Your smile brightens my day.
AP: 3rd place 2026
I was born to be a lover, yet became a name left behind.
I welcomed every spark, but never peace of mind.
So I closed the gate and stayed inside,
hiding all the parts I used to leave open wide.
I built a life from quiet air and afternoon light,
convinced that love belonged in someone else's sight.
Then a question found me where I stood—
if I was born to be a lover, why not love myself for good? ???
I remember when we met
Love that I will never forget
Red Rose elegance
Wine glass lips
Intertwine kiss
Romance circling through the air
Aroma of exquisite fragrance
Avion texture
Candy sweet
Interlude night
Wordy love
Enchanted being our own story tale
Love like no other
Together we still stand
Inspiration of continued love
Valentine’s forever
Hearts pound symbolic
Lips locked together
Happy Valentine’s Day
Love and kisses your way.
Heartbeats
Timeless journals
In rhythms, crisp clean pages
Flowing words, warm and welcoming
Soulmates
Soulmates
Silent echoes
Wistful memories, still
As the music plays adoring
True love
True love
Passion and praise
Listening, believing
As the years pass, with family
Heartfelt
Heartfelt
Hopes and prayers
Rising in relations
Reaching through shadows and pain, grace
Kindred
Kindred
Kindness and grace
Trusting in each other
We are meant to be together
Heartbeats
Heavenly angels saying hi
Sending love down from the sky
Right into your heart so you
Are happy and not blue
Wishing you a lovely day
That will last --not go away
I am a lowly servant, fearing the Lord,
Holding His commands deep in my heart.
You may drown me in doubt and scorn,
But like a rock, my obedience stands firm.
Does my praise for God's love unsettle you?
Does my song of faith disrupt your day?
You may cast harsh words upon me,
But like a rock, my trust in Him remains unshaken.
Does my joyful face trouble your soul?
Does my broken English make you turn away?
You may ignore my presence,
But like the gentle wind, I embrace you still.
Does my smile disturb your hardened heart?
Do my prayers for enemies seem strange to you?
You may strike me with hatred,
But like incense, my love for you rises ever higher.
For a man of grace and innocence
Once bore whips, thorns, and pain,
Crucified and suffering for all—
In my heart, the cross stands strong.
Temptation may try to shake me,
Hatred may pour upon my path,
Yet God’s love is greater than all things,
And His will guides me in love.
Like a rock, my hope, my dream, my destiny is in serving.
Like a rock, my faith in Him will never waver.
Deacon Joe Hung Nguyen
(With apologies to Rabindranath Tagore)
Where fear stalks the mind and the head hangs in shame;
Where knowledge is twisted,
Where the country has been broken up into fragments by
narrow walls of caste and creed;
Where words are mouthed for short–term gains;
Where insatiable lust stretches its arms towards seats of
power;
Where the clear stream of reason has dried up in the scorch-
ing heat of the forest of communal flare–ups;
Where the mind is led backward by Thine enemy into ever–
narrowing thought and action -
From this nightmare of licence, my Father, let my country awake.
Chained at the
ankles,
So we wouldn’t
move at all.
Drowned our voices
in wells,
Made truth a
kind of sin.
Tamed behind
high walls,
Hidden from the
world’s eye,
So we’d
never find
What we’re
made of.
You never called
us by name.
To you,
we were
property.
You stood
tall above—
Though deep down,
you knew
We were giants
all along.
Life could
be easier—
If only we were
Together.
in my heart
dwells true love
never hate
it shines bright
like sweet smiles
that melt hearts
it reflects
pure and clear
spreading joy
Love has tied me in ways I never desired
Longing of you has carved your heart inside me
Under the Twilight , beneath moon I gaze pearls of pain
Every sigh whispers the silence between us
Love has tied me in ways I lost you...
The scenes from Teheran and Tel Aviv
do in these blood-soaked knees
May this new war end
as fast as ‘twas begun
Your face is the first one I see before waking, and the last before I rest.
You hold the key to my heart and soul, whilst I had burnt it to dust.
In your eyes, I find warmth, and in your arms, I feel safe.
I whisper your name in every wish I make and every prayer I pray.
Your touch is etched on my skin, and your words forever echo in my ears.
I still search for you wherever I go, hoping one day I won’t be alone.
It is you I search for in the souls of people I see, hoping that fate surprises me.
At night, I count the stars shining bright, hoping that one day, our constellations will unite.
I look out of the window, sewing a scarf, for someone who only exists in my heart.
When I remember the letter you wrote, the nostalgia chokes in my throat.
When I hear your old voicemails, I’ll imagine your smiling face
And when I listen closer, it’s your pulse that I hold close and dear.
At a loss. know not what to do
Not ready to say goodbye to you
Talked online for over a year
Became good friends, I love so dear
Sometimes we talked all through the night
We brought our inner souls to light
We shared secrets only each had known
Our love as friend has really grown
Our friendship has grown and I know it's real
Though sometimes I feel that its no big deal
Given time this friendship could grow
you know the saying "Time will Show"
And
We should not be here
in the first place:
in last place
in the worst space.
This Earth! The Disgrace!
But
should we be here
at the right time:
at due time
at the fine line.
This Life! The Great Race!
So
Save yourself: a piece
Of peace in one hand.
Still
Stick to what your gut
Would: want at one hand.
For
There is a proper place
for Everything:
A place to live,
And a place to die.
A place to love,
And a place to cry.
A place to borrow,
And a place to pay.
A place to day,
And a place to morrow.
A place to dance,
And a place to stand.
A place to fall,
And all and all is all the same!
A place to start,
And a place to step.
A place to stop,
And a place to stay.
A place to speak,
And a place to cease.
A place to be in
And a place to keep in.
A place to breathe,
And a place to beat.
A place to race
And place to place as all the same!
All
Is closer than you think.
Everything is there.
A proper place
for Everywhere.
Sweetling,
the ground is steady here
come, stand beside me
let the world shift and tremble;
still, we remain.
We are unshaken.
My Dream,
the space is small,
yet dreams unfold,
and no walls confine us.
let us build wonders to the horizon
and monuments that kiss the sky.
Our story never ends.
My Heart,
the shadows stir with monsters lurking
but they cannot reach us.
Here, we are untouchable,
protected by belonging.
Hold my hand,
and the darkness cannot take us.
We cast the dark away.
My Star,
a roaring flame burns bright between us
it never flickers nor will it wane,
in its glow, we are immortal,
and kept warm for all our days.
Let it light the way.
My Love,
this is our place, our safe harbour,
uncharted and unspoiled, our love the only port.
we build it within the folds of time,
a space where we are safe,
a place where we are whole.
Close your eyes, we are home.
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