An Anthology of Poems by USNH Students

<h2><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Introduction</span></h2><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>What do our college poets find most important? The ache of an unrequited love the raw ugliness that resists capitalistic perfection the resilient teeth of a 300-year-old cow-survivors against time and rigid conformity. Each poem in this anthology is its own world: a glimpse into vast landscapes that stretch across the poets' brilliant minds inviting us to linger at their edges and bear witness to what lies within.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>In Sestina for G. we witness the intimate contours of the poet's journey in their transition as they grapple with the double-edged sword of yearning for change while mourning the things people and versions of themselves that change requires them to outgrow. One truth becomes clear: no matter how uncomfortable or disjointed the act of outgrowing the hate we sometimes hold for ourselves is an act of bravery. Change does not always signify better; sometimes it simply means different. It is stepping through a new portal-entering another landscape within oneself unknown yet inevitable. Uncharted yet alive a field fertile with new possibilities. </span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Every poet in this anthology should carry pride in their work. I thank them for offering us the outside world a glimpse into the magic of their interior selves-an act of courage creation and beauty. In an age where understanding and resonance are so often discarded these pages remind us that poetry is not merely words but a mapping of the self-each line a road each stanza a bridge guiding us toward human connection and the boundless landscapes blooming within one another.</span></p><p></p><p>--Crystal Valentine Program Director Mass Poetry</p>