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Ode to Aaliyah Premiere Contest Winner

She is not made of atoms, but aftermaths— the kind that linger in a room long after the lights remember to flicker back on. Her spine? An origami of fallen yesterdays, creased by collapse, but folded forward into flight. They call it resilience, but she knows better— it’s architecture, a cathedral of nerve built from "this will not break me," hummed on repeat until it didn’t. She speaks fluent scar. Not in pity, but in translation. She translates grief into gardens, anger into architecture, your silence into a symphony with minor keys, because sadness, too, deserves an audience. Her empathy is not soft. It is surgical. It sees you, sutures you, and leaves you with just enough scar to remember you survived. And her creativity? It’s less coloring-book, more quantum mechanics. She rearranges particles of pain into poetry, invents emotions that haven’t been named yet, spins metaphors out of moonlight and missed calls. She is the punchline of a cosmic joke you didn’t know you were telling— a glitch in the matrix that decided to build a garden in the code. Not here to be understood, but to unmake the question. Not here to fit— but to fracture the mold and plant sunflowers in the cracks. She is not your mirror. She is your prism. Try to define her— and she will refract.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 5/25/2025 8:31:00 PM
Congrats, Aaliyah beautifully defined ! I loved plant sunflowers in the cracks. Xxx
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/29/2025 5:59:00 AM
Thank you so much. I'm really glad that line resonated with you—“planting sunflowers in the cracks” holds such meaning for me. Your support means the world. Sending love and thanks.
Date: 5/25/2025 6:58:00 PM
"An origami of fallen yesterdays, creased by collapse, but folded forward into flight." - How beautifully writtten! Congratulations!
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/29/2025 5:59:00 AM
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m really touched that the line spoke to you. I truly appreciate your congratulations and support—it means a great deal.
Date: 5/25/2025 3:09:00 PM
Just brilliant, memorable-teared up right here on the 2nd stanza-resilient-brave, you are so clever, Aaliyah. Congratulations once again-this one on a trophy win! Much deserved and Much love to you ~
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/29/2025 5:57:00 AM
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words—they truly mean a lot. I’m so glad the piece resonated with you, especially so deeply. Your support and encouragement are genuinely appreciated. Much love to you as well, and thank you again for celebrating this moment with me.
Date: 5/25/2025 11:54:00 AM
Hey you're on a roll kiddo. Nice placement
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/25/2025 2:08:00 PM
I’m definitely closer to 30 than 20 now—so unfortunately not much of a kiddo anymore. But thank you so much, it really means the world. Here’s hoping I can keep the ball rolling.
Date: 5/25/2025 11:42:00 AM
This writing touched my heart and tickled my love for metaphor and language, form and the skewed prospective approach. I fell in love with your phrasing, imagery, and the "you" you've revealed between each line. I found myself thinking of this poem through it the weeks and returning to it again and again. I was considering quoting some of my favorites lines back to you here but realized I'd simply rewrite the entire poem.
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/25/2025 2:06:00 PM
Thank you so much for choosing this piece as the winner—I'm truly honoured. This is my second Premier Contest win, and it means the world to me. I’m incredibly grateful for your recognition and support.
O'Neil Avatar
Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/25/2025 2:04:00 PM
Thank you so much—your words truly mean the world to me. Prompts like this are deeply personal for me; they’ve become a way to share both my story and the bits of wisdom I’ve gathered along the way. I’ve mentioned in a few comments that I’ve only been writing poetry for about a month, and the impact it’s had on my health and recovery has been nothing short of incredible. I’m so grateful the piece resonated with you.
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Crystol Woods
Date: 5/25/2025 11:42:00 AM
All of the entries were worthy of attention and praise, but yours stood out to me very clearly. I'm so happy you decided to enter! Xoxo
Date: 5/18/2025 8:38:00 PM
You have to listen to the group, You Never Said. It will resonate with you, I believe. I love the songs "Not Light. Not Dark. Alive" and "You Never Said" visceral and scissors- cutting loose threads...a gown
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/19/2025 1:45:00 PM
Thank you so much for the recommendation—I haven’t heard of You Never Said before, but the way you’ve described their music has definitely piqued my interest. I’ll be sure to give those songs a listen.
Date: 5/14/2025 3:24:00 AM
You are a cathedral, and you don't speak scar. You speak the language of strength. I've sent you soup mail, Asliyah.
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Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 5/14/2025 6:52:00 PM
Thank you so much—I’m honoured you see me as a cathedral. It’s a metaphor close to my heart, one I often return to because it feels like such a strong, sacred space. And I’m truly touched by your kindness with the soup mail. Your support means more than I can say.

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry