The Bermudian magazine is delighted to introduce the winners of our highly successful 2016 Short Story & Poetry Contest, themed “Sunrise” featuring photographs submitted by our readers. Congratulations to short story winner Nathan Swan whose story “Son Rise” won the hearts of our judges. In the poetry division, Clare Warburton won for her well-crafted poem, “Readiness.” Both Clare and Nathan received a cash prize of $500. Look out for runner-up and honourable mention entries in both the short story and poetry divisions to be posted later this summer!

Our thanks go to our three wonderful judges: Meredith Ebbin, Alan Smith & Elizabeth Jones.

Readiness

by Clare Warburton

Violet, a lowlight tease of sunrise. Squeezing open eyes still sleep-blind,
Slipping out of bed, she widens the blinds
Seeking signs or omens of the day ahead.

Below, indigo steals in obliquely, a thief’s shadow,
Shivering awake, dispelling a yawn,
Foretelling dawn, shaking off fear and

Etching blue through the bruised atmosphere.
She stretches, a yoga pose, a rehearsal, a sketched proposal,
The thin edge of a pledge

Chasing a wedge of racing green, spring green, go.
She jots on hopeful scraps, plots her opening speech,
Each argument leaping an arc of lapsed synapses.

A tinting yellow follows, breaking fast now,
Glinting off a window, gleaming off a bowl.
Morning routine, pouring tea, gathering steam, a warm

Streak of orange disturbs the dark conforming wardrobe
Proposing a stark departure from the norm of court robes.
She dresses with care,
Preparing to fight taboos, daring to light a fuse which

Will ignite red, a startling kick-starting scarlet.
Her first serious hearing.
She chooses the red-soled shoes
A searing lipstick
The ruby earrings refracting
Tens of crimsons
A thousand carmines
A million vermilions.
This is the red of confidence, of prosecution, of conviction.
The red of readiness.

Read the winning Short Story, “Son Rise” by Nathan Swan.