RESULTS: Royal Roads Springtastic Poetry contest

The results are in! Congratulations to Master of Arts in Justice Studies student Trevor Williams for submitting the winning poem, Season’s Blend. Trevor will receive our RRU writer's pack.

Winning poem

Season's Blend

By Trevor Williams

Have you ever considered the courage of snow?

Opening itself up to the potential of glowing spring tendrils of sunlight  

Vulnerability to thaw, to feel illumination’s shifting promise cascading

To marvel at their wisdom as season’s blend

A potential from the snow; an invitation to surrender, to transform 

To remember…

To remember that snow is teacher 

Nature’s curriculum: 

A beckoning to become — metamorphosis

From one state to another 

To melt the granite skepticism within

Frozen despair, cynicism suspended from another brutish winter 

Renewed into water and flow, with warmth and possibility 

“Who will I become? River or rain? Sweat or ocean? 

There is potential generativity in this change…”

Harnessing the shifting state of snow to face the fearful frigid angst of today 

Let’s melt into habitat’s hope

Announcing our first annual Royal Roads Springtastic Poetry contest. 

March 21 marks World Poetry Day, a global celebration honoring one of humanity's most cherished forms of cultural and linguistic expression. Poetry is a window into new worlds, so let’s see yours! 

How the contest works

The contest is open to everyone – students, staff, faculty, associate faculty, alumni, contractors and friends of Royal Roads.

The challenge? 

Write one poem no longer than 21 lines long in the style of your choosing, using at least five of these words:

• Cedar
• Courage 
• Bloom
• Marvel
• Rain
• Shine
• Change
• Curriculum
• Habitat
• Cascade

Send us your poem by Tuesday, March 19 at noon.

Our judges, resident poets Ali Blythe and Erin Limacher, will read poems without knowing who wrote them and will select a winner based on imagery and creative use of the words. 

A winner will be announced on World Poetry Day, Thursday, March 21 and will receive an RRU writer’s prize pack, available for pick up on campus, including a hoodie, ball cap, notebooks and more!

May the verse be with you!