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by Crystal Valentine (Introduction by)
Introduction
What do our college poets find most important? The ache of an unrequited love, the raw "ugliness" that resists capitalistic perfection, the resilient teeth of a 300-year-old cow-survivors against time and rigid conformity. Each poem in this anthology is its own world: a glimpse into vast landscapes that stretch across the poets' brilliant minds, inviting us to linger at their edges and bear witness to what lies within.
In "Sestina for G." we witness the intimate contours of the poet's journey in their transition, as they grapple with the double-edged sword of yearning for change while mourning the things, people, and versions of themselves that change requires them to outgrow. One truth becomes clear: no matter how uncomfortable or disjointed, the act of outgrowing the hate we sometimes hold for ourselves is an act of bravery. Change does not always signify "better;" sometimes, it simply means different. It is stepping through a new portal-entering another landscape within oneself, unknown yet inevitable. Uncharted yet alive, a field fertile with new possibilities.
Every poet in this anthology should carry pride in their work. I thank them for offering us, the outside world, a glimpse into the magic of their interior selves-an act of courage, creation, and beauty. In an age where understanding and resonance are so often discarded, these pages remind us that poetry is not merely words but a mapping of the self-each line a road, each stanza a bridge, guiding us toward human connection and the boundless landscapes blooming within one another.
--Crystal Valentine, Program Director, Mass Poetry
