Tulip Season - By Jessica Venter

Written By: Jessica Venter

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Jessica Venter, participating under the name "Tulip Season," contributes a reflective piece to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her poem, titled "Tulip Season," navigates the tender theme of kindness as a currency and the delicate intersections of giving and receiving. As part of the Poetry category, this work invites readers to ponder the nuances of human connection and the silent exchanges that shape our experiences.

About the Work

"Tulip Season" by Jessica Venter captures the essence of unspoken emotions and the fragility of gestures. Through vivid imagery and a contemplative tone, the poem explores themes of kindness, longing, and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. The use of tulips as a central metaphor enriches the message, highlighting the beauty and transience of heartfelt exchanges. Venter's literary style is both delicate and evocative, drawing readers into a world of quiet introspection.

Tulip season

Original Submission by Jessica Venter

Tulip Season

Kindness is a quiet currency

spent in the tilt of a smile,

in the hinge of a door held open

for hands lined like old maps,

in the weightless gift of a red balloon to a child who will forget your face

but not the colour.

I have never believed

in giving nothing.

Yet I have learned

how the smallest offering

can echo loudest in the wrong chamber. You told me once,

in an offhand breeze of conversation, that tulips were your favourite.

I kept it,

as one keeps a pressed leaf between pages not to be given,

but to be known.

And still, I gave it back to you,

rootless, severed from the earth,

wrapped in paper the colour of sunrise. Perhaps I wanted to plant something in your day. Perhaps I mistook absence for invitation. Now your silence is a frost.

I do not know

whether it is winter for you

or simply for me.

To others, tulips are decoration,

a luxury,

an indulgence of petals.

To me, they are a confession

each stem an unspoken sentence,

each bloom a small surrender

I could not voice aloud.

They will wilt by the week’s end,

leaves curling inward

as though protecting what remains.

And I will wonder

if I, too, reached too far into your light, if my roots were never meant

to touch your soil.

You are the garden

I have only seen through glass.

And I

I am the hand

that will never learn

the weight of holding you in bloom.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, celebrates diverse voices and artistic expressions from around the world. This prestigious event showcases the creativity and literary prowess of participants across various categories, offering a platform for poets and writers to share their unique perspectives and stories.

Thank you, Jessica Venter, for sharing "Tulip Season" with us as part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your poignant exploration of kindness and longing resonates deeply, offering readers a moment of reflection and connection. We appreciate your contribution to this celebration of poetic artistry.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.