For the Refreshers fair, we organised a little flash writing competition to help stretch your writing skills. The Refreshers Fair is a chance to refamiliarize yourself with the campus after the winter break and to get back into the swing of things. So what better way than a competition to engage those writing muscles?
We asked those who attended the Refreshers Fair, and who saw our Instagram post, to write a poem and/or a piece of flash fiction that included the word change. We chose a winner for each category, and their work can be seen below. We enjoyed going through everyone’s responses and we thank you all for entering.
So without further ado, congratulations to our two winners, Abdullah Parwaiz for poetry and Olivia K Cameron for flash fiction!
Everything/Nothing Changes
By Abdullah Parwaiz
As I glean at the orange hue
I see a world bygone
Imagining my homeland cities
I wonder if it was ever this clear
Memories and hearts are though
Casting a light bright
My dreams and zoned out vision
Take me back
Every day the faces revisit
Gathered around
In the bustling voice of my beloved city
Our laughter
Blasphemy
Mockery
Philosophy
Echoing
Making space
Will anything be the same again?
Unforgiving is time and its tide
Who will hear my cry
Drowning in its current
I must learn to swim along than against
I must learn
Must I learn?
I sip chai here and miss home
I think I will switch to coffee now…
The Edge of Power
By Olivia K Cameron
She found him at the edge of the city, staring at the twin moons like they owed him something. He still wore his ceremonial jacket from the palace—albeit half-unbuttoned, his hair a mess of golden defiance.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said, stepping forward.
“Not avoiding,” he replied, not looking at her. “I’ve just… changed.”
She crossed her arms. “A convenient word. A dangerous one.”
Finally, he faced her, and the intensity in his eyes nearly burned. “What if I told you the government is corrupt? That the Chancellor is a fraud? That everything we fought for means nothing?”
She sighed. “Oh, here we go again. Another one of your ‘the government is lying to us’ theories.”
“It’s not a theory! I saw the archives. The Chancellor plans to replace democracy with an army!”
“And what, exactly, do you intend to do about it?” she challenged.
His hands clenched into fists. “Stop him.”
She arched an eyebrow. “By yourself? Let me guess, you’ve been talking to that mysterious cloaked guy in the marketplace again? The one who ‘totally isn’t suspicious’?”
He hesitated. “He says he can help.”
She groaned. “Of course he does. Next thing you know, he’ll be offering you a cape and unlimited power.”
His silence spoke volumes.
“Oh, stars, he already did, didn’t he?”
He turned away, shoulders tense. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
He hesitated before whispering, “I don’t want to be powerless anymore. I don’t want to sit back and watch as everything crumbles. If I have to change to fix it, then so be it.”
She stepped closer, voice softer. “I know you. You don’t want change. You want control. But control isn’t love, and it won’t save us.”
For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face. “Then what will?”
She smiled. “Us.”
He exhaled sharply, as if her answer was too simple, too bright. Then, finally, he laughed—deep, genuine, free.
“You always have to win, don’t you?” he said, taking her hand.
“Someone has to,” she teased, leading him back toward the city. “And if you ever even think about getting a dramatic cape, I’m leaving you.”
“Noted,” he grinned. “But what if it billows really well?”
Thank you again to everyone who entered our mini-competition, we really appreciate the engagement. We’re still looking forward to reading all your submissions for our print edition.
The deadline is February 16th 2025 so you still have time to give it a go. If you’re interested, you can find our Submission Guidelines Here.
– The On Edge Team