Kay Saunders Emerging Poet
3rd Place

Patricia McNamee Rosenberg

we stayed inside one day
because “the marchers”
were coming to our hood
I thought I missed a parade

she cleaned house for mom
we’d chat while she ironed
I was 8, her daughter’s age
I had to walk her to the bus stop

A boy ran up to her yelling
“Go back where you belong!”
“she’s trying to go home,” I said.
“That’s why she’s taking a bus.”

“You stupid girl,”
he screamed, “She’s a …”
I tried to kick that boy
missed him and fell down

————————————————

years later, I’d hear that boy
died by his own hand after his
parents rejected his Latina fiance’

I hope he’s at peace now

Judge’s Comments: This is a powerful poem evidencing both allyship and forgiveness. I marveled at the quatrain form; its suits the content well. The use of dialogue is also very effective. I felt like I was right there with the 8-year old speaker, trying to make sense of the realization that someone she loved and cared about would be ridiculed and ostracized solely for the color of her skin.