OF POETRY AND WINS
Just as last week was coming to a close, I got a surprising and exciting phone call that made me do a three minute happy dance in my room. Several months ago I entered a poem entitled "Open Secret," which is about sexuality and the taboo that surrounds discussing it in our Malawian/African context to a Poetry and Short Story Competition hosted by Makewana's Daughters and they called to inform me that I had won 2nd place in the Poetry category! Their website has some great content from women and it was inspiring to read such intimate and vivid work as I reviewed my own trying to figure out what I was going to submit. I spent days going over my poems, editing and shortlisting options. I usually enjoy that part of the process though it comes with stress. The stress of having to pick the "right" or "perfect" poem. The stress of seeing unfinished poems, one liners and cheesy poems that should never see the light of day. The stress of realizing that I don...