Secondary School

Independent Schools Victoria Student Poetry Competition

Earlier this year a number of our Secondary students entered pieces of writing in the Independent Schools Victoria Student Poetry Competition. The focus was on the topic of ‘Awe’. We had lots of beautiful pieces of poetry and prose submitted to the competition. Olivia P and Leila H were recognised by the selection panel with Honourable Mentions for their pieces. Olivia’s poem ‘Wonders of the Void’, and Leila’s piece ‘The Beast’ are included below for your enjoyment and appreciation. We encourage all students to consider participating in these types of opportunities to extend their writing!

Dr Jodi Williams 

English Faculty Leader 

Wonders of the Void

Lights twinkling up above,

Hidden behind a shield of smog,

Beauty stolen from the eyes below.

Reddy hues, purples and blues,

The night sky alight.

Pinpricks in the sky,

Wonders of the midnight void.

This Beast

This Life

So bright, so pure

So fragile

This beast

So dark, so wicked

So powerful

Spreading like a poison

Crippling bodies

Eating its victims up from the inside out

Leaving you with only the faintest flicker of light

Slowly fading

Fading

Fading away…

NO!

Don’t lose sight of that light!

Don’t give up on it!

Nurture it

Hold it near

Don’t let the beast swallow it up!

This beast, it CAN be fought!

It feeds on fear!

On hopelessness

It blooms in your weakness

This beast is horrible, cruel, and destructive

But don’t lose hope

It only thrives if you give it your weakness

So don’t!

Don’t let it take the goodness out of your life

Enjoy the light where there isn’t darkness

Pick yourself up when you get down

Keep searching for the light in everything you do

There will be days when you are not strong enough

There will be days when your body can’t take anymore

When it feels easier to just give up and let go of the light

And disappear into nothing

Nothing…

Nothing…

No one said that this battle would be easy

No one said that this fight wouldn’t drag you down

But no one ever said that you had to cower in the shadow of this beast

That you had to be afraid

That you had to give up…

So keep fighting this Beast.

Fight for your family

For your friends

For everyone else fighting the Beast alongside you

But most importantly fight for yourself

Enjoy the beautiful life that you have now

And all the goodness around you

Adjust to the darkness

Savour the light

This beast is strong

This beast is deadly

This Beast is Cancer

But there is still light.