Poets honored in writing contest

Four University students walked away with cash prizes after winning the 2009 Student Poetry Awards. The contest is hosted annually by the University’s Robert L. Muntz Library, in cooperation with the Poetry Society of Texas, to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Students selected as this year’s winners were recognized during a special awards ceremony April 28 that featured award-winning poet Budd Powell Mahan of Dallas as  keynote speaker.Mahan served as president of the Poetry Society of Texas and National Federation of State Poetry Societies.

Winners include Tina Bausinger, first place, $100; Jason Mars, second place, $75; Caleb Krause, third place, $50; and George Mitchell, fourth place, $25. The four winning writers also received an autographed copy of Mahan’s book, Falling to Earth.

First place: Tina Bausinger, “A Concerned Friend”

“It’s time to move on,” she told me quietly, over coffee.
I wanted to tell her to go to hell
Please….spare me her meaningless platitudes
How can I move on?
Where would I move to?  Nowhere is far enough.
“Stop living in the past,” she said,
smiling that insane, sympathetic half-grin that make me want to punch her face in.

You are not just in the past to me.  You are my present, you were my future.
“We’re all worried about you,” she said, her hand covering mine on the sticky table.
I looked down at her hand as if it were a snake, but really it was just a hand:
Manicured fingernails, simple golden wedding band, an expensive watch
That just kept ticking and ticking
Her hand was warm on mine

Not like your hand that day when I found you in your crib
Peacefully asleep, but not dreaming
I picked you up in one swift motion and swore
I felt my heart in my mouth
The Winnie the Pooh mobile stood motionless above you
I screamed, and would not stop screaming
I cried, and could not be consoled.
I knew it was too late.
The sand in the hourglass had slid through too quickly
Your tiny hand was cold in mine
Your skin was colorless, like my tears
And your lips,
Your perfect rosebud lips
Partly open, as if in surprise

Second Place: Jason Mars, “My America”

So I’m sitting in class and a white student asked
“What would you like to be when you grow up?”
A question to which I answered, “gimme a second”
this was now a serious situation, I was asked to make a career choice at the age of eleven
I looked at him and said “I would like to be President”
and he looked at me as if my sincerity was irrelevant
And he said, “black people can’t be President,
What America are you living in?”
So ten years later I write my America:
My America
Where lessons of history have the power to cause hysteria
Where ethnic groups find themselves defined,
then assigned and confined to certain areas
Where euphemisms creep into the vocabulary of the timid
Where learning the lessons of life unfortunately have a time limit
My America where my opportunity to achieve
greatness is guaranteed but reluctantly granted
Where nothing is handed but still so often something is taken for granted
My America
Where single mothers manage
Where young fathers panic
Where the schools fall below standards
My America is
Home of the self motivated, host of the self proclaimed down trotted
My America is quite often forgotten
Even by the inhabitants that once vowed to never leave
But soon see, that here, they could never be
what they want to be
so they vacate the premises
My America is starting to resemble my nemesis
here things just occur like the jasper dragging and jena six
It’s scary isn’t it?
Yea, I know, exactly my sentiments
But this is:
My America, my contradiction
a concoction, including both complacency
and perseverance
My world, unlike yours, at the same time no different
Where boys try to emulate men, with no guiding image
Where confusion blocks the transition from young girls to young women
This is:
My America, the America that you would never see
Unless, presented by me
The American, that you would never want to be
So I ask this sweet land of liberty, what can you do for me?

Third Place: Caleb Krause, “Dada”

This Limited Warranty,
Only covers products,
Issues caused by defects,
In material,
During normal — consumer use.
It does not cover,
Issues caused by,
Acts of God,
Misuse,
Modification,
Acts of God,
Commercialism,
Imperialism,
Sophism,
Limits in technology,
Or acts of God.
This Limited Warranty,
Does not cover,
Products sold as is,
Or products sold — without faults.
This Limited Warranty,
Is invalid,
If the serial number,
Is altered… or removed.
This Limited Warranty,
Is valid,
Only in the United States of America.

Fourth Place: George Mitchell, “Not easily broken, I stand”

Silent,
Unspoken,
Ever so slightly close to detail,
Deep in thought,
Did you ever think you would know me so well?
Vigilantly assured,
Surprisingly ashamed,
Your thoughts and words yet still remain.

Your thoughts seep in like rain,
Deeply within the cracks of memories window,
Ever so deeply remembered,
Ever so deeply explained,
Your thoughts,
Your opinions,
Only remain as pain.

Have you ever thought that I wanted to be left alone?
Have you ever thought I wanted to live my own life?
Seeking and searching but I don’t need your advice.
All is well in my world,
Don’t believe the hype.
I am the positive, wonderfully exposed poster child of my life,
Yes I am proud,
Yes I will succeed,
Your judgments,
Your opinions,
No, I don’t need.
You may write me down on paper,
You may speak about me,
But it’s all lies,
Fear is tracking you down,
Hateful with spite,
Visually spoken,
Thoughtful by surprise,
Yet I walk proudly,
I have no regrets in my life.

Next time you speak of me,
And your thoughts might seem unclear,
I will be present,
I will be near,
I am visible.
Your thoughts,
Are like a leech,
Branching out on my skin,
Yet my skin is thick,
Your bite is not deep,
No, I will not slumber,
No, I will not lose sleep.

You may expose your doubts,
You may expose your lies,
But yet you are a speck of dust,
Just a figment,
An unknown name,
The invisible creature,
That will not remain,
A weapon trying to target,
But you will not win,
For your target keeps moving,
You cannot catch up,
I am faith, strength and power,
Have you heard enough?

Your words don’t phase me,
I will not be apart of your demise,
You’re as sneaky as a fox,
As devilish as a vision in moments time,
It stands as a  constant figment,  which made me unwind.
Unjustly speaking, casting out fault,
Like a river, a well, in the mist of a drought.

Faith is my only guide,
Courage follows swiftly behind,
Treading on fears advances,
Giving me piece of mind,
Spiking nevertheless a willing specimen, surprisingly molded to withstand,
My time is sometimes not grantable ,
But given in advance.

Choose a path positively in choice,
Follow with every breath in your body,
Fight till you succeed,
This is my plea,
Just spark your destiny,
I’ve chosen mine,
It’s written on every wall of hope,
Every breath of a honest woman or man,
It’s cast on every tight grip of an infant’s constantly growing hand,
It is inspiringly visible,
It is attainable you see,
It is hope,
The dream,
A conscious road map,
Of myself, me.

Words only merely justify,
The feelings understandable inside,
But yet I seem to turn your hatred into pride,
Pride for my image,
Pride for my dreams,
Pride for my success,
Pride for just living.

Yet, you judge me,
You’ve let me down, no doubt,
I have a reason to write this out,
You became a season,
A passing amongst woman and man,
A developed, unknown pest that continued to come into my life,
But I’m stronger,
So you better think twice.

Gossip,
Lies,
Deceit,
Pain,
Doubt,
Unsustainable memories fade away along with fear,
I’m wiser,
Your desire,
Your work unfinished,
I’m not broken here.