Second Place Poetry Winner
"Dear Hassan"
by Jenna Dunsmore , West Genesee High School
I know I should have been there
to help the pain and fear subside.
As your friend, your brother your cohort.
In me you could confide.
And when I wasn’t there for you
the guilt was indescribable.
The immorality of my silence,
a dark cowardice, undeniable.
Imagine what might have happened
if I had lent a voice,
and stood up for the underdog
or made a different choice.
Then I could rewrite our history
I’d write a whole new book.
Of friendship, not betrayal,
and return the dignity he took.
Although I sit and dwell
on how to make amends,
the past cannot be altered
but my sympathy transcends.