Behind Thine Eyes

Do you ever look at someone and wonder,

What is their story? 

Have fragments of their soul flaked away to the wind? 

Are they metal on the outside and paper within?

Do they bore the weight of unfed dreams,

Starving in their hearts for years? 

Are they kind and courageous,

An untouchable bubble of exuberance in their chest?

Is their past as dense and murky as a swamp,

Or pure as God's own heart?

What secrets lie beneath their eyes?

Are they counting money,

Or are they counting stars?*

Do they know Love? 

Or has Satan snatched their soul?

I guess I'll never know,

They're just a stranger on the street.

A stranger that I've wondered,

What is their story?  

*A quote from my favorite song, Counting Stars by OneRepublic.  

I hope I'm not too late!

vessel:

the words that spill from my mouth

but still—i am only human 

Results!

So, as everyone always says (but it's really true), these were really hard decisions to make. I liked everyone's and enjoyed reading them, and you all had really cool insights into people. 

Honorable Mention- Soren and Ojie!

So, to make this a tiny bit easier for me, I decided to make it like a lot of formal prizes and give 2 honorable mentions instead of honorable mention and 4th. So, you guys get equal amount of bragging rights. 

Ojie, I your poem had pretty good imagery and sound imagery, if that's a thing? I really heard all the things you wrote about, and it made me realize how many noises there are all around us, and see things from the perspective of someone who doesn't like that. I thought the repetition was helpful to the tone of the poem, but it also made it a little tedious to read.

Soren, I thought you also had a really good point with your poem, and I related to it because I often wonder about strangers. I also really liked the visual of "Have fragments of their soul flaked away to the wind?/Are they metal on the outside and paper within?" and I liked that you thought of all of this, because I liked the message.. I think it got a little cliché-ish sometimes, though, and a bit disconnected. 

3rd Place- Kitten!

I really loved this poem and its message. I especially loved the line "she wonders violently/ if she is worth anything" because wonders is usually a kind of peaceful verb but violently puts a whole different spin on it. I generally really loved all the juxtaposition in this poem, of "beautiful" and "fragile", and just the girl's general personality. I think the message of this poem is really powerful and valuable, but the language was a little simple for my liking. 

2nd Place- September!

I consistently love your poems, and this one was no exception. This also hit really hard, because I've been making a lot of empty promises to myself lately. Your poem was super image-rich, with the ticker tape and the honey and the fractals and emptiness, and I loved your creative use of those dash things to give it a sort of rushed tone? I felt like it really worked. I especially liked the entire last section, starting from "the face I see in the mirror,"and the line "the thoughts that run through my head/like ticker tape machines, constant, never ceasing" but I found this poem a little hard to follow the first few times I read it. I felt like there was a bit of a theme switch. 

1st Place- Twirlgirl!

Okay, so this poem was crystal-clear and sharp and very true, and I loved the hope in the ending, although my favorite part was

"As the other trees

Turn away

Shun

And slowly break

The once beautiful tree.

Whose golden-red leaves

Once waving proudly in the breeze

Now fell softly to the dirt

Crumbling

To dust."

Congratulations, Twirlgirl, and everyone else who entered!