Soft sun that I can't feel,
Tell me that this isn't real.
Wind whipping at the ends of my hair,
But it doesn't linger there--
No, it doesn't linger there.
I could walk down the same streets, could
Play songs you like on repeat,
But it doesn't linger there--
No, it doesn't linger there.
Metallic and violent, blood on my tongue,
Am I immature, or am I just young?
These things I do, my day-to-day,
Nothing makes it go away.
I carry it with me, heavy like a burden,
Leaning hard against the railing,
Folding in,
I'm folding in,
Wishing I would have lingered in the doorway;
Maybe I wouldn't miss you so much that way.
Standing one foot in, the other out,
I don't even remember what we talked about.
Heavy like a weight,
I can't set you down in this state,
Deformed and misshapen,
Because I didn't linger there--
No, I didn't linger there.
I remember the summer days of you.
Images flash before my eyes.
How I miss the warmth of you.
AP: 2nd place 2026
Trusting takes time,
Play perfect pleasure,
Linger longer lover,
Strike sensual strings.
Open ourselves only,
Enjoy every emotion,
Linger longer lover,
Make merry melodies.
I lingered by the seaside on a cold and frosty morning,
The dark clouds overhead were billowing out a warning
Feeling them calling to me in a manner of some gloom.
That I would be better off watching them from my room.
I aimed to linger longer so took no notice of the clouds.
An imposing storm would surely keep away the crowds.
I gleefully watched the tiny sand crabs scurry to and fro,
Sensing the storm coming, weren’t sure which way to go.
I casually lingered up the stairs that led to the main street,
There I spied the ice-cream shop, decided to have a treat.
Flavour would me a momentous decision. It took a while.
Now which, Banana Rama or Choc Cherry made me smile.
Enjoying my cone, I lingered on, watching folk all scatter.
Rain by now was pouring down, to me it didn’t matter.
Many were in the little café, no doubt they took refuge.
Looking over to the sea, the waves now were really huge.
Thunder crashed and lightning flashed, the rain fell down.
I lingered slowly under awnings to the other side of town.
Watched cars slowing down and splash in a puddle or two.
I lingered further, might as well I had nothing better to do.
to linger not in fault or blame
will let light penetrate
for else we may be lost to shame
trapped in that we create
no salve can treat what ails
when transfixed on details
gather purpose not tales
let land like thunderbolt
~ to linger not in fault ~
Would there ever be a light at
the end of the tunnel?
She didn't know, she couldn't see one;
she waited and she hoped
knowing there'd be no guarantee.
Still she persisted waiting in the dark
for even just a spark.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
I know my hair continues to grow
tho' not for long when I'm dead and gone
finger and toenails sprout out slow
but here's a thought to linger on
it's only a theory yet I have a query
when six feet down in hallowed ground
will wax still appear in both my ears
if I'm not here or no longer around?
Memories linger, like shadows on her wall,
A tapestry woven, with threads of trials, falls, and all,
She recalls the pain, the heartache, and the strife,
But in it she finds a glimmer of life.
For every scar, a story, a lesson learned,
A testament to her strength, heart yearned,
To rise above, to persevere, to thrive,
Tears fell, but they're not just of sorrow,
But also of triumph, of a life borrowed,
From the depths of darkness, she emerged, she grew,
And in her memories, her true self is shown.
"How time flies," she says, with a gentle, knowing smile,
Her eyes, a reflection, of a life worth one's while
A reminder of her strength, a heart that won't subside.
In the space between earth and sky
Ill embrace a cloud to linger and lie.
Above it all clearly I see
Sheds of tears. Tearing of clothes, all for me.
Why do they cry now? Why not then?
No shoulder was given. No praise from men.
In the space between earth and sky
Ill embrace a cloud to linger and lie.
A smile for myself, from whence there was none.
The end of it all, It has begun.
I drift towards the heavens. Towards the gate.
With a whispered prayer, I lesson the weight.
In the space between earth and sky
Ill embrace a cloud to linger and lie.
Breaking sound of silence. Eyes cannot see.
The voices all around, speaking to me.
There, a voice of comfort leads the way.
Where I belong out of the whelm, and fray.
In the space between earth and sky
Ill embrace a cloud to linger and lie.
The cries now gone. The tearing all but done.
A light is shown… Ive overcome.
When love fades, and hearts grow apart,
Words left unspoken, tears in the dark.
Memories linger, whispers in the night,
Aching souls yearning for lost light.
In the depths of sorrow, tears softly sigh,
Whispers of pain, echoes in the sky.
Lost in the shadows of a heart torn apart,
In the symphony of sadness, healing must start.
Time will mend what once was torn,
New paths emerge from feelings worn.
Embrace the sorrow, let it be,
For in the end, you'll again be free.
Night carried him to me;
longing to stay near
a little while more,
to walk with him,
to feel him within reach.
But the dream ended.
Morning came
and I woke alone.
He has his own life.
People who need him,
laughter and love around him.
I walk alone,
rooms empty, nights quiet,
my heart missing him.
I keep that dream with me…
his hand close to mine,
our hearts threading together
for the smallest of moments.
If the dream must end,
let it end with him close,
two shadows side by side,
a love that lived
though only for a whisper of hours.
Diamond ring shines on her finger...
her shining love will last and linger
The sun caressing our skin
summer days come to an abrupt end
~ lingering sweetness turning to memories
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
As a young kid back in the hood,
It was just me and a pet friend~
He was the joy of my childhood~
His remembrance would never end.
I called him Pup as a puppy,
Because the poops he made me pack,
Whenever he ate hushpuppy~
Which I enjoyed as a noon snack.
His name later changed to Hot Dog,
When that became his preferred meal.
At mealtime he'd happily jog,
Since dog food was then his raw deal.
He assisted in all my chores,
He followed me to every place~
He used to greet me on all fours,
From home to school, he kept his pace.
While returning home from my school,
On one hot summer afternoon,
He fell and got drowned in a pool,
To his death, I failed to attune.
Years passed, his memory lives on,
No pet made such a huge impart~
Of those beautiful days bygone,
His pawprints linger in my heart.
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