The Renee Duke Youth Award Poetry Contest is sponsored by Poets for Human Rights and Artists in Action International.
This year’s youth poetry contest is dedicated to Renee Duke (1927-2011) mother, artist, poet, mentor and life counselor who inspired thousands of people across all walks of life.
Entries are being accepted by email until November 30, 2011
Guidelines:
Anyone aged 17 or younger may submit up to five poems.
Poem(s) must relate to one or more of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To view public service announcements for each of the articles, visit
www.youthforhumanrights.org.
Poems must be in the body of email, or as PDF attachments. Email to stazja@yahoo.com. Note in the subject line “Youth Award.”
Poems should be no more than one page long. Do not use colors or graphics.
Previously published poems and simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Include the following information:
Name
Address
Age
School
Poem Title
Statement that the poem is your original composition.
Statement that you give permission to publish (with rights reverting back to the poet)
First prize is $50. Winner will be awarded a certificate and poem will be published at the Poets for Human Rights web site.
Honorable Mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judge. HM’s will receive a certificate of award.
Winner and Honorable Mentions will be announced on December 10, 2011, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For questions contact Stazja McFadyen at
<stazja(at)yahoo.com> (replace (at) with @ in sending email)
Jenna Blinn
My name is Jenna Blinn and I am a high school senior from Connecticut. I love writing and have always enjoyed it. It’s very therapeutic and has been a huge help in my life. No matter what happens in my life I still hope to be able to continue writing.
wits
I wish I understood that at your age. Brava!
Stazja McFadyen
Announcing the winner of the 2015 Renee Duke Youth Award Poetry Contest – Joyce Hida
Congratulations to Joyce Hida, age 16, a junior at Rockville High School in Vernon, Connecticut. Her poem Article 14: Right to Asylum in other Countries from Persecution has been chosen for the 2015 Renee Duke Youth Award.
She is a member of drama club, Model United Nations, an avid participant in the Associated Press photo class and is currently helping plan Junior Prom. Joyce is interested in studying international law in college.
Presented herewith the 2015 Renee Duke Youth Award winning poem:
Article 14:
Right to Asylum in other Countries from Persecution
Denim clings to her ankles.
Shackled in dried blood.
She builds fires
In telephone wires.
Whispers hope to him
at midnight,
Begs for mercy at dawn.
Sewing silver
Into seams
Like a living leather wallet.
She counts hours
On cracked fingertips.
Carving tallies onto concrete.
Presses her palms together and prays
That tomorrow
She will numb to the sensation of
teeth biting gravel.
And metal barrel biting throat.
Dusk burns the heels of her feet,
Her lungs yearn to stop inhaling poison
air of locked prison.
Body twisted toward salvation,
Heart rampant and furious.
Dawn,
Sinking her fingers into soil
named Alien,
named Foreign,
Past the Purgatorial line
that bordered Heaven and Hell.
She smiles
With the faces she left behind:
Breathing Lonely Air,
Free Air;
Truly shipwrecked in paradise.
© Joyce Hida