Trapped between pane and screen
the fly knows the way out.
Never against the glass, it bumps
relentlessly against the mesh
admitting the draft that hints
at freedom. But finds no escape.

What’s a person to do? Steer it
toward an aperture when none
is visible? Trap with hands
or a jar? A sudden blow to end
its fervent struggle? All entail
opening the window, inviting
the fly into space where it is
not welcome. Who’s to blame
for simply letting things be?

That afternoon, when early fall
warms to the last day of summer,
we raise the window to clear
the stuffy air and find
that the fly has vanished.

Judge’s Comments: Trapped and struggling, lost and confused, “Dilemma” is a poem that speaks to our current political, societal, and personal anguish without naming that suffering too loudly or with force. Through a quiet yet visceral attention to detail, the poem brings the reader to the edge of an important question: when faced with consistent ruin, “What’s a person to do?” With a keen eye for sound and a commitment to syntactical dexterity, “Dilemma” sings itself its own buzzing, flittering song—a melody that haunts the reader’s chest and ear. This is a beautiful, ghostly and powerful poem.