For the month of April, YAP Ireland launched a poetry competition, encouraging all of our young people to put pen to paper and compose some poetry on the theme of ‘Hope’ or ‘New Beginnings’. We have been completely blown away by some of the poetry composed by our talented young people. Below are some of the entries received, it will be very hard to pick just one winner!!
Hope and New Beginnings by Armanda
A new beginning is a new giving
From our Father above
To prove that he loves
You could get there any day
Only if you remember to turn the right way
So build that hope and don’t slip down the slope!
Like Flowers we Grow by Milo
Trapped inside your own mind,
It’s easy to become blind,
To the happy of the earth,
To your own worth.
When your mind is a prison,
And no one seems to listen,
When your needs are forgotten,
It’s easy to feel rotten.
It’s easy to feel like this,
Its hard to escape & run to happy bliss,
But people are like seeds,
And people have needs.
At some point we’re in the dirt,
And we might feel like giving up,
But like flowers we push through,
And grow until we bloom.
We grow and grow,
And our hard times are now below,
With some waters help,
We blossom despite the life we’ve been dealt.
When you’re in the dirt,
Remember you’re not cursed,
Cause one day you’ll be above it all,
Dancing in the sun knowing you’re no longer a seedling that small.
The Closet And Me by Milo
I’ve been in here for years,
Others knowing is what I fear,
I do my best to hide away,
For I am colourful and they are grey.
For wheres others naturally fit in,
I have to hide what’s within,
What I crave is acceptance,
But instead I’ll be sentenced.
Sentenced to a life of hate,
All because I’m not straight,
Sentenced to a life of fighting,
To avoid it I keep lying.
Lying to myself and others,
Lying to my sister and brothers,
All because I fear their reaction,
All because they might not treat me with compassion.
Until one day I was given advice,
My eyes went wide when I realised,
I can’t live for others to accept me,
Only then can I truly be free.
I Am A Traveller by Milo
Cruel words that could send you to tears,
Isolated from my peers,
Mocked and ridiculed,
Accused of not going to school.
I am a traveller,
I am no amateur,
I am aware of the hatred,
That does not need to be stated.
I would tell you my name,
But that does not need to be proclaimed,
By many names I am known,
But none of them I call my own.
I am a traveller,
I am somebody’s brother,
But to many I’m just a criminal,
When I say I’m not they laugh like it’s hysterical.
They call me a tinker,
They accuse me of being a drinker,
They call me a pikey,
Somebody to stand up for me is not likely.
I have a dream like you do too,
I hope everyday that it comes true,
My dream is for a world without hate,
No matter your skin colour or if you’re not straight.
My dream is about you and I,
For us to live side by side,
You are settled and I am a traveller,
But in my dream we are not separated by culture.
So one day I hope you see me like I see you,
I hope one day my people are not seen as taboo,
I hope one day we can live in peace,
And hatred doesn’t fill our streets.
So when asked I will tell you my name,
Because it needs to be proclaimed,
Because I am a human too,
I am no different to you
Hope by Megan
Hope is needed in these trying times,
Hope helps our head not to be buried in the sand,
Hope is the gravity, so we do not welcome defeat,
Hope brings us blessings so we land on our feet,
Never lose hope as tomorrow is always a new day,
Lift your head to the sun,
Remember life can sometimes be hard ,
But never forget to have fun!
