion; the different ways you describe them convey the message that hope is everywhere and in everything, and your descriptions are amazing. Keep writing :)

Third place~

Moon Wolf! This is so beautiful - the way it's not about hope itself, but hope is the most dominant feature in it nonetheless, depicted as something that you cling to when there's nothing else. The way you described the storm can be applied in so many situations, and it's also lovely taken literally; the feeling of everything suddenly changing is something I sort of relate too, which might be why I love this, and the whole message comes together into something uplifting at the end :)

Second place~

pangolin! I always enjoy your poetry so much, and this is no exception. It's so stirring, so truthful, so beautiful - your descriptions are amazing (I especially love the lines "a broken-winged dove cupped in a/gentle hand;/a ivory flower petal/crushed underfoot;/a promise, so easily/broken."), as well as incredibly moving ("the stray dog who didn't/understand/he wasn't supposed/to make it"). The whole poem is determined, hopeful, and pushing towards something better - it's simply wonderful :)

First place~

WordSong! It's very loosely linked to the theme, and yet the whole thing is permeated with hoping for a better world and a future. I love the choice of taking the point of view of a mother wanting better things for her baby daughter; it feels so heartfelt, and the mother's love shows itself so strongly. The rhyming is incredible, and the whole poem is completely told through the mother's emotions. I love this so much :) You're the next judge!

A Single Drop of Rain

The stale cold scent of the morning

The clouds collect in the sky above

The breeze of the wind flies across

Just a normal day, not unheard of

The town should be waking up

The birds should be starting to sing

The people should be getting out

The land should be turning spring

Yet there is not a single movement

Not a single sound

Not a single person

Not a sight of green around

The cracked cobblestone street

The smudged glass of the store

The rust of the lampstand

None knowing what they were for

Shadows on the ground

Of the humans that were there

Echoes of their sounds

That were floating through the air

Not a creature stirring

Not a sign of life

Not a blade of grass waving

Not a single sight

It seems that this is

The time of humanity’s end

It led its own destruction

And may never mend

There is a regret, and wish

That perhaps it could be fresh

Perhaps it could be different

Through some other blood and flesh

Yet peeking through the ground

Is a single, small sprout

Slowly through the dirt

Steadily poking out

It’s a promise

A sign

That it may be alright

That it will be fine

Once more, it may be

That nature will survive

Again, you will see

That nature will thrive

And through all the turmoil

And through all the pain

From the sky comes

A single drop of rain

This started out as a simple attempt at rhyming and got out of control very quickly. As anyone can see, it turned out terribly, but whatever.

Extra points to you if you got the meaning of the first 14 or so lines, and have a free slice of analysis cake if you understood the message of the entire poem, which might be (way) too loosely based on the theme. Conveying it turned out to be much more abstract than I expected, but then again I didn't want the entry to get too long.

Aaaaaalllllllright, here goes nothing. 

Amnesia

My luggage pulls me down deeper into the Styx-

I am but a wisp of myself, yet nontheless

I see a few flashes of light, and there is a halo of brightness

(Is this the place I have missed?)

There are people standing over me in white

They take my baggage away with a slice

and wipe my head with a smile

(There is no more turning back.)

But then I hear your voice-

and I laugh, and I remember your familliar joy-

But can you remember me?

I've brought you news from the other side-

But I cannot tell you.

(struck with amnesia) 

I remember that this place was a forest, I once was your best friend, and we'd play hide and seek until dusk.  

I remember that apart from being friends, I once was your uncle, and you'd pester me for snacks all day.

I remember that we were lovers, and then a war came, and you were drafted and never came back.

We always end like so, fated to begin anew

Years of memories melting into a pathetic stew 

Waving each other farewell before our words are subdued

And we drown in the sands of time

(struck with amnesia)

But do not cry, friend, or dear, or kiddo

Our lives are all circles

We all meet in the end

Regardless of which fork you head through

Be it on the bench basking silently in the sunrise

Be it under the oak towering rigidly in the twillight

Be it in one of the windows shining yellow in midnight

Old souls meet again, even if they are

struck with amnesia.