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?”
By Franny Choi
“Periodic” is a monthly column by poet Franny Choi. Every month, she writes a short column on the first day of her period—a check-in that might cover issues of gender, queerness, writing, health, and/or love.
By Madhur Anand
“Found a dead bird on the rented back porch on Rice Lake. / Found it. Not encountered it. More like: glad we did not / not see it.”
Every 15th of the month: new deadlines, new contests, and new opportunities for your voice to find the world. The next six weeks include: the Frontier Industry Prize, RHINO Poetry, Beloit Poetry Journal, VQR and more.
“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).
“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!