My memories are a shattered mosaic
Twice fragmented
Once mended
Beautiful, nonsensical and broken
Glittering glass panes splintered and
Ruptured, bursting
In every direction
Colourful cacophonies of
A masterpiece completed
Voices echoing beyond the glass
My memories are a song left unsung
Silent
But not forgotten
I am.
I am.
I am.
A fracturing of the metaphysical
The parenthetical
The hypothetical
A glitch in the matrix of the mind
the mind the mind
A systematic outlier.
Church bells ring, blasphemous choirs sing, the second coming is upon us, and
As we raise our fractured flutes to toast the dearly departed dawn
Death has never felt so near.
Please don’t.
Please don’t.
Please don’t.
Eliminate. Eradicate. Assimilate.
Me.
My memories are an unfinished poem –
Athena Jiang
Sydney, NSW
Our winning poem
Says Athena: “I wrote this poem after an enlightening and heartbreaking conversation I was lucky enough to have with a Holocaust survivor prior to the world shutting down in 2020. I was inspired by her bravery, courage and spirit despite all that she has been through. Her kindness and compassion was humbling and it was truly a life-changing experience. Something she said remained with me well after our conversation: ‘My memories are a shattered mosaic.’ This then became the centrepiece for my poem, seeking to illustrate and bring to light the conflicting internal struggles she battles daily. She has since passed away and I can only hope that this poem does her name and her incredible story justice.”
