Read the full poem here.

Artist Statement

My submission is a testament to the resiliency that has emerged out of my body and spirit. It is a witness to the pain and suffering of many who are trying to find themselves, whether they are BIPOC, Queer, destitute or outcasted, we are made to feel invisible and unwanted. Through my words, I want people to feel that they are sincerely valuable and that their stories are necessary ones. I want those who see my work to know that I am dedicated to their liberation; whatever boundaries are locking them away, holding them down, closeting them, burying them and tearing them apart, these obstacles are only temporary in the grand scheme of things. They are stronger, mightier and more vigilant than the forces that are keeping them down and out.

Artist Bio

Nicole Goodwin aka GOODW.Y.N. is the author of Warcries, as well as the 2020 Pushcart Nominee, 2018-2019 Franklin Furnace Fund Recipient, the 2018 Ragdale Alice Judson Hayes Fellowship Recipient, 2017 EMERGENYC Hemispheric Institute Fellow as well as the 2013- 2014 Queer Art Mentorship Queer Art Literary Fellow. She published the articles “Talking with My Daughter…” and “Why is this Happening in Your Life…” in the New York Times’ parent blog Motherlode. Additionally, her work ‘”Desert Flowers” was shortlisted and selected for performance by the Women’s Playwriting International Conference in Cape Town, South Africa in 2015.