🥉 3rd Place: “I Remember” by Vo Thi Nhu Mai

I am the ground at the gate of the market where shadows fall and hunger sticks around.
Today, a boy tried to steal xôi. A stick found him first.
The man beat him until he stopped moving.
I felt the weight of his tiny body against me, his fingers clutching a last lump of sticky rice.
His parents arrived too late. The mother wept, the father held him.
Together, they pried open his cold hand and ate.
Mouthfuls of grief.
I said nothing, but I remember it all—
the violence, the hunger, the love too slow to save.
I always remember.

Honorable Mentions

These writers received high scores and honorable public praise:

“The Man in the Mirror” – Christian Joseph | 4.8
“Chains That Can’t Hold Me” – Denise A. Kelley | 4.6
“The Walls Speak” – Gregory Diaz | 4.7
“What She Left Behind” – Vo Thi Nhu Mai | 4.7
“Chains That Can’t Hold Me” – Gregory Diaz | 4.6
“The Man in the Mirror” – Gregory Diaz | 4.6
“Chains That Can’t Hold Me” – Kiyma Cooper | 4.2
“Prison of the Mind” – Kiyma Cooper | 4.4
“The Rain Fell Like Memory” – Vo Thi Nhu Mai | 4.3

Audience-Rated Non-Participant Highlights

These pieces were not in the final competition pool but still garnered meaningful attention from readers:

Nelly Vee – “The Walls Speak”
Inspirational (43%) | Thought-provoking (29%) | Relatable (29%) – 7 voters

Nelly Vee – “Chains That Can’t Hold Me”
Relatable (50%) | Inspirational (33%) | Thought-provoking (17%) – 6 voters

Linette Rabsatt – “BOUND”
Thought-provoking (67%) | Relatable (33%) | Inspirational (0%) – 6 voters

Linette Rabsatt – “Me in the Mirror”
Inspirational (60%) | Relatable (40%) | Thought-provoking (0%) – 5 voters

Dr. Napoleon Abad Torres III – “Incarcerated”
Thought-provoking (80%) | Relatable (20%) | Inspirational (0%) – 5 voters

Community Voices & Reflections

Linette Rabsatt, C.A.P.S. admin and Caribbean poet, reflected:

“This contest called on us to reflect on what incarceration really means. It was a pleasure looking through the various submissions from poets across the world on the topic. A poet’s voice is the voice of the people. I encourage writers to deeply consider prompts that are shared and use their words to inspire the masses.”

Linette Rabsatt is a Virgin Islands poet with roots in both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Writing since 1996, her works appear in her Kindle book Be Inspired: Poems, Pulse Poetry Magazine, Visual Verse, and Micromance Magazine. She was nominated for the 2024 National Spoken Words Award for Best International Artist and won the 2024 Read Yuh Ting TOO Virtual Caribbean Poetry Contest.

Nelly Vee shared his perspective on the contest’s impact:

“Writing about incarceration, I found the prompt to be a mirror reflecting not just physical prisons but mental barriers many face daily. This contest provided a platform for voices too often unheard and created community through shared storytelling. I encourage future participants to bring their authentic selves and continue pushing boundaries through words.”

Nelly Vee is founder and CEO of KVI Network Creations LLC, an author, publisher, and poet whose works blend prose and poetry to explore complex human themes with depth and authenticity.

Public Feedback: Pros & Cons

Positive Feedback:

Participants praised the transparent and fair voting system.
The prompt was seen as therapeutic, socially relevant, and creatively inspiring.
The global diversity of voices enriched the contest and community.

Constructive Criticism:

Some confusion arose around repeated titles like “The Walls Speak.”
Clarification on the voting rules could help prevent misunderstandings about submission eligibility.
Participants suggested future contests encourage more unique titling.

The editorial team welcomes all feedback and remains committed to evolving these competitions with integrity, fairness, and respect for artistic freedom.

Engage With Us

We invite all readers, writers, and poetry lovers to leave comments, share reflections, and join the conversation below. Your voice strengthens this vibrant creative community dedicated to honest storytelling and meaningful connection.