from River Heron Poetry Prize final judge, Shankar Narayan: “This charming and creatively realized poem perfectly captures the poised moment of pregnancy, illuminating its polarities of emotion, from infinite joy to infinite sorrow and a great deal in between. Acting almost as a witnessing/documentation of that moment, the poem’s aching urgency is compelling from start to finish. Cleverly modulated language, sometimes heartbreakingly blunt (“[s]ince then you will leave me”), builds interwoven emotional layers that complicate the relationship between the narrator and her silent, conjoined but soon-to-be-parted addressee. The poem’s plaintive, unanswered refrain (“Since… Since… Since…”) enacts its project of “intimate limbo,” while its fresh turns of phrase (“ouroboros of my interior body”) hold the reader’s attention. The resulting meditation continues to resonate, creating valuable insight and empathy even within those now far removed from the specific experience described.”
Leah Claire Kaminski is a poet, writer, and editor living in Chicago. She holds degrees in poetry from Harvard University and UC Irvine’s Programs in Writing. Recent work can be seen in Prairie Schooner, Fence, Rhino Poetry, Vinyl, and ZYZZYVA, among others. The chapbook Root is forthcoming from Milk and Cake Press, and Peninsular Scar is available from Dancing Girl Press.
