This is The Arts! for National Poetry Month so all poets this month. We’re starting out with the winner of the poetry contest that I held here, Mark Wright.

“Rise Up”
you are not a slave –
there is no currency
that can measure your worth,
no clothing, fashion, or labels
that can define you,
and only your own fears
can subdue you.
so, write these words on your heart
and rise up.
this is for the mothers
who are working too many hours
and too many jobs
to break through glass cielings
and feed their families –
rise up.
this is for the protestors –
from the zapatistas
to the arab spring
to wall street
and all other streets
that have been and are being occupied,
because the people know
that quality of life
should be synonymous with equality for all –
rise up.
this is for the men and women,
my brothers and sisters
of “questionable” sexualities,
who struggle every day for acceptance
and basic human rights,
as they strive to strengthen and improve
cultures and communities
where they are pariahs –
rise up.
this is for every muslim in america
and around the world
who has been labeled a terrorist
when they have lost
just as much, if not more, family and freedoms
as all others
who lost loved ones on and since 9/11 –
rise up.
this is for the taqwacore girls
and all other women
who have the courage to rock and to rage
while their faith,
their culture,
and their communities
tell them that their voces are forbidden,
that their voices are haraam –
rise up.
this is for the christians
who struggle with their faith daily,
because we see that our “leaders”
have become Pharisees
who have forgotten
that Christ’s first and foremost commandment
was for us to love –
rise up.
this is for the other poets
and people like me
who sit crying at keyboards
because a poem like this had to be wriiten in the first place –
rise up.
you are not a slave.
there is no currency that can measure your worth,
no clothing, fashion, or labels that can define you,
and only your own fears can subdue you.
take these words,
write them on your hearts,
and rise up.

Mark Wright is from Albuquerque, NM but currently lives in Oshkosh, WI. Though he works a blue collared job, he performs his published poetry and a musician. He has been published in various publications, such as various zines, anthologies and chapbooks. He recently finished his new chapbook Threesome, which has his original poetry and lyrics. You can find him on Myspace and Facebook.

Kelly Tsai
She’s been featured on Def Poetry and her works are certainly reflecting of why. Watch her piece: “Mao”

I always found her work very stunning. She has such strong flow and it’s a relief to hear something besides the usual subjects of spoken word.

If you would like to check out her work, please visit her website.

Black Witch Tumblr

Yeah this isn’t very poetic but I would like to use this space to bring up that Black Witch has a tumblr! It’s a bit random, considered yourself forewarned.

Visit the Tumblr!