| Special Judges' Award |
| 2003 KarMel Scholarship Entry |
| Special Judges' Award "Not My Choice", "Outside In", "Feelings/How do I feel" (poem, poem, collage) By Tiffany Hardin - Wisconsin |
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| So what was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to sit there and be ridiculed? Was I supposed to let my dignity be stomped upon? Is this the treatment I'm supposed to get just for being myself? I've waited so long to have the courage to say, "I'm Gay". Why is it I'm the only one who's proud of me? What happend to all my friends that were gonna be there for me? They are no where to be found now, and I'm all on my own. So what was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to cry and not let anyone see my hurt? Was I supposed to avert my eyes and lower my head in shame? No. No, none of that. I shall speak. I will be ruthless about my endeavors for equality, liberty, and truth. I will live my life as I've always known. My sexuality is something to be reckoned with, and my lifestyle is mine and no one else's. I have the right to live. I have the right to marriage. I have the right to privacy. And dangit- I have the right to God. I have the right to stand up for myself and become the sort of person I was intended to be- free of hate and full of love. Now, that is what I'm supposed to do. |
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| Outside In |
| Feelings/ How do I feel |
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| So what happens if I love another woman? What happens when I tell my parents? Tell me please, I'm dying to know. Tell me about the dirty looks I'll get. Tell me about the perverts who "just wanna know". What about the family functions, and the nasty gossip. What happens then? When did it come to pass that love wasn't limitless? And since when did unconditional love just get conditional? When does love think? When does love literally speak? When does love see color? And when does love see gender? Its days like this I realize the things that are out of my control. I realize that the sunsets, sunrises, snow, rain, and all the forces of nature I can never touch. But even more, I realize that I will never have control over who I love. You never get to choose who you love. It's not my choice and I never would want it to be. All I know is that I do love, and I'm willing to love and be loved. Every new day I will find that I'm not afraid of loving you And every new day I will be grateful I can love you. |
| Not my Choice |
