Edit my poetry manuscript and submit to 10 publishers/contests by the end of 2008.

• Akron Poetry Prize
• Autumn House Press Poetry Prize
• Barrow Street Press Book Contest
• Omnidawn Publishing Poetry Prize
• Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award
• Pearl Editions Poetry Prize

Now I just have to get my manuscript ready (no biggie, eh?)

I am turning this into something I am going to complete over the Memorial Day Weekend. I have the completed manuscript on paper and know that they are saved electronically somewhere.

I am going to re-organize this, make a bunch of copies at the day job and will send it out over the next few weeks!

Then, I have to get writing again.

if love broke why do i still have feeling.
if many people walk in and out of my life but why only true
friends well leave footprint in my heart why can they not lieve just like the other.

many people says love the gift by God.
other people says marriege is made by hell $ heaven.
other says friends are God’s way of taking care of us.
but i have questions why breaking heart exist if love is the gift by God’s.
if marriege is made by hell $ heaven
why do devioce exist.
if friends are God’s way of taking care of us
why do they fall of when you need them not their for you or some time dont care.

by hafsy

i closed my eye when i want to sleep,
i heard sound of your voice in my ears im wondering is this the call of love or hate,
i can feel it your touch in my skin im wondering is this gone be pain or or what?
i saw you face in my dream i tried to igroned and protend i didnt see you but im still wondering is this nightmare or normal,

by hafsy

I took this course called Black Women’s Poetry (or something similar) and read a lot of work—Gwendolyn Brooks, Ntozake Shange, Lucille Clifton, Nikki Giovanni, etc.

Not only did I have to respond to their work in a critical fashion, but I also had to write work of my own. I did.

What came out of it was a 60 page poetry manuscript which was submitted to the Cave Canem contest. I did not win, but was invited to become a Cave Canem Fellow for a semester, which I did. During that time, I attended weekly sessions led by Willie Perdomo and through that I had fabulous discussions with other poets and met Amiri Baraka—this was in 2002 after his poem about 9/11.

Anyway, I put poetry on the back burner and went on about my business. Now, that I am moving more into “my self,” it is time for me to get back at it in a serious way.

It’s part of who I am. No use hiding.