You had to say goodbye.
Gently kissed the tears from my eyes.
Soon we will meet again.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
Somewhere between the silence
The excuses
The things left unsaid
And the things said without thought
I realised I was holding together
What was already falling apart
Giving grace where I felt hurt
Giving understanding where I received confusion
Giving chances where boundaries should have stood
But this is not a story of love turning to hate
It's a story of affection meeting its limit
Of a hand that wanted to hold on but forced to let go
Not because I wanted distance
But because closeness began to cost me too much of myself
Some endings are not decisions
But realisations
A moment when clarity outweighs hope
It was worn down by every moment
That made staying feel heavier than leaving
Even when in dream
And all the more
Life be not what it seem
But lo, a revolving door
And we step thro’ without knowing
What awaits the other side
A silent horizon; a twilight glowing—
Or a teary long-distance call—
That lets us know,
A dear friend has died.
And the tears we cried as we’d decide
They are better off, now the pain is gone,
Or fool our own selfish desire
To have them yet by your side,
To laugh as we once laughed,
And cry as we once cried.
To fold ourselves within each others lives,
And giveth a hope that beyond all, love survives—
Death and every end we perceive;
The sun setting in a bitter eve,
From which, we lift our heads from the drowning dread
And lay ourself down to bed,
With the memories that brought us the most joys;
The golden years when we fought over toys
And relented in “sorries” said,
The best of best friends,
And to the later love we were led.
Let love transcend—
Let sorrow say it’s last goodbyes,
We’ll always have yesterday
Till alas,
Our ancient flower,
Our destiny—
Blooms and hitherto dies.
(and gods little bee, with pollen, flies)
An Irish Goodbye,
No Matter how hard I try.
It's what I expect,
Difference to no effect.
Drenched in the water of rebirth,
I fail to see my worth.
Crawling across the floor,
My failing brain just wanting more.
Every Minute my heart may fall out,
And I'd be fine with that, No doubt.
What do I do when I'm someone to abhor,
When I don't have a worth anymore.
No matter how hard I try,
I get an Irish Goodbye.
She sits so still among the crows,
witnessing their upgraded view.
Sitting in first class is brand new,
relax to stretch fingers and toes.
Abundance is slow as it grows,
before you that carrot dangles.
Tangled up mischief bespangles,
bringing a shimmer to her eyes.
So much valor in evening skies,
a new start lies within goodbyes.
Silence is Golden
Silence is golden,
but gold is pure, bold, heavy and hot.
It glitters and radiates like the sun.
Silence is left when all the good-byes have been said,
and the tears have been patted dry.
Silence is left when the shoulder
cools after that long, last embrace.
If silence is a color, let it be rose, lavender rose,
cool, and blooming, calming, and soothing.
Be it floating, like soft cotton candy and wisps of heavenly mist.
At day’s end, the sun melts into the western sea.
In a last glimmer of hope, it sends out
a pillar of light, extending a luminous arm,
a golden, futile effort to extend its stay.
But nay, for rose lavender spreads its wings,
a savannah of soft, satin sheets
in an alternating pattern of pastels.
A panoramic display of fanning keys,
keys on a now silent, musical board.
I would never wish you an end,
but if there has to be one, I wish you silence.
Rose lavender silence,
in soft, soothing and alternating pastels.
I've wandered this earth for a long time now.
I've seen all that its worth and still somehow,
This illusion of love seems a parody within my heart,
Already missing you, I dread the time that we will part.
Goodbye cuts the air
with an odd, misshapen lance-
too sharp to swallow
it lingers on ragged breath
it's aftertaste scalds the soul
It feeds like a beast
clawing at the heart's locked gate
demanding more tears
its anger never subsides
its hunger never sated
Yet inside the wound
a new dawn begins to break
away from parting
sweetening bitter sorrows
with a palatable sauce
Goodbye has a seed,
to be cast in barren fields
fragile and daring
when given a chance to grow
now the stubble has been cleared
Kneading the old clay,
we shape what remains behind,
sculpting mementos
into what can not be done
before the goodbyes are said
Each farewell when made
to echo in memories,
fierce, bitter, and sad
can welcome what's to follow
by seeing sorrow as sweet
When there are no more tomorrows
to become yesterdays
and regrets drip with sorrow
too late to repay,
we will wish for the chances
to say lost goodbyes --
egos that fight
blinded with pride.
But the sunlight that screams
in the skies gone away
casts gold on my memories
and become yesterday.
When I spoke without fear
of what you would say
I heard the wake of the morning
lapping the bay.
We smiled at it all
and cried our goodbyes
on the shores of our memories
at the edge of the sky...
I sit alone beneath the sky,
Uncle, thinking of your last goodbye,
The world feels heavy, dreams unclear,
With every step, I carry fear.
Graduation looms - so close, so wide,
But doubt and worry walk beside.
You always knew just what to say…
I wish you could be here today
I remembered what you did to me in the past
You caused me to shatter like glass
I lost myself trying to stay freinds with you
I played the wrong cards now I've got permanent scars
You want me to forgive you for what you did
You took everything to far with no regards
I put you first so many times
Everytime you said you cared for me that was nothing but staright lies
You made me feel worth less then a dime
You made me want to give up time after time
You aplogize like that will make everything right
Sorry but not tonight
I fell for your tricks to many times
I kept on trying to please you losing myslef to pure manipulative evil
Took advantage of my heart left me suffering in the dark falling apart
The past still haunts me at night flash backs of what you've done
I've moved on hun, got better with my life
Now your trying to come back after all that time
I wont let you in and break what i've mend
This is goodbye no more give me one more time or im sorry
You've cross the line
This time I warned you so to you a goodbye
at end of each day
the sun bids us goodbye
with its promise to return
and in gracefully doing so
gives way to the stars
and the cycle of life
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
i’ll miss you cause it’s time for you to fly
i’m not sure im ready to say goodbye
the sound of tears lingers in my ears
and i can’t help but dread the coming years
i’m not sure if i’ll see you soon
But i hope you reach the moon
i love you more than words can say
i’ll miss you every day
so long
I still remember the first time I saw you,
How your smile felt so warm and new.
I remember the first time we talked,
And how my heart raced as we walked.
I remember waiting just to see your face,
Catching glimpses from a secret place.
Staying up all night thinking of you,
And waiting all day just to hear from you.
I remember laughing together with ease,
And crying alone when my heart wouldn’t please.
Telling you stories, sharing my dreams,
And holding back feelings bursting at the seams.
I remember your eyes, your smile so bright,
And your voice that made everything feel right.
I think of you every single day,
Even when I try to forget you in every way.
Every moment with you is stuck in my mind,
Though you’re not here and I’m left behind.
But even with the pain of losing you,
I’m grateful for the love we knew.
A dark cold September
Rain falls
A man calls
But no one can hear
No one is near
As he lays in the rain
He thinks of his last refrain
A thought comes to his brain
He will never see his family or friends again
He takes his last breath
And closes his eyes
No one hears his last goodbyes
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