LM Columnist Nominated for Pushcart

Congrats to Cassie Premo Steele!

For the third time, her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. “The Poemgranate,” was nominated in 2009, and “Writing is like this,” in 2011. This year’s nominated poem comes from her collection, The Pomegranate Papers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hurricane Season

Facing southeast, I wait for the hurricane,
feel the purple wind on my cheeks,
know that nothing will be the same.

I have ridden the air on an eastern rug,
woven with blood and memory,
and the colors still cling to my skin.

I am not afraid of the seasons,
not the mountains or rivers or night.
I am one desert pink flower in bloom.

And when my summer is over,
I will return to the earth with gratitude,
lay my petals upon her damp breast,

and know that nothing is ever the same.
I have lived, bloomed, given birth,
died, all in my own name, all in my name.

~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie will be one of the featured speakers at TEDxColumbiaSC on January 21st.

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world’s leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available, free, at TED.com.

Read more about the conference here.