Aspiring Poet - NCTC Students
FIRST PRIZE
Poignant Mary Morrison [Author’s note, November 28, 2020: This poem was written at a nature trail-turned construction site, on Thanksgiving Day 2019, the morning after hearing that my friend, Mr. B, was diagnosed with ALS and given 2-4 years to live. We lost him less than two months later.] Present—
Green pipes, pink flags Protruding. Yellow outhouse, orange cones Positioned. Metal boxes, fire hydrant Protecting. Untouched sidewalks, fresh streets Paved.
Flattened landscape, marked plots Potential. Yellow truck, tool buckets Progress. Barricaded entry, solemn warning Permanent.
Previous—
Tidy fence, open sky Picturesque. Winding trail, field of grass Peaked. Wildflowers, singing birds Pleasant. Forest refuge, trickling stream Peaceful.
Berry bushes, spots to muse Plenteous. Dappled light, deer in flight Pure. Quiet space, expanse to roam Paramount. The April Perennial 27
