Alabama Based Poet Wins $250 in US 250 Persona Poem Project

Mike Wahl, an Alabama based poet, won one of three $250 prizes awarded for poems selected by the guest judge for the US 250 Persona Poem Project, Lynne Viti. With Viti being faculty emerita of Wellesley College and the inaugural poet laureate of Westwood, Massachusetts. His winning poem is entitled, "Changing the World". With persona poems being poems written in the first person, the "persona" in the poem is the fictional voice the author uses to narrate the poem. In this case, the US 250 Persona Poem Project specifically wanted poems told from the point of view of people who were experiencing events pertaining to The American Revolution. In Wahl's poem, "Changing the World", the persona is a seventeen-year-old lad who is waiting on the cue from Paul Revere to warn the others that the British, or "The Regulars" as they were referred to back then, are coming on the night of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride.

Mike Wahl also has another poem featured in "The US250 Persona Poem Project" published by Highland Park Poetry entitled, "Marcus Drury, Harbor Master". It is told from the point of view of the harbor master, Marcus Drury, on the night of the famous Boston Tea Party. Wahl lives with his family on an organic farm in Northern Alabama, although his early childhood was spent in rural Ohio. He has published three poetry anthologies entitled, "Living Adverbialy", "Rooted in Christianity", and "In Harmony with Homophones".

The US250 Persona Poem Project was edited by Mary Beth Bretzlauf, the president of the Illinois State Poetry Society and Jennifer Dotson, the author of "Late Night Talk Show Fantasy & Other Poems" who began the Highland Park Poetry society in 2007. For the US250 Persona Poem Project, selections were accepted from all over the world. With many of the featured poets being based out of Illinois since Highland Park Poetry is "A local group with a global reach" based out of Highland Park, Illinois.

Another Alabama based poet featured in "The US 250 Persona Poem Project" is Luisa Kay Reyes. An attorney who was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and lives in Northport, Alabama. She has two poems featured in "The US 250 Persona Poem Project". One of which is entitled, "United as One" based on the tradition they had in colonial times of spinning matches. For when the Patriots decided to boycott British goods, people still needed clothes to wear. So spinning matches became popular contests to see which ladies could spin the most fibers into thread. As homespun became the cloth of choice for the Patriots.

Reyes' other poem that is featured in the US 250 Persona Poem anthology is "Valley Forge, 1778". It is told from the point of view of a young drummer boy as the soldiers practice their music in the freezing cold to celebrate George Washington's birthday on the next day. An event which is considered the first ever public celebration of George Washington's birthday.

Copies of "The US250 Persona Poem Project" are available for purchase through Amazon.com at this link:

https://www.amazon.com/Poets-Respond-American-Revolution-Persona/dp/B0H2Y1DFGS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=113MGAS1JRGDB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fCqifIFyPVNSDuCc8xnjIA.vNvDL_eIrQHUvlEMTP8F4AXSBZ73ghn8i1OHLocwd0w&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+US250+Persona+Poem+Project&qid=1781271952&sprefix=the+us250+persona+poem+project%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa attorney, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes on current affairs, politics, and the arts.