Congratulations to Isabella Ierano and her winning, creative writing pieces! Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. Below are the winning poems, as well as links to the rest of the participants’ submissions:

Glimpse by Bella Ierano
Painful smiles, perfect scars
Crescent moon and clouded stars
Nothing in this world we see was ever truly ours
Words that we don’t mean
Faults we can’t redeem
Doubt is all that separates reality from dream
Wounds unwashed by man pollute all hope across the land
Impossible to mend them all—
Though some still think we can
Lack of open space,
Winds of change that race
In the midst of all the chaos sits a pretty face
Eyes move side to side
Racing thoughts, but graceful stride
A smile that looks like bliss
although, there’s more the smile hides
A woman—stag she stands,
til a man offers his hand
They dance and once the music stops
they’re lonely twice again
Standards set in stone
Cities claimed, yet still unknown
No one’s traveled far enough to call this place their own

Loving is Grimm by Bella Ierano
God, I want it more than anything
but cannot simply buy it.
I could fake it til I make it
but can’t have it til I try it.
I’ll imagine you’re the one
while the stars point to another.
I can make you think I’m perfect
when we’re awful for each other.
I’m no damsel in distress,
but you are certainly no Cupid.
Lie and cheat and fight with me
but don’t think that I’m stupid.
You can paint my roses red
and I’ll pretend I’m satisfied.
At least they’ll appear beautiful
until the day they die.
You’re my custom brand of poison,
I’m aware it’s such a pity,
But I’d still bite into the apple
’cause it tells me I look pretty.
The little words you say to me,
they fester, rot, and linger.
But if a spinning wheel called to me like you,
I’d gladly prick my finger.

The wheel of mass misfortune
in the center of all that seems great
At the table she draws another card
and prays for a new fate
They like to play with fire like they’ll never feel the burn
The people count their blessings
as the dealer tables turn
Your eyes say that you’ve got me where you’ve wanted me
but then,
once you think all bets are settled,
I just raise the stakes again
My poker face concealing that my hand is not enough,
Still, you wait for me to fold cause you’re afraid to call my bluff
Across the floor these souls will die on hills of red or black
As high rollers look down to find there’s snake eyes glaring back
Ambition says to chance it
and the drink says double down
But heaven knows there’s only so much luck to go around
by Bella Ierano

Links to the runner-up participants’ stories:

“There Is Nothing We Can Do” by Sophie Shuster

“The Chair in the Attic” by Nadia Boukhediche

Flash News Articles by Sawyer Lanni

“The Birthday Girl” by Brooke Hughes