National Geographic
by Byron Diaz-Citan

This yellow bordered magazine
is trying to tell me something
about love.

Scientists say that the brain chemistry of infatuation is akin to
mental illness–which gives new meaning to “madly in love.”


In two months,
university ends.
Marriage to an Andean woman begins.

I will love her like olive oil.
I’ll pour her on all my meals,
and she’ll lower my cholesterol with her kisses.

Her cherry nose I’ll lick
on the steps
of old church on the Via del Corso in Rome, Italy.

Our indigenous roots will combine,
mestizo of Central America with mestizo of South America

And when our child is born,
The National Geographic
will publish an article on our madness.

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Welcome!


The Steger Award committee welcomes you to the Steger Award Homepage!

From entry guidelines to poems by past winners and photos from the award ceremony, this webpage will offer both current news on the contest and an archive of previous Steger awards.

We hope that you will return to this page as you plan, write, and submit your poem.
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