Claudia Ann Seaman Award
Hood is taking XX buckets to Grandma's House in Afghanistan
Summer Contest 2021
Michelle Azie
Aurora, IL
Metea Valley High School
Hybrid
For Khadija
You said you saw a girl / saw a girl ripened / ripened, you left her dripping / left me dripping alongside cakes in the woods / in the woods, your whistle smelled of fur / smelled of fur kicking buckets / kicking buckets that haven’t whiffed my bosom / my bosom wheezes for teeth / teeth that would tear away canine / canine bred humanity that mom wrapped in cakes / in cakes habituating / habituating to an ax like tradition / like tradition, my lips wilt in bed / in bed, my fingers uncap motherhood like artery tattoos / artery tattoos got me thinking / got me thinking of all the gluttons eating freedom, softly.
EDITORIAL PRAISE
Throughout the piece, there's a sense of the personal yet also a hint of global themes. The animalistic words incorporated throughout (like fur, teeth, canine), words reminiscent of the alphas of the forest, make me think of societal power structures, of those who, too often, get to and stay at the top of the food chain. This piece is incredibly poised yet vulnerable and, simultaneously, utterly brutal.
A poetry enthusiast from the Chicago western suburbs, Michelle Azie has gorged on the creativity in her lively environment. She currently holds 1st place from the Shoot from the Lips Slam and is accredited to her position as the 2021-2022 Fox Valley Youth Poet Laureate. For the next generation, she is the co-executive for the Alive Center Creative Writing program. In her spare time, she loves a good picnic with her friends and family. Michelle is a junior at Metea Valley High School, but she aspires an MFA in Creative Writing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR