2009 Poetry Winners

First Prize
the child of a stranger by Wendy

Second Prize
Untitled by Selorm

Third Prize (tie)
Untitled by Bea

Third Prize (tie)
Coconut Cowgirl by Hosanna

First Prize:
the child of a stranger by Wendy China/USA, age 17
 
at birth I was offered up to this country, some
innocent and
crawling appeasement
subject to the laws and
dreams of its
people.
 
but my body holds the lines of your
country and my
country
unevenly. I cannot melt the borders
into one. I am no melting
pot. these borders are edged with
barbed wire.
 
I cannot fuse these patches of
redwhiteandblue with
yellowstarsandred. I cannot blend
the statue of liberty and the
great wall into something
monumental. the lakes will not
coalesce together. I cannot move mountains.
 
you
were born under a plated sun and
I under the snow. born half a world away,
I
 
sew together these borders with
clumsy fingers,
you
 
hold my fingers steady.

Wendy on Life Between Cultures: The hardest thing about balancing two cultures is reconciling the disconnect between them and trying to find personal meaning in both. Both cultures, both lands complete me as a person. One land is where I've grown up and the other holds my family's history. The hardest and best thing about being the only one in my family born in the US is having two homes and none at the same time.

Second Prize:
Untitled by Selorm, Ghana/USA Age

The drums sound,
and her village hands slap like thunder onto the
paved city streets and crumbling suburban sidewalks.
The baked gold dust of the Motherland has speckled the back of her hands,
though her blue jeans and sneakers are stained red, white and blue;
red, gold and green.
Her dance is backbreaking and classic,
though her spirit was born long before 1776.
Her soul resides with the Blackened Ones,
her body in the West.
But she is not torn nor troubled,
split nor shaken.
She dances fearlessly on the border of
two worlds.

Selorm on Life Between Cultures: What is the hardest thing about balancing two cultures? You're either "too American" or "too foreign" depending on which circle you are in. It can be very difficult to find and be yourself when you constantly feel like you're disappointing a particular group of people because you don't, and can't, completely fit in with them. What is the best thing about being an immigrant? Being part of an immigrant family makes one incredibly unique!

Third Prize (tie):
Untitled by Bea, Moldova/USA, Age 19

Imagine the coincidental unison
From a distance.
We sat on the rooftop
Watching fireworks explode
From all ends of the city
It's the most alluring thing to watch
Fireworks
From a rooftop.
As one firework sprang up
And died,
Another one
Miles away,
Would do the same.  

Bea on Life Between Cultures: The most difficult part about balancing two cultures is the idea that you can't please everyone; you almost have to come to a middle point between the two. If you're constantly learning new things and having new experiences that alter your moral or opinions, you are most likely going to disappoint the more conservative end of the two cultures. However, in the same breath, new cultural experiences are the best part about being an immigrant.

Third Prize (tie):
Coconut Cowgirl by Hosanna, Fiji/USA, Age 16

Island princess, barefoot and brown
Classroom’s a forest, birds all around
Happy go lucky, no need for worry
Me go slow when me go, no reason to hurry.
 
But soldiers they come, and rebels they fight
Running  to safety, run through the night
Get on an airplane, fly up so high
Over the dateline, me stubborn  to cry
 
Land in a desert, tumbleweed brown
Mountains of purple, live in a town
Girls they be laughing, my shoes be too small
Boys they be jealous, I outrun them all
 
Lonely and weary, accent so strong
Teacher so phony, me don’t belong
“Hey! little girl, where you come from?
Looks like you cooked too long in the sun!”
 
“I’m not a racist! My best friends are brown,
Just don’t let my father see you hanging around.”
Me smile and pretend me don’t understand
Me choke back my shame, hide tears with my hand.
 
Me don’t wear lipstick, me don’t use perfume
Me don’t need TV or big living room
Me not a cowgirl, me eyes they not blue
No matter I try, me won’t ever be you.
 
Me want to go home, climb a coconut tree
Me want to eat mango, drink lemon-leaf tea.
Me hate this whole town, its shiny brick houses
Me hate wearing wool and me hate starched white blouses.
 
Me want to go fishing, pick pink and red flowers
And listen to Nana talk story for hours
Me want to be barefoot and swim in blue sea
Me want to see people who look just like me.
 
America’s promise, Land of the Free
Liberty shining from sea to sea
Be who you are, but learn how we be
Be who you are, but be just like we.
 
Me  tired and sad , me have  no friend
Me thinking it better if all this would end
And then through sorrow, eyes seeking mine
A friend understanding, quiet and kind.
 
Me now hears her voice of truth and of hope,
Freedom is ringing! Hope is springing!
Me lift my crying eyes and stand to see,
Waiting there for me, my Liberty.

Hosanna on Life Between Cultures: I think the hardest thing about balancing two cultures is that sometimes you feel that by being loyal to one, you are being disloyal to the other! I have had to learn that BOTH cultures are precious and both deserve my loyalty but that my most important responsibility is to be loyal to myself and MY beliefs!