ELLIE HUTCHIESON took first place in the 2024 Wangaratta Young Writers Award year 7/8/9 poetry or song lyrics category with this piece.

The competition was jointly run by the Rotary Club of Wangaratta, and the Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta.

oooo

As the bitter night breeze lightly blows, I feel your presence.

I can't wait to see you again, I don't have the patience.

It still confuses me, why you would be taken.

The thought of you still makes me quite shaken.

Although your heart has stopped,

Just know mine has not.

Your life was cut too early,

You could have had a long journey.

I wonder how your last minutes were

Agony? Pain? Or maybe just a blur

As my memories of you slowly drift away,

I can reassure myself I'll never be left astray.

Maybe this is how it's meant to be,

But what if it's not and you should be free?

I can still feel you looking over me with a glee.

But I still can't help but feel anything but empty.

You're the closest to heaven I'll ever be,

And it really does haunt me.

So maybe, just maybe

You could dream of me?

So what's it like up there,

Is it as good as it seems?

Or is it an illusion, maybe just one big dream?

As I’m looking in the wonderful night sky

I think of all the memories and fantasise about life and what it would be today if

you were by my side?

So I guess this is it,

A goodbye from me.

I love you, Mum, and that’s for sure.

There’s nothing in this world I could love more.