“Equilibrium”
Tiana Clark
Brentwood, TN

If the task of the poet is to express the inexpressible, to cast the complexities of life into words, and make them memorable, then few have been as successful as Tiana Clark in crafting “Equilibrium.” Rare is the visual poem that adds layers of meaning without sacrificing any of its lyricism or emotional power for the sake of its form. Rarer still is the poem that expands with each reading. We’re proud to announce “Equilibrium” as winner of the 2015 Rattle Poetry Prize.

Finalists:

 

“Our Beautiful Life When It’s Filled With Shrieks”
Christopher Citro
Liverpool, NY

“Work in Progress”
Rhina P. Espaillat
Newburyport, MA

“The Glance”
Jennifer Givhan
Albuquerque, NM

“Morning at the Welfare Office”
***Readers’ Choice Award Winner***
Valentina Gnup
Oakland, CA

“Old Age Requires the Greatest Courage”
Red Hawk
Monticello, AR

“More Than This”
David Kirby
Tallahassee, FL

“Yesterday”
Travis Mossotti
St. Louis, MO

“Sugar Babe”
Cherise A. Pollard
West Chester, PA

“Deus ex Machina”
Melissa King Rogers
Decatur, GA

“Elegy”
Patricia Smith
Howell, NJ