Because You’re Strong
By Plamena Mihaylova
Runner Up, ‘Growing Word’ Category
It’s so early, maybe so late. The time is getting confused at this point.
It’s still dark outside. The sky black as ink.
Maybe you are using that ink to mark papers crucial for someone’s future.
Maybe you kneel beside a kid, trying to teach them the beauty of knowledge.
Or maybe you are arched like a bridge, cleaning someone’s possession to shine.
Maybe you pick up the phone to hear a desperate call for help.
Or maybe you try to tame the flames burning in someone’s home.
Maybe you drive a bus so everyone can reach their final destination.
Maybe you are holding a baby in your hands, handing it to a new mother.
Or maybe you are operating on someone’s body so they can survive for longer.
Maybe you put items in a bag, give them to an old man and wish him a nice day,
Maybe you smile so brightly he can’t help but return it,
Maybe this is the kindest thing that he has encountered all day.
You might not think much of what you're doing, but it matters.
Your actions keep life going and the world spinning.
You are a part of a puzzle so big you don’t even realize.
Without you everything would be the same, you think.
But every word you say, every move you make, it all matters.
It’s hard to keep going when your body aches and mind is overwhelmed,
But you still do it. Because it’s right. Because you’re strong.
Judge’s Comments (Cecilia Knapp)
“I love this poem. It feels compassionate, full of tenderness and humanity. I was struck by how it moved so seamlessly from image to image, the commitment to including such a range of key workers. The repetition of ‘maybe’ and ‘you’ seems to invite us into the poem and encourages us to empathise, to walk in another’s shoes. Some of the language is stunning; ‘you are arched like a bridge’, ‘the sky black as ink.’ The tone is simple but confident, it feels like a really accomplished piece and stood out to me.”
Growing Word poems