By Jennifer Fogarty, communications content manager
Congratulations to first place winner Max Benning ’18 and honorable mention Caleb Petry ’19 in the Amy Marie Watkins Poetry Contest announced at Honors Convocation on Wednesday, May 30 in the Amphitheater.
Now in its 31st year, the Amy Marie Watkins Poetry Contest honors the memory of Amy Marie Watkins who was an LJCDS student, poet, actress and musician who tragically died in a car accident in 1987 at the age of 17. She won awards for both her poetry and her prose and was one of the editors of Pegasus, LJCDS’s literary magazine. The contest gathers submissions from independent schools throughout San Diego. This year’s guest judge was W. D. Ehrhart who has published a wide variety of nonfiction prose, books of poetry and personal narratives. His poems reflect his respect for nature, his love of friends and family and his active engagement with the world around him.
Max Benning ’18
"The Complete Works—MANUSCRIPT UNFINISHED"
First Place
There was something about driving and being content Specifically at fresh air midnight with the windows down After a day of love, joy, jest, and faked contempt Before that, much time spent with lips just hairs apart Bodies intertwined in motionlessness No dichotomy—one part; no words—just eyes via heart Before that, serious conversation to be had The future is scary and the past is volatile Mutual understanding that no one is the good guy or the bad Before that, at night looking up to Orion’s Belt During that one week they couldn’t see each other And the cliché “seeing the same stars” united feeling he felt Before that, comfort finally climbed a high peak Secret’s out with hands and expectations together Two open books—tomes antique Before that, for weeks ruled Love the Stressor He found the year-old love poem he never showed Written in rhyme and iambic pentameter to impress her There have been words that hurt and love to assert Last night, windows up to avert the air—cold and curt And so I fell asleep with the smell of you on my shirt