Jalene Van Zyl, Thailand's National Honour
October 2026
Colourful Class
On paper
We concentrate in grey;
Rub, rub, rub slip-ups away.
And the stubborn colours stain
Differently: a special kind of day.
I dig, dig, dig
Like a rabbit, ears alert,
Sniffing after carrots,
Delving through
Thoughts in a colouring
Pencil box.
The classroom wall
Goes tick-tock.
At first it slowed and stopped.
But now somehow it speeds up—
Colours ablaze.
Score: 67.65 out of 100.
Read the October 2026 National Honours