POEM OF THE MONTH JULY 2025:

I want to live like I have already died.

Like I sat in a ditch in the depths of hell

and screamed at the top of my lungs

for another chance;

like I fell to my knees in front of Hades,

begged him to let me try again.

I want life like my soul aired a whisper,

seasons ago, a single wail

echoed under a blanket of soft soil,

blades of green grass.

I want life like it ends here.

I want to worship the dew droplets

decorating the ground beneath my feet on

a wonderfully foggy morning,

smile when i feel the sun’s rays

peek through and

hit my face.

I want to dance in the rain,

not to dance,

but to feel it.

I want life wrapped around my hands,

and gripped tight—

to watch the leaves die and come

back and do it all over again forever.

Please, let me.

Let me crawl from the ditch,

scream from my core,

fall to my knees and beg.

Let me beg.

Let me live.

Let me love.

Give me that.


About the Poet: Hannah Wallace

“Growing up in Charleston, I always felt a bit like an outsider. Poetry became my outlet at a very young age, and no matter how many breaks I take from it, or for how long, I’ve always come back. Poetry feels like home to me; writing feels like home. 

I’ve always loved to write big: death, life, the world. This poem captures that perfectly. 

I’m currently planning to get my masters in library sciences and I cannot wait to live life surrounded by writing!”

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June 2025 Winner