W I N N E R O F T H E J O S H U A W E I N Z W E I G P O E T R Y C O N T E S T, G R A D E 1 2
HOPE ____________________________________________________________ by Kyu Hun Lee, Grade 12 Hope is the essence of life, they say, Lets those without freedom fight against lock and key That it’ll happen one day, if not today That it’s a flash of gold in an ocean of gray That it’s a guideline, a beacon in the sea Hope is the essence of life, they say A whisper to get up, day after day That perhaps today would not be the past three That it’ll happen one day, if not today A soldier’s will to keep death at bay To—against all odds—not stand up nor flee Hope is the essence of life, they say The allure unto men who gamble away Its whisper, reassuring, to pay fee after fee, That it’ll happen one day, if not today Its insidious appeal turning all into prey Stopping them from giving up and being free Hope is the essence of life, they say, That it’ll happen one day, if not today
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