We asked University of Arkansas students to interpret the theme of the 2018 edition, “No Longer Unspoken,” through poetry. Hill staff selected and published one winning poem in the magazine, but the following poems were so gripping – we couldn’t keep them to ourselves.
“Idolatry”
By Clare Upchurch
Aisle after aisle
Pew after pew
All paths lead to the altar
Rows of followers
Shuffling, one after the other,
Endlessly
Only here is it favorable to be a sheep
Yet you cannot see the shepherd.
White-washed statues
Though he commanded no idols
Whispers of the wrath of hell
Yells of the so-called love are louder
Holiness in their hands
The devil in their back pocket
They live their lives in fear
Of the next life
Without living the one they have now.
How many thoughts
How may prayers
How many wishes,
Unnoticed
Longing with false satisfaction
Questions without answers
Just keep the faith, it’s all you need.
The afflicted shall eat,
And be satisfied
Those who seek him
Shall praise him
Your hearts will live forever
Your soul will be filled
But I am still hungry
I sought and did not find
I praised and filled my heart
But my mind is not satisfied
…
“Depression”
By Deanna Mantooth
The tsunami wave of darkness;
A slow, deadly calamity that cannot be stopped.
The crushing weight of worthlessness;
An insidious cancer that gnaws at your soul.
The pendulous storm clouds of doubt;
A Southern rain that increases the humidity.
The solitary, windowless cell in hell;
A room with your name scrawled on the door,
And your fears scratched on every surface within.
The demons of anxiety and deprecation;
Hissing every minute in your ear,
Sneering every second across your synapses,
A gaggle of gargoyles lashed to you.
You’d beat your head against the walls
If it didn’t require so much strength and energy.
The waters are higher now.
It’s all you can do to hold your head above the swell.
How long can you keep fighting it?
Battered, bruised, broken, bloodied.
No one can see your scars.
No one but you.
But that doesn’t mean that they’re not real.
…
“CASCADING STARS”
by Chase Laird
Cascading stars of places unseen
Traveling through space, what could they mean?
Each carrying with it the essence of life,
Light in its purest form so bright.
Darkness may try to engulf the light,
To leave in its wake no brightness in sight.
But try as it may, it will be for nigh,
As the light still shows high up in the sky.
Darkness and light,
Evil and good.
The duality of life,
Often misunderstood.
There must be heartache
For there to be love.
There must be hell
For the heaven above.
There will always exist
Suffering and pain.
But we must face these
To appreciate the change.
So, the next time you’re burdened,
Take a look at the sky.
Always remember that,
While darkness may try,
The light of God will always shine through
To brighten the world for me and for you.