E. E. Cummings Prize Honorable Mention, selected by M.P. Carver
Paula J. Lambert has published several collections of poetry includingThe Ghost of Every Feathered Thing (FutureCycle 2022) and How to See the World (Bottom Dog 2020). Awarded PEN America’s L’Engle-Rahman Prize for Mentorship, Lambert’s poetry and prose has been supported by the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. A native of Shirley, Massachusetts, she now lives in Columbus with her husband Michael Perkins, a philosopher and technologist. More at paulajlambert.com.
What I Watch the Sea Tell the Seashore I watch the seals bob-bobbing one head, two heads, three-four-five heads, then the rest of whatever seal is undulates up up up down again down, disappearing into the sea, the vast and heaving sea, each wave clamoring for shore and retreating, clamoring for shore, retreating: I want you don’t want you go away I’m leaving. Kiss me oh kiss me go away, says the sea, leave me oh please don’t leave me. The cormorants bob and dive. The seals bob-bob, undulate, dive. Little head, fat head, fat head, fat head, bob-bob-bobbing goodbye. I love you I need you goodbye, goodriddancedontleavemegoodbye, hellodontleavemeI’lldie, goodbyebyebye, hellogoodbyegoodbye, byebyebye, byebye, bye.