The Spirit of Writing Collective (SOW), sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Integrated Learning (CDIL), celebrated National Poetry Month in April at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) by holding a poetry contest. A “Poet-Tree” was also constructed in the West Wing (near the Lecture Hall, room 216) with the theme “Read a poem, like a poem, take a poem”. Poems from a book of poetry, “Poem in your Pocket”, donated by Shuli Lamden, SFCC faculty member, were placed on the “tree” and around campus for people to take with them. Daniel Kilpatric, SFCC creative writing faculty, donated a poem to be placed on the “Poet-Tree”. Flyers and posters announcing the contest were designed by Tyrone Wright, SFCC student and SOW’s leader, and Emily Stern, CDIL Coordinator. Eleven poets submitted sixteen poems, which were read and then randomly selected.
The winners: SFCC student Caitlin Scott, for “Lost”; SFCC Fitness Facility Supervisor Catherine Lepard, for “Yearning”; and SFCC student, Anna Girdner, for “World On Edge”. Each winner received a $20 Starbucks gift card.
Caitlin Scott, SFCC student
“Lost”
The clouds are lost today,
Like forgotten lullabies,
Stuck in the throat of a strangled sky.
The flowers levitate today,
With their crepe paper wings,
Pink dreams that the bees cannot sting.
The heads of trees sway today,
Like jaded old men,
Falling asleep in church, disillusioned again.
Anna Girdner, SFCC student
“World On Edge”
The world sits edge
Everything watches
No one steps in to stop it
Like a bright flame
It brought warmth and light
It was captivating
No one thought it could be dampened
So much was brought forth from it
But nothing lasts forever
Not even the stars
It didn’t die in glory or strength
But in a quiet whimper of weakness
All one could do was watch
As the tall and mighty fell to an all time low
As the unbeatable took their last stand and were beat
Nothing could stop it from flickering and fading out
The world sits on edge
Waiting for the next great empire to rise
And like all those empires before it,
Fall
Catherine Lepard, fitness facility supervisor, SFCC
“Yearning”
a brush of flesh, a loss of breath
a kiss, a loving stare
yearning for…that glistening light
behind your eyes
blue and fresh as morning air
lips like pillows, soft and plush
a dream…a chance blows
through the air
