Winning Entries

I Came Back Different

From Volga’s banks to Hudson’s wide embrace,
We crossed the map to find a common ground,
To look beyond the headlines, face to face,
When quiet truths and shared hopes found.

​With every battle fought and freedom won,
As summer warmth drapes over marble white,
Two hundred fifty years since it begun —
The Capitol still shines in freedom's light.

​Again at home, winter used to stay
Like heavy velvet on the square stones,
But we would talk until the break of day
Of jazz and space and future milestones.

We traced the lines when histories are met,
Elbe River handshakes, cosmic pioneers,
The lessons that we shouldn't quite forget,
The friendship bridge we built across the fears.

​​I see the stars burst in a ruby red,
The blue and white that spark against the dark,
And think of all the words we haven't said,
The embers waiting for another spark.

Diplomacy is more than treaties signed,
It lives in kitchens, classrooms, and exchange,
In showing two cultures, which aligned
And find a warmth that neither cold or strange.

So happy birthday, land of endless road,
From one who walked your cities as a guest,
May peace become your permanent abode,
And understanding be your truest quest.