THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

Something tells me to go,

To go home not alone,

But with cheers and tears of friends and foes,

A journey - bound to undergo.

I think of my land well known,

The familiar trees, bushes, and breeze,

The songbirds who sing to me,

And the moon at night, that always seems to freeze.

They tell me to come home,

To come home - not forlorn,

But with my head held high, and a gentle smile,

And a badge of honour, that I wear with pride.

They tell me to come with stories,

Of times I refused to bow, or wallow in shame,

Of times when I didn’t necessarily win the game,

But persevered and stayed without disdain.

They tell me to come home,

To a land that might listen to a tale,

Of my struggles and my repeated pursuit of glory,

For my destination is home, and my duty - my journey.