2022 Poetry Contest Winners

I belong in the cool, dark cenote,
where lilies float gently in waters so blue;
where fingers of mangroves hold fast to the shoreline,
as the red Mayan sun frames the beauty of you.

I will nod as I enter the canyon,
to pause and explore every texture and hue;
I'll stop to savor ocotillo and primrose,
where the colors will bloom as I share them with you.

I will sit on the shelf of the mesa,
where we marry our thoughts and our heartbeats are true;
I'll dangle my legs like the boy in the big chair,
and the red winds are calm cause I'll be there with you.

I will walk on the trail to the mountain,
where rock fractures scatter and arvensis sing blue;
where ponies still gather to whisper their secret:
to belong in this world is to belong here with you.

I have stuffed so much into this luggage I carry
On my back
In my hands
In my heart.

Mean words boys spoke to me in junior high
Too tall
Too smart
Too much
When he pulled my braids and laughed
When she invited everyone but me

When I couldn’t get pregnant
More shots
More procedures
More appointments
All the negative pregnancy tests
All the mood swings

When I thrived in college, even though I was a small town girl in a bigger city
New friends
New understanding
New experiences
Finding what I was good at
Finding people who would walk beside me for decades

When the IUI finally worked
Heart bursting
Baby coos
Quiet moments at 2am
Learning to sway side to side
Learning to baby-proof the house
Learning to say the right things

All this baggage, this perfectly balancing tower of suitcases,
Has made up my life
I’m setting down the luggage that is too heavy
Making more room
On my back
In my hands
In my heart
For what is light.

I’d like to think bigger. I sometimes feel small. I want to write stores that light fires for all.
I’d like to save lives. I’d like to move faster.
I’d like to clean up every natural disaster.
I’d like to share something. A piece of myself. A story that worthy to live up on your shelf.
I think I could help you. I’d sure like to try.
I can’t stop our seconds and years that fly by.
I don’t have the answers. I don’t have a clue. I wish I could show you the right thing to do.
I could be a leader or maybe a friend. This is just my beginning. I won’t let this end.
I will do something. I will find a way.
Nothing can stop me from starting today.

By Bryanna Farris

A gentle tear, oh broken heart
Serene before the fall
Before thou fell apart

Oh, shattered, shattered, heart

Marked with red, a dark abstracted art
Confounding others; an appall
Obliged to hide, depart

Oh, hardened, hardened, heart

Fervor withdrawn, love in rampart
Beauty lost, melody drawl
Emotions concealed, lost and compart

Oh, empty, empty, heart

Resentful and hollow, thou hatred impart
Consequently, endeavors gall
Anger and pique as thou mask forepart

Oh, wicked, wicked, heart

Oh, wicked, wicked heart?

By Jackson Burress

Drip, drip, drip, water from a stream,
The sun reflects, making the water gleam,
Near this stream I do recall,
A subtle, yet pretty, waterfall,
I see the waterfall, and with great contrast,
I fear these days will be my last,
Drip, drip, drip, water from a stream
For here is my resting place,
So now, I shall start to dream.

Pitter patter, drip drop, pitter patter, drip drop,
Falling, tumbling down from the clouds.

Pitter patter, drip drop, pitter patter, drip drop,
When it has hit the ground it makes a puddle cold and wet.

Pitter patter, drip drop, pitter patter, drip drop,
The sun soon comes out and dries the puddle there, and rises into the air.

Pitter patter, drip drop, pitter patter, drip drop.