Stephanie Ellen Siler Memorial Prize Winner
Cassie Premo Steele
Honorable Mentions:
Vivian Bikulege
When They Ask Me What I Do All Day
My breath. Your breath. Two waves.
Separate shores. One ocean. Sunrise.
Things I hear in the silence.
That woman. Her children. Dead bodies.
Photo on the front page. Peace. Peace. Peace.
What I pray about when I am walking.
A seat. My dog next to me.
A sign saying: You are ok, you will be ok.
What I want when I am spinning.
One word. Another word. Keep going.
Knowing this gift came to me alone.
What I know when I am writing.
Time. rejection. Endlessly trying.
Not getting there before I die.
What I fear when I am doubting.
One flower. Spring breeze. A zephyr.
Birds singing. Your vows to me.
What I love when I am loving.
A hallway light. Open doors. Enough to eat.
Not just for me. For everybody.
What I dream when I am dreaming.
I matter. You matter. We matter.
Separate bodies. One earth. Sunset.
What I believe when I am sleeping.
Judge’s Comment:
The poem had me from the title. I liked the mixture of general images, such as the waves and the newspapers the poet speaks about at the start, and the personal images later in the poem, a seat and the poet’s dog for example. This drew me into the poem and helped establish a personal connection between me and the poet. I also like the way the poet structured the poem around a series of similar questions.