Earlier this spring, UC Santa Barbara’s Division of Humanities and Fine Arts conducted a creativity contest on the theme “Stories That Matter.“ Click here to read the full story about the contest.
Below are the winners in the Poetry category.
First Place:
re-forest-ation by Forest Stuart
Forest Stuart is a senior majoring in sociology.
Second Place:
Children of the Concrete by Junho Jeon
I am a child of the concrete, Born at the age of thirteen
To spin on my head, That’s all I wanted to do
I came in with white Chuck Taylors, Pressed blue Levis
Hip-Hop, What is that?
I am a child of the concrete, Sunset to sundown
In the hallways, On the sidewalk
Our soul is Soul, Like James Brown’s accentuated shrieks
I hit a pose as sharp as the snares
Hip-Hop, Isn’t it just gangbanging, drugs, and chains?
With every spin, My soles wear out Details,
Every movement counts, Every word with meaning
I watch my step, ‘cause Wu-Tang told me to
Hip-Hop, Isn’t it just music?
For children of the concrete, The Cypher is our lifeblood
A supreme circle, The spotlight on the center
With every twist, My calluses ripped open
All eyes on me, Intricate expression spills out
Hip-Hop, It’s more than dance
Dig beneath, Through the surface
You see, We rock out to James Brown
And we sing with Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang is for the children
‘Cause we’re children of the concrete
Hip-Hop, “Each One Teach One”
Peace, Love, Respect, Having Fun
I see, That’s what it was
To cypher is to share, Concrete children exchange more than moves
To feel joy, To feel anger
Hip-Hop, It’s more than what you think it is
Whoever we are, Wherever we are
Wealth or Poverty, Black or White
Young and Old, Big and Small
We’re all children of the concrete
Hip-Hop, The concrete takes more than what you’re willing to give
I am a child of the concrete, Born at the age of thirteen
Tattered Chuck Taylors, Soles exposed Blue Levis,
Seams busted, Blood at the knees
Hip-Hop, It took more than what I imagined
But in the heat of that Cypher, Above all the differences
James Brown echoing, I see the silhouette of a community
Every movement, Telling us a story
Hip-Hop, For the community and By the community
Enemies squash their beef, ‘Cause the Cypher makes us all one
No hate here, We’re just having fun
If you ever get a little heated, Feel free to jump in the Cypher
Hip-Hop, You give more than I ever asked for
Blow the steam off, Leave it on the floor,
‘Cause you’ll have brothers and sisters, Children of the concrete
Waiting with open arms, It’s all love here
Hip-Hop, Peace, Love, Respect, Having Fun
Hip-Hop, My first love.
Junho Jeon is a senior majoring in history.
Third Place:
Adulation to Him by Monica Cornejo
Photo by Francis Adikpe.
Dark ebony skin that sparkles against the moon's light
Light so radiant that emanates from his dark brown eyes
Eyes so soft and kind that melts the stress away from my soul, heart, and mind
Mind so vast with splendid ideas of enchantment, which captivates my thoughts
Thoughts that swim in my head: “how can someone like him exist in this world?”
World so blessed to hold him against its earth
Earth, I pray, that you can shift your continents and bring him closer to me
Me, how lucky I would be if I can hold him close and feel his heart beating
Beating, slow and steady. A sound more perfect than the ocean's waves
Waves of peace, happiness, and pleasure to touch his ebony dark skin
Skin so perfect that it sparkles brighter than the night's brightest stars
Stars so mesmerized that they sing songs of adulation to him.
Monica Cornejo is a third year PhD student in the Department of Communication.