The winners of the 2024 "Let LIT Rule" Summer Poetry Contest have been announced! The first place poem was "Untitled" by Audrey Pennington. The second place poem was titled “The To-Do List Isn't Done” by Cara Crumrine, and third place was “unloading” by Pati Rodriguez. Congratulations to the winners!
1st Place Poem:
"Untitled" by Audrey Pennington
Pay the light bill, wipe their tears.
Meet your deadline, calm their fears.
Be here, be there, be everywhere.
All at once. But never fully anywhere.
Spread yourself so far and thin,
Make time for church, confess your sins.
Start the oven, don't forget the pets also need lovin'.
Work yourself to the bone,
and then do it all over again once you get home.
The default parent, the MOM. The giver of all,
receiver of none.
Practice self care and be self aware,
Go to therapy, don't forget to not have "mom hair."
Never forget, never make a mistake,
Don't burden your family with your own heartache.
When there's not enough to make the rent,
You worked all week and don't have one cent,
Smile, Mama, never let them see you frown.
We all know so many will kick you if they know you're down.
Find your light again, make a new path.
Chase your dreams again and use your wrath,
To light the way for other mothers to come,
Who don't know that it always seems impossible....
Until it's done.
2nd Place Poem:
"The To-Do List Isn't Done" by Cara Crumrine
Oh how effortless
The drop's tumble down the rocks?
Making a sound so pleasant
So relaxing
To be like water
Flexible, fluid
Gracefully hugging every rock I encounter
Maybe if I were like that,
I, too, would be refreshing to this place
This home
Full of the ones I call
Dear
3rd Place Poem:
"unloading" by Pati Rodriguez
like walking away from a haze,
i feel the weight being lifted.
but the haze was my depression;
it filled every inch of my existence,
loading every chamber with ammunition.
i was asked how school is going,
i said i hadn’t laughed in months.
brushed it off like a bad joke,
“it’s fine, and i'm fine.”
deep down i know
it’s not true, but
i laugh at everything.
so now i find myself questioning
how someone so silly
can feel so weighed down.
i mean, is it even depression?
do we even know her?
some days, the smallest things
threaten to consume me,
and i lose myself in the chaos
of assignments and due dates.
yet suddenly, when the semester
is at its end, nothing feels as heavy.
i cleaned my car—
well, my friend cleaned my car.
she knows my mind is a mess too,
and honestly, i think she felt bad.
as i hurried the coffee cups out of my passenger seat
each cup stained with the rings of early mornings and late nights.
she stomped on the piles of receipts that line my floor,
just like the crumbs of all the places i've been.
the real kicker was a half-eaten protein bar
i just decided not to finish,
just like the half-cooked noodles from last night
still sit on my stove.
but don’t worry, my assignments are turned in
11:59, no later than.
the truth is, when i'm alone
in the middle of the void,
my car deals with the repercussions.
if she’s not bruised up from the curbs we hit,
it’s the mounds of trash that embody my mind.
yet through the things i've left undone,
in every act of who i was these past few months,
joy tries to creep in just as swiftly
to give me a taste of what it's like to be happy.
we went to dinner and roared with laughter
the smell of chips, fresh salsa, and pure bliss filled the air.
in that moment, the chambers of my mind
didn't feel at war, and they
emptied their ammunition.
- everything feels lighter today, pfr
This poem is from the perspective of a college student. It explores the complexities of mental health and the contrasting experiences of feeling burdened yet finding moments of lightness. It dives into using humor as a coping mechanism during challenging times, reflecting a universal experience any one can relate to.
About the Summer Poetry Contest:
The annual contest was developed as a way to keep students engaged with the campus community over the summer. The contest also shows students the importance of general education courses and provides them a creative outlet. Entries had to be original student work, students could submit one poem, and the work was judged on creativity, language, quality, and originality of theme.
In addition to their recognition, each winner received a voucher to be used for textbooks this semester. The first place winner received a $100 voucher, the second place winner received a $75 voucher, and third place won a $50 voucher. The event is sponsored by BNC Services, the Library, and the CSS.