***

They lead me to a stage made out of wood. People cheering, all in happy mood. There is a rope. They tie it all around my chest. Another rope. This time attaching my body to the stalk. All are shouting. Screaming for a show. So here they bring another rope. They light the fire, I breathe in the smoke. I hear them all. All waiting for my fall. There is no fear. I still can hear. They’re all looking in my direction. No one seeing my reaction. No one knowing how I looked. No one caring why I burnt. My eyes open against my will. I just want to stop to feel. But instead I look and really see. I lock my eyes at them, but no one at me. The flames begin to reach my body. I cannot think, my mind is foggy. It quiets down. I cannot hear the screams. I have no choice but to close my eyes and breathe it in. I wish I did not have to feel. But I did. I felt it all. Until all left was my ash laying on the floor. Please, read this: This was the graduation poem that Alexandra Radeva wrote for the Writers’ Award of Sofia Writing Challenge, published here exactly as submitted. If you liked it, please, vote for the poem with the Heart button. This will help the author win the Writers’ Award. The poem with the most likes by July 10, Wednesday, 8 pm, will win the award. Thank you! ♥

Have you met this girl called Ever? She has the straightest hair that falls like straw somewhere between her shoulders and the end of all the boredoms. She's short, she always wears pants that are too big in size and her toenails have never been trimmed, polished or clean. So there goes Ever - obsessing over life, always eating right, never judging you... No wonder she outgrew her small town that turns the lights out when it's ten. But then, just take a look at Ever when darkness comes along. You'll find her writing songs, or learning Braille, or sizing her depression with a scale, or treating her disease with greenish brew. Or reading all the secrets out of you. And everyone loves Ever. For when you think you'll last She'll change your life so fast like she is running out of time. And although scary, it all comes out just fine. Now hush, so that you won't wake Ever - she seems so delicate and warm. She looks like she will stay this way forever. And looks like you'll do anything to just remember how she laughed until she almost fainted in that museum, when you told her that life was just around the corner. If you only knew that, laughing out of breath, she was looking in the eyes of Death. And this will haunt your dreams forever. If you only knew... Please, read this: This was the graduation poem that Miloslava Abadzhieva wrote for the Writers’ Award of Sofia Writing Challenge, published here exactly as submitted. If you liked it, please, vote for the poem with the Heart button. This will help the author win the Writers’ Award. The poem with the most likes by July 10, Wednesday, 8 pm, will win the award. Thank you! ♥

you know what you have never known and go where you have never been not having the slightest clue you chase a bubble dream the bluesy sound of tempting darkness becomes your third-eye gate which swallows your future and enters your fate so in this stolen moments of graceful escapism the pleasures of finding a poem seduce the human reason Please, read this: This was the graduation poem that Zornitza Genova wrote for the Writers’ Award of Sofia Writing Challenge, published here exactly as submitted. If you liked it, please, vote for the poem with the Heart button. This will help the author win the Writers’ Award. The poem with the most likes by July 10, Wednesday, 8 pm, will win the award. Thank you! ♥