Writing Out Of The HD Shadow: winning entries 2019
Thank you to everyone who entered this year’s Writing Out Of The HD Shadow competition. Here are this year’s winning entries.
Under 16’s: Writing About HD: The Light Beyond The Shadow
No Mercy by Georgie Garrett
I have no mercy.
I am the fire that burns you from the inside.
I am the ice that pierces your own heart.
I am the shadow that is always with you,
always waiting, poised to kill.
I have no mercy.
When you try to write, Iâll be there.
When you try to walk, Iâll be there.
When you try to end it all, I will let youâŚ
But only after I have had my say.
I have no mercy.
The small boy who feeds you after school,
The girl who puts you to bed,
The family that holds and cares for youâŚ
Will all, one day, be mine.
I have no mercy.
Only when you are weakened,
When you cannot distinguish the hallucinations from reality,
When your limbs will not hold still,
When you do not recognise your loved ones
And they do not recognise you,
Only then will I leave you.
And I will leave you with no mercy.
Daddy? by Kenneth MacIver
âDaddy, Mummy’s twitchingâ,
âDaddy, Mummyâs getting angryâ,
âDaddy, Mummyâs drawing differentâ,
âDaddy, Mummy’s forgetting thingsâ,
âDaddy, Mummy’s falling overâ,
âMummy needs to go to the Doctorâsâ, Daddy said.
âMummy’s sickâ, Daddy said.
âMummy’s got what Grandad hadâ, Daddy said.
âDaddy, will you get sick?â,
âNo, I wonâtâ, Daddy said.
âDaddy, will I get sick?â,
âI donât knowâ, Daddy said.
âMummy canât work anymoreâ, Daddy said.
âMummyâs going to live in a different houseâ, Daddy said.
âMummy needs helpâ, Daddy said.
âMummyâs going to a place where they can help herâ, said Daddy.
âYou can go and see Mummy any time you wantâ, said Daddy.
âMummy’s in a better place now’, cried Daddy.
âGrandad, Mummyâs twitching…
Huntingtonâs Disease by Christopher Rae
My mind is like a race car,
Twisting and turning.
My memory is like a bus,
People getting on and off all the time.
My body is like the rain hitting the ground jumping around in all directions,
Jumping around everywhere.
But I am like a flickering light bulb,
waiting to go out.
Over 16s: Writing Out Of The HD Shadow
Johnny by Andrew Phillips
Always he was up for a beer, no matter what time of year. Just a normal lad – whole life ahead of him.
As I used to wait, his dad occasionally groaned and convulsed, unable to control his movements – his arms and legs kicking out. Johnny’s fate was never in doubt.
One morning off to the seaside we did go; cooling our feet in the murky, brown sea – that was Barry. A lush day we spent there, whiffing the salty, sea air.
Watching football once in a while, before God came to take him early; wearing a knowing smile…
Dad by Sheila Scougall
Dad, the waitress has been three times now. We have to order. The soup came…. Oh no Dad, you canât need to go to the loo already! Please, just leave his soup, he wonât be long…. Could we have some more napkins? Great….. Sorry can we have another knife?… Mum! Pat Dad on his back, I think he is choking. Are you OK? Good. Oops! You have spilt your water. Never mind we can mop it up with these extra napkins…. Yes thanks, we have all now finished; you can bring us our puddings….. Great! Can we have our bill? Iâll use my card. Dad put on your jacket. Yes I have your glasses….
âLook at that drunk man, he can hardly walk straight, and is with his family. How embarrassing.â
âHow dare you say that! He is not drunk. He has Huntingtonâs Disease. And he is MY DAD!â