Ashley-Rae Carter-Wells, for the poem “The New Opening”!
Sarah Tsiang and the Arc Poetry Magazine Board also selected “Seven Ways to Start an Opening School” by Lisa Stuart, as the June runner-up.
The New Opening
“Opening minds, hearts, and wallets” – Lisa Schamess
To open minds: a tire iron,
enough bicep to swing it,
stomach enough to uproot
bigoted thoughts from between
ears, and voice to ricochet
against spaces relieved of weeds.
To open hearts: trauma trauma trauma
a mantra in violent images on newscasts
played on repeat
Wallets open themselves,
like legs.
You still have time to enter Arc’s next Award of Awesomeness!