By Márton Simon (Translated by Timea Balogh)
“I smear the makeup you left behind / on my face in an effort to love myself. / And I think I’ll eventually drink these two bottles / of perfume that have been here since— / what else could I do with them?”
“I collect poets who throw themselves out of hospital windows in Voronezh. / I wheel a teacart in a large house, its clattering spoons / announce my arrival.
By Kim Harvey
This July, as we ring in another Independence Day in America, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to reflect on what our country means to us, how we relate to it and to each other, and how we will shape its future. In this month’s PWA, we offer you five powerful poems with distinct and diverse viewpoints on the topic of America.
We’re honored to have had the chance to explore with Paisley Rekdal the journey of her new collection, Nightingale (Copper Canyon Press).
We are so grateful to all of our partner-poets for sharing their work with us—please enjoy their beautiful words in our Featured Poetry catalogue.
“no country plants innocence / in its daughters we are fertile / for droughts”
Guest judge Edward Hirsch had a difficult time choosing from our exceptional finalists, but in the end, he chose Shelley Stenhouse to take the $4000 prize. Congratulations to Shelley, and to all of our winners and finalists!
By Rainie Oet
“My hands are open—the worm points straight up, / drops of its blood rising one at a time.”