Poetry New Zealand Yearbook student poetry competition 2020

Scratchy shuffles how you gonna tap outta this girl? scratchy shuffles like a broken record on the wood wondering if your screws have fallen out focussed faces on high toes bobby-pinned buns and pink eyeshadow maybe I didn’t get the memo? breaking down the last few lessons muscles crying out for help dizzy and more dizzy I can’t live this dance anymore until the spotlights fall but not I lips dry from smiling into the darkness that is an audience or maybe just the judge are they smiling back? and there’s a surge I want to keep tapping to my heart beat lip syncing excitement this is it until the spotlights blacken and so do I life pushing me off the stage punching my bloody nose most days I dance 30

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Poetry New Zealand Yearbook student poetry competition 2020

Articles inside

Lily Joyce — Highly commended, Year 13 How long will my heart bleed

Lucy Barge — Highly commended (equal), Year 12 Scratchy shuffles

Cadence Chung — Third prize, Year 12 We lovers

Luke Aldridge — Third prize (equal), Year 11 Tiki tour

Pippi Jean — First prize (equal), Year 13 11.11 pm

Alia Wentz — Highly commended, Year 13 In between

Sarah-Kate Simons — Highly commended (equal), Year 11 Scar tissue

Theles Hakaria — Second prize, Year 12 Tōku whare

Moeka Koyama — Third prize (equal), Year 11 Character of music

Georgia Wearing — Second prize, Year 13 Bury the lamb

Fergus McMullan — Highly commended (equal), Year 11 Uniform

Catherine Bullock — Third prize, Year 13 Orthotropics

Cadence Chung — First prize, Year 12 Hey girls

Paniti Gulyani — Second prize, Year 11 What it takes to be a window

Holly Willis — Highly commended, Year 12 Heaters

Pippi Jean — First prize (equal), Year 13 Class of 2020