a picture of my brother
By Jana K
It is sad. Like flower in winter it is white
it is blue. Like a cloudy
sky in my heart. It breaks when I see it.
It reminds me of Egypt, friends, hot
weather, prayer mats. He is so cute like
a red rose.
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This poem was awarded First Place (Primary) for Poetry Object 2018
Judge's notes:
‘a picture of my brother’ is an understated and gorgeous piece of writing. This poem stood out for its unusual and unexpected similes—the picture is likened to a ‘flower in winter’ and ‘a cloudy / sky in my heart’—and wonderful use of enjambment, which gives the sense that the poem itself is a picture constantly unfolding before the reader.
Most compelling is the way in which the chosen object becomes a way to evoke, with remarkable economy and emotional
complexity, all that it stands in for: memories, a missing loved one, a missed home (‘Egypt, friends, hot / weather, prayer mats’); feelings of loss and distance and sorrow.
~ Bella Li, Judge, Poetry Object 2018
Watch our Poetry Object 2018 Winning Poems Animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvzpzwhQsx8