Nov 10 2009
Odyssey Club Poetry Contest Winners
Recently the Odyssey Club hosted its annual poetry contest. High School English teacher and club sponsor, Dave Krocker, had this to say:
I would like to take a moment to recognize this year’s “Odyssey Club” annual poetry contest winners. For the structured poetry category, in second place was Ticha Sethapakdi with her poem “Who Am I…?”, and in first place was Jam Kraprayoon with “Redemption”. For the unstructured category, coming in second place with his poem “A Hermit Crab’s Conformity” was Adam Yang, and taking first place with his poem, “I Long For Self Destruction” was Sam Simpson-Roswell.
Congratulations to these fine poets and to the number of HS students that submitted poems for our contest.
He went on to credit all the work of ISB’s faculty and community by saying,
… together we breed this environment of literacy and the courage to express inner thoughts and emotions through writing. The saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” seems to apply here, for it is a testament to everyone involved with our students that we received over 40 submissions for the contest this year. This speaks about the quality of our students and their artistic and intellectual courage. You all play a role in this.
Congratulations to the authors of all the over 40 submissions and particularly to the award winners. Their poems are included below.
Redemption
by Jam Kraprayoon
I am
a culmination
of fifty two deaths
and thousands more scarred
born two years after a legacy marred
women and children, tortured, beaten, left in the sun
men soaked in gasoline and shot dead by guns
a long shadow cast, from Black May I cannot run
sins of fathers must be redeemed by sons
I feel
my homeland in stagnation
a hierarchy of greed and dark ambition
abused by degenerate cops and shameless politicians
choked by rampant bribery, corruption, and drugs
a land of smiles, left crying by thugs
partisan protests and to the south an onslaught
a revolution in words, but never in thought
We can be,
a realization
the first drop of rain, heralding a torrent of change
washing way, the block of May
for when the lust for power diminishes, Peace shall reign
and rise above social chaos and needless conflict
love will remain when there’s no hate left to inflict
alone, I doubt there will be sweet salvation
but to those touched by the kindle of
inspiration together, hand in
hand we will save this nation
Who am I…?
by TIicha Sethapakdi
What is an eye?
A portal to the soul?
Or a door to be opened
To a story left untold?
What is a face?
Some skin over bone?
Or a mask with a smile
Covering sorrows unshown?
What makes a hero?
Taking pain without tears?
Or protecting your loved ones,
Subduing all fears?
My eyes have seen sorrow,
Injustice, and pain.
And the occasional sunshine
That’s after the rain.
My face hides vile secrets
I’d rather not tell,
So I embrace all the good things
That make life less like Hell.
I am no hero.
I’m only a girl
Who’s searching for answers
To this life, this mad world.
I Long for Self Destruction
by Sam Simpson-Roswell
I live in a world,
Where even angels smoke cigarettes,
And drunkard devils dance in daylight amongst the faithful.
And I stand smiling, laughing, faithless, crying.
Alone.
In a world where wrong friends are right,
And we become devilled angels for another night.
Lights fade to black
And, Inconvenienced, I crawl back.
But just to a house, never to a home.
In a world,
Where I’m forever trying to find you on the lips of someone else
And where it’s hard to be the better man when I still lie to myself.
And despite my right wrong friends here, now and then,
They have always failed to put me back together again.
In a world where when the gods wish to punish us,
They answer our prayers.
Yet with prayers unanswered I am brought to my knees,
Faithlessly crying from memories I’ve been keeping.
Praying to no longer be where my love once lay sleeping.
A Hermit Crab’s Conformity
by Adam Yang
You can taste danger in proximity,
Hear the bubbly taunts of your enemy,
But you’re safe
Behind your rocky gates.
The walls that won’t allow,
Both dangers in and freedoms out,
Are shielding your vulnerability and hiding it within.
These are the benefits of your kin.
You’re restricted but you’re comfortable.
Protected from the formidable,
As you raise your defense and hide in the security
Of your camouflaged home, dripping obscurity.
You’re happy.
Poke your head out, and chance a peak.
Step out from your restricting clique.
You’re vulnerable,
With all your guts and vital organs exposed,
Like a gangster’s secret love of animals.
You’re terrified and desperate,
For you are the frailest of Neptune’s minions.
Overwhelmed by the looming shadows
Of giants in comparison.
Go on back into your protective cage.
Not everyone can be individuals.
You’re cursed to run from shell to shell
For a lifetime.