I remember the nights
when the sound of your voice
would caress my soul and reassure me.
The gentle warmth of your words
would embrace me and convince me
that everything would be alright.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
Pacing in the church porch
my heart tastes everything
surrounded yet so separate, in the name of a ring
I start to hear the organ, my body’s frozen stiff
as they pull me to the aisle, it all comes down to this
spectators are just faces absent of my recognition
I’m a buffering engine running on forced ignition
flash backs of months of turmoil assessing the who, the where the what
echo through me now with no means to stop
but then this stunning silence, like he’d planned it a perfect science
fell over me, his eyes the only diamonds that I could truly see
really, I had seen a different glisten
stood opposite, I had tried to listen
to the sound of the organ, beckoning the real life bride
they’d closed the doors and started filming but I’d assumed myself inside
this day was special, sacred and safe
this day defined new time
this day was everything
this day just wasn’t mine
A SAFE ROUNDTRIP
The sun rose and left.
The moon waxed throughout the night:
Sleep waned; I awoke:-
Romantic tapping;
Sends us inside, for napping
Shower happening
Currency is blood
Every man has a symbol
No God is safe here
Dark thoughts attack at will.
Be brave and fiercely fight them off.
Trust the sun will return.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
My safe place is within myself
God fearing, needing no one, other than myself.
Anchoring myself, like a solid boulder
Unscathed, unblemished, rigid and complex.
A safe place, within me and myself…
The house was cold, the doors were shut,By those who should have held us tight.My mother’s eyes, my father’s heart,Turned far away into the night.They left us standing in the dark,My little brother and myself,Two children wishing for a spark,Like dusty books upon a shelf.I craved their love, I wept and prayed,To feel the warmth a parent gives.Perhaps that bond was never mine,Perhaps it’s not where mercy lives.But in the shadows of their lack,A saving angel took our hand.With silver hair and bending back,Our granny chose to take a stand.She was the one who truly cared,The only soul who loved us true.The lessons and the bread she shared,Were everything we ever knew.Her own deep fears, her anxious mind,Her insecurities so deep,Became the armor left behind,To shield us while we were asleep.She fought the dark to give us light,She built a future proud and bright.And though my parents walked away,My granny held us through the night.
emergency vehicles are racing down the freeway
the noise of sirens would have my nerves screaming
if I were out there
but I am safely and cozily wrapped inside my home
with two enormous puppies
Feeling a sigh of relief that my freeway-driving-days are over
Retired now, I do not have to go anywhere
during rush hour or non-rush hour
I live in my pajamas some days
and my fluffy slippers
Movement is sensed
Processor scanning
Frequency mismatch
Response planning
Muscles tighten
Jaw clenched
Eyes set
Ready to present
Guarded heart
Sharpened mind
Decided action
Avoided bind
No connection
Flying words
Perceived pain
Displaying hurts
Inverted receptor
Knowing mistrust
Foggy skies
Accepting what one must
No safety about
Threats all around
Damage done
Hope drowns
Too hard to open
Impossible to receive
Soldier on duty
Ready to leave
...the conversation
Written by Trudy Schrader on 05-19-2026
?The heart I buried starts to wake
?A warmth I thought had long grown cold
?A chance on love I dare to take
?A brand new story to be told
?
?The smile you wear undoes my guard
?Your laughter cuts through all my walls
?To love again seemed oh so hard
?Yet here I am each time I hear your calls
?
?Your eyes speak words you've yet to say
?They pull me in like morning light
?You make me want to find a way
?To hold you close and hold you tight
?
?The fear of falling out renew
?Each moment feels like solid ground
?In loving you I'm born anew
?In your heart am finally found.
?
There’s a blinding light that shines from the sun,
While the moon’s faint glow is veiled, one by one.
Through the years we’ve faced, both heavy and long,
On distant roads, we stayed strong.
You stood with me through life’s every tide,
Through crashing waves, you stayed by my side.
You never let go when trials began,
Still holding the thread with a steady hand.
You’re free to be who you are,
No need to prove, no reaching too far.
I’ll take you as you are, in the colors you wear,
I’ll kiss you and say, “I love you, I swear.”
I’ll always give you space to grow,
And hold out my hand when your spirits are low.
I’m ready to be the one you can lean on,
Your shelter, your strength—your forever home.
SAFE THANK YOU
NO THANK YOU
My enormous dogs are running flat out
cannot go out tomorrow, I have no doubt
Halloween night is frightening for pets
ghouls, goblins and ghosts can cause them frets
dogs cower inside on the eve of black cats
in the sky zoom Dracula with bats
only one night they ask me with puppy dog eyes
Day of the Dead will be here at sunrise
The journey was rough
but I made it home to you
and now I'm finally safe in your arms ~
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
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