The borders fell like fever from a long-tormented frame,
No steel was turned, no legions marched, no decree spoke their name.
For when the node of silver wood began its quiet rise,
The phantom lines of sovereign pride dissolved before their eyes.
The ancient ghosts of territory, of fortress, and of crest,
Like winter frost before the sun, sank deep into the breast.
The pain that once had armed the hand and built the concrete wall
Was opened to the anchor node, unmetered, shared by all.
A mother’s cry in Sector One, the drought of Sector Four,
No longer stopped at checkpoints or the barricaded door.
The collective mind, in empathy, received the bitter sting,
And wove the ache of centuries into a single string.
Where once the barbed dividers stood to guard the hollow grain,
Now surged a tide of healing hands to wash away the stain.
The map of old Vaeloria, where blood-bought nations bled,
Became a tapestry of care, by quiet mercy fed.
No citizen was left an island, stranded in their grief;
The shared scar of the species brought its ultimate relief.
Adrift
Loving life along this disjointed time,
things adrift, no shore in sight.
Left so angry, right so right,
so what’s the future we invite?
Borders broken, countries thinned,
against His will, and almost sin.
Division sold as new inclusion,
the modern day illusion.
Group against group,
the idealist soup,
roar control,
no good for any soul.
Philosophy rolls on and on,
ideologies at ping pong,
roaming the earth like an unwritten song.
Where and what is the end game?
We’ll all go insane before we learn its name.
My thoughts run wild in the dark.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
The mind borders on the sublime,
related to the divine source,
a powerful force pervading the universe.
I can write verse after verse,
but there is nothing worse
than reading someone's thoughts,
sounding like reports,
going on and on.
Know the difference between right and wrong,
where did you get your information from?
Pause before you speak,
your premise may sound weak.
What is it that you seek?
Curiosity leads to learning,
the lack of insight is concerning.
One must not digress, I just wanted to address
the current situation,
let's get back to the topic of creation.
It has come to my attention
that if you lack intention,
fall short of enough motivation,
you will be in suspended animation.
Stay with me as I continue this story,
take you on a journey inside my consciousness,
hold on while I clear up the mess,
I must confess I do assess
each moment, absorbed in the present.
She personifies the rift between town
and gown in the city,
pageant pretty, in pale pinks pellet,
lace sleeved adorned,
like a primrose she stands prominent
a gringo cigarette in one hand
Mexico’s flag in the other,
her country ‘tis of thee
like the contrafactum
of an earlier English anthem
God Save the King,
American democracy
she paints her de facto
her homeland in turmoil,
under an anthropomorphized sun
lest the moon’s clash in her own sky
Olmec ruins, laid foundation
stone heads, deep-rooted cacti
leaving behind the natural nation
she’ll advance athwart
contra the cold chicken coop
industrialization’s smokestacks,
the iconic River Rouge Plant
ugliness versus beauty
a glossy façade?
homesick for her pagan past
Crossing the borders in search of Greener pasteurs.
Where death and chaos ruled the lands ensuring that only the connected survives
In search of a place where one can find peace and happiness
Establish myself to be the winner I'm supposed to be
Breaking boundaries that stood firm for ages
Running with oppertunities needed to be the go getter that I am
Entering a place where one's talent and hard work gets rewarded.
Using my skills to build a empire to show the world you can be a winner
Benefiting from my intellect to create a wold of comfort and stability for myself
Establish myself to be the winner I'm supposed to be
Breaking boundaries that stood firm for ages
Running with oppertunities needed to be the go getter that I am
Hard work and perseverance will be rewarded
Going for gold is my destiny
Rising from the ashes to be a flame
Burning so bright that my heat engulfs the coldest hearts
Establish myself to be the winner I'm supposed to be
Breaking boundaries that stood firm for ages
Running with oppertunities needed to be the go getter that I am
Definition: The liminal space between boundaries
where nationality is blurred.
I exist at the invisible archipelago
of the West Coast American Dream;
20 minutes from the water,
a short highway trip to the Tijuana border.
I am culturally mixed,
diverse in my chosen origin.
Lemon trees grow in tandem
with scraped knees and broken skateboards.
Names are intertwined with ethnicity,
but chosen instead to fit personality.
I am not just the fifth letter of the alphabet,
in between Escobar and Elena.
I don't know the man..? Maybe he's the
Pious type.? No Sicilian blood.? Averse
To hype.? Well he has his 'take outs' I
Never gave the orders.' Or named the guy
Who isn't?? 'The Don?' Well whatever' He's got a thing with borders.' Of maybe he'll go borderless? Only heaven knows, as time progresses and
Sifting grows, then there's another man a latin
Type ' on holiday in Brooklyn' not a doubt'
Too right.'
Now he's maybe more mafiosi.? Yet has he
Any such clout.? Do you note the play of
Circumstace.? Its maybe just a shout.' Still its
Time for the legal system.' To rise above.!
Who will be triuphant.? In the push and shove.? Will sons and daughters become
'A sad sacrifice.?' I certainly hope not.?
So help me Christ.)
What is bad in your mind may be good in theirs,
What is good in theirs may trouble yours.
Who are they? Another human shaped by stories handed down,
Lines drawn long ago that still divide the ground.
Parts of the world once distant, rarely crossed,
Boundaries that felt fixed, though many were lost.
Now governments play games, rewriting maps and names,
Letting distant cultures meet, unprepared for the strain.
A clash of worlds unfolding like a game,
Whose move now — and who will carry the blame.
???BEYOND THE BORDERS???
Not everyone in the UK is okay,
Beneath the skies, some have lost their way.
Not everyone that's running to the USA,
Find the gold they hope for every day.
And those who flee to shores afar,
Don’t always find their promised star.
In foreign lands, the trials extend,
And dreams tremble, hopes bend.
Some dreams are fragile, some hopes sway,
In lands afar, some still struggle and pray.
Ignore the whispers, let your heart not fray,
Riches can't mend what words betray.
Strength is silent, courage can’t delay,
Hold on to vision (God's plan) come what may.
The storms will come and the skies turn gray,
But hope is a dawn that lights up your way.
???VICK MANUEL POETRY???
{VMP}
Copyright ©? 27th September 2025.
For years America bordered on insane
~ ‘til ICE removed its migraine
in a strange foreign land
lone outsider
waiting on the sidelines
stumbles upon friendship
and finds comfort
soul to soul
securing a safety net
experiences the freedom to let loose
to laugh and share the freedom to be free
within confines set by the heart
indelibly forging a lasting memory
to take home and treasure always
AP: 3rd place 2025
Inspired by the movie 'Lost in Translation'
From the high deck, gazing far away
The southern sky, the clouds arrayed
Passing overhead in summertime
Stirring up dreams with open eyes
A warm wind sweeps across my face
The wild doves have left their place
Carrying with them joyful songs
Seagulls enjoy the sky all day long
The sparrows forget the green land
In the shade, they form a noisy band
The birds enjoy the sky of freedom
Unchain the neck, life is awesome
The blue sky without borders smiles
Men and birds can enjoy a free sky
Pursue the living creature’s goal
Earth has given freedom to each soul
A republic finds itself in a wobbly state,
Governance shrouded by an opaque regime,
Some strands emerge together into a credible tapestry,
Many weaves yet to emerge from the loom.
Decades of simmering hostility,
Punctuated by spasms of bonhomie,
Sputtering out into recrimination—
These circumscribe our strategic choices.
The populace divided, a schism stark and deep,
Hawks and doves in stark contrast.
Neighbourhood's dangerous gaze, fixed.
A hiccup to thrive without peace.
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