Poetry Diversified
2018

A Human Experience Anthology

Editor Lucinda J. Clark

Copyright 2018 @ PRA Publishing

All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in a newspaper, magazine, radio, television or blog review, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher. Copyright ownership for each poem remains with the poet whose name appears with the title.

PRA Publishing
P.O. Box 211701
Martinez, Georgia 30917
www.prapublishing.com

ISBN 978-1941416-16-7 (ePub)
ISBN 978-1941416-17-4 (Mobi)
LCCN 2018938055

Cover design by Rada Kuznetsova

For
Spring Robinson- Mahogany Red

Acknowledgments

This edition of Poetry Diversified comes as we celebrate our eighteenth year of awarding literary prizes for emerging voices. We have so many people to thank for our continued success. First, there are the volunteers that judge. To my children; Jeska and Xavier Clark who have been judging since its beginning. They are now in their mid-twenties and keep their schedules open when the call to judge comes even now. To Pauline Findlay, Sharon Schroeder, Calvin Pennywell and Leah Smith.

To Tulane University remote interns Rada Kuznetsova for her thoughtful introduction and painstaking effort to stay true to poet’s intentions while editing. Kayla Davis who worked on review with intent to learn as much about the process of putting an anthology together.

To the teachers who encourage students to enter year after year like Jen Karetnick of Miami Arts Charter Schools. It has been a pleasure reading the thoughts of the future minds you shape.

To Laura Macdonald, our newest team member, who came to the party late but asked the one question that kept this project and several others on track. While I could go on I will stop here because you, dear reader, want to get on with it. Enjoy.

Table of Contents

Introduction Rada Kuznetsova

2016 Winners

Middle School Category

Suspenseful City (Mateo Strickland)

Downcast (Isabella Matthei)

Regrets (Alana Olivero)

Fake (Maia Tasker)

High School Category

The Number Game (Daniela Antelo)

Dear Abuela (Naomi Jeanpierre)

Cosmic Soul (Nyaila Newbold)

The Mask (Allyson Ifergan)

Adults Category

You Became My Father (Gina Marie Mammano)

Hairology (Amanda O’Mara)

That Brilliant Samba (David Morgan O’Connor)

Lighthouse (Melanie Lucht)

Seniors Category

Never at Rest (Nancy Louise Cook)

Barefoot in Montgomery (Lee Patton)

Jack’s Commitments (Robert Ronnow)

International Poets Category

Mapendo (Mima Kabwe)

I Procrastinated (Graca N. Kibio)

Hope (Siya Ntsumpa)

The Wayfarer’s Waterloo (Yvonne Wedgewood)

2017 Winners

Middle School Dave Drake Award

To the Willow (Elyse Thomas – 1st Place)

The Anatomy of Hope (Angelina Minittee – 2nd Place)

Trumpet of the Herald (Turner Tollusziz – 3rd Place)

Why Choose To Risk It (Lily Barmoha – 4th Place)

High School Category – Aiken

Supernatural (Cameron Barron)

Fragile (Jasmine Kitchings)

Colors (Lizzy Kleinkauf)

Building Block (Brandi De Haven)

High School Category – World

If Forgiveness Was Made of Stardust (Sophia Giudici-Juarez)

The Infinity of Possibility (Marina Ellis)

Her Voice (Jennifer Nguyen)

Death of the Poèt (Nadia Dimitrova)

Adults Mahogany Red Literary Prize

Racist Rice (Minncey Richani)

Diamonds on the Rocks (Ellen Ricks)

The Death of A Poet (Kendall Driscoll)

Paradise in Tears (Masoyo Has)

Impatience (Noel Pratt)

Seniors

Red Ink On Miracles (Wendy MacLean)

THE LAST WILDFLOWER (Don Shook)

FEAR OF FIRE. LOWER EAST SIDE, 1966 (Terence Cady)

Ode to the Ravioli I Left Behind (Dianalee Velie)

Introduction

My name is Rada Kuznetsova and I am an intern at Poetry Matters Project. Currently, I am an undergraduate student at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA majoring in English and Art History. Coincidentally, I am also one of the few lucky people who got a chance to work with Poetry Diversified anthology series. The Poetry Matters Project and this book are my debuts in the publishing industry. I hope to become a book editor after I graduate and this became a great starting point for me. I was looking for an internship opportunity through the TRIP program at Tulane University, so I could gain some experience in the literary world. Then, I stumbled upon the Poetry Matters Project. I have never really done editing in the past, so I was entirely unprepared for how much I would love it.