Popoff International Contest

Poets for Human Rights announces the 2007 Alexander Popoff Youth Award poetry contest  International Winners

The Alexander Popoff Youth Award is the legacy of a young man who believed in the goodness of the human spirit. The first contest drew so many submissions from foreign countries that the contest founder, Georgia Popoff, decided to hold two contests this year, one for young poets from the US and one international contest. This year's judge for both contests was Ryfkah Horwitz, of La Mirada, California. Ryfkah is a teacher, poet and member of Womansong poetry performance ensemble advocating anti-abuse and celebration of life.

International 3rd Place winner is 11-year-old Vania Tan from Karori, New Zealand.
 

Globe of your memories

Spin the globe, grip it tight,
Around & Around,
Faster & Faster,
Don't ever stop.

Hold the world in your hands,
Spinning forever,
Never let go.
Dream up your destination,
Wherever you want to go,
Focus now.
They'll take you there,
Wherever you want to go.
Close your eyes.
Can you feel it?
Can you hear it?
As it surrounds you,
This destination of your dreams.
Let them take you away,
To this place where you will be safe.

I think you can open your eyes now…
I think you are there now…
Don't look back now,
Keep going forward.
You are safe now…

Now, make sure you have fun today.
Make sure you enjoy yourself today.
Tick, tock, tick, tock, click, click, click,
You have until midnight.
Until you have to return.

But wait now…
Didn't I tell?
There's a small catch now…
Didn't I tell?
There's a price now…
Didn't I tell?
You'll have to pay for the services now,
I'll tell you how…
I'll tell you what I want you to do…
I need a cloud in a vial from the shop in the town.

Trust me; you'll know where to go.
The way will be clear.
Trust me; `cause it's your soul on the stake,
Ready to burn if you fail to partake.

Oh, but it must be done before midnight.
Before the globe starts to spin once again.
Around & around,
Faster & faster,
Won't ever stop.

Then you'll be home again.
The cloud in the vial, that I will claim.
All will be gone, all will be lost, all but the memories.
You'll have only the memories.
Just the memories and nothing else.
But those memories they will be forever with you.
Those memories they will be priceless.
Those memories you may treasure forever.

So make sure you have fun today.
Make sure you enjoy yourself today.
`Cause your time, it's running out,
Tick, tock, tick, tock, click, click, click,
And now for goodbyes,
All I must say is you, you make those memories last…
Make them last forever…
Tick, tock, tick, tock, click, click, click.

2nd Place winner is Suvansh Raj Nirula of New Delhi, India. Suvansh is 11 years old.

Humanity at War!!

All over the globe the number of dead are increasing
A bomb here, a bomb there, it's no more surprising
Few faces of evil and cruelty
Seem to be creating havoc for the majority
None seem to be spared
In their success to spread hatred

No more shall the mind be without fear
A blast or killing could happen anywhere near
No more shall there be a welcome smile to a stranger
As the scared mind would signal a danger
No more elation at a fire cracker bursting
As the mind would say it could be a horrible bombing
If allowed to spread their sinister tentacles
The terrorists would create an unwanted spectacle

No more shall we have
The cool breeze from the wonderful seven seas
No more shall we have
The dazzling vibrant colours of the rainbow
No more shall we have
The smell of peace from the seven continents
The hanging sword of terror shall only leave
Barren land surrounded by repelling red blood coloured sea.

The news show sight of woman, orphaned children crying
Without a fault their innocent relatives are dying
"War against terror" as called by USA and allies
but people see only hardships, suffering and cries
All we see is the drying up of tears from their eyes
But wonder, when and how they would again start their lonely lives?

Why is there no war against poverty
Why no war against illiteracy
Why no one to fight the war against hunger
And why no one to fight War on AIDS, the biggest danger
Why are they using their ability
To fight this WAR ON HUMANITY.

I close my eyes to say a prayer to God
Give them some sense, oh lord!!
To those who have treaded on a wrong path
WAKE UP!! Stop this horrible blood bath
Please give up hatred, stop this revengeful dance
I plead, Please give peace at least one last chance…

The 2007 Alexander Popoff International Youth Award 1st Prize winner is Gorbachev Yowah of Johannesburg, South Africa. Gorbachev is 17 years old. In response to notification that his poem had won, Gorbachev wrote: "THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! for you assistance and for organizing this contest. You might not realize it, but it gives kids like me an opportunity at life, so God Bless you… If I may be a bother, I was wondering if you knew of any scholarships offered to foreign students to study in the U.S.A. at high school level." Any sponsors or patrons who would like to help this young man continue his education can contact me at stazja@yahoo.com.

UNTITLED….for the word are lacking.

I want to write but the words don't sound right
I wish I was a poet
Not about love or mysterious planets
But about the millions dead in Darfur, and so I took a pen and paper,
But my mind wouldn't script
I wish I was Shakespeare

I want to paint, so please give me a brush
Not a portrait of an amour, but of a six year old carrying a gun
When I was six I still couldn't hold a pen
And so I grabbed a brush, paint and canvass, but my hands wouldn't
move
I wish I was Da Vinci

I couldn't paint and I couldn't write, at least not anything that
could end a war
So I thought I would speak, but my lips wouldn't part
And so all I could do was seat there and watch the news
And they say a hundred civilians died in a suicide bombing in the
middle east
I say our mortuaries are as good as butcheries, cause people are
dying like cows
Now I looked for a microphone, but all I found was a knife.

And so I cursed MR Shakespeare for spending his lifetime writing such
titles as Romeo and Juliet
And Da Vinci for his Amourous portraits
Why were the greatest speeches made to motivate man to war, and why
are our greatest heroes soldiers…
I found no answer.
I decide to live the past to rest, and all its greats
For do we really need Shakespeare to write a poem about Darfur
Or Da Vinci to paint a classic on Baghdad, so we can comprehend that
we are killing ourselves