Appalachia Bare is once again proud and honored to feature the Write the World contest winners for poetry, fiction and nonfiction, hosted by East Tennessee’s Pellissippi State Community College! The contest centers on an international-focused theme or topic.
The college’s participants were encouraged to reflect upon and write about experiences living or traveling in a country outside the United States. This event was co-hosted by Pellissippi State’s International Education Committee, the Student Engagement and Leadership club, as well as the college’s Strawberry Plains Creative Writing Club.
Today, Appalachia Bare honors 2024 Write the World poetry winner, Danielle Lowe, for her poem “A Leap of Faith.”
We offer our heartfelt congratulations to these talented young writers!
A Leap of Faith
I didn’t know what the future would hold
as the air around me grew cold
It was much colder than the fields of home,
but a small dream had lead me to roam
I gazed up at the old building
as it seemed to swallow me whole
Many walked through its halls
as expectations screamed its call
Years of deadlines and late nights
had lead me to the cobbled roads
I could have played it safe
and studied near like the rest
To avoid the glares
as they stared at my freedom colored dress
I didn’t fit in
with my slow talk and drawn-out words
My fears were present
Lurking beneath the surface
But I gathered my bag
and took a step towards the door
My whole life ahead of me
with just a leap of faith away
Congratulations, Danielle! Well deserved!