The Cary Report ran its first-ever poetry contest a couple of weeks ago. Among many talented poets, Maya Weinstein captured the hearts of our readers with her poem “Rose” – a beautiful poem about Weinstein’s daughter.
The theme of the contest was “Change” which Weinstein cleverly intertwined both the change of the seasons and the changes associated with raising her infant daughter.
One month, one line. Two months, one line.
– Rose by Maya Weinstein
Three months, the lines change from one to two.
Twelve weeks, body changes, size changes,
“everything will change,” they say.
Making room for you inside and out.
Building, painting, washing, wondering, imagining.
You grow with the seasons – an apple in October,
cauliflower in December, a squash in February,
and I count down. In March, “today” – today everything
will change. Hours and hours, “no change,” pain, hours,
“not enough change,” pain, hours, “OK, it’s time.”
Soft and sweet, change is good, welcome, and beautiful.
I am changed inside and out.
Changing table, changing diapers, changing clothes.
One month, you’re growing
Two months, you’re smiling
Three months, you’re reaching
Four months, you’re rolling
Five months, you’re grabbing
Six months, you’re sitting
What’s next? Time is a thief but watching you grow
Is magic.
“I’m a lawyer, which involves a lot of writing, but it is not creative writing (at least not in the traditional sense),” says Weinstein. “I am pretty nerdy and enjoy the academic writing and analytical thinking, but I also have a strong artsy side that needs its exercise.”
Weinstein sometimes writes poems and other creative works, but they normally don’t leave her desktop. This contest is the first time in over 10 years she has shared any of her work with the public, and we are certainly glad she did.
“When I saw the prompt, I immediately thought about my daughter and wanted to try to translate my feelings about parenthood outside of my body and into words. So I wrote my poem about her,” explains Weinstein. “Autumn can sometimes feel haunting. The trees are barren and the dark of night comes so early, with the little bite of cold. But I also think the sunsets are more golden, the leaves are obviously gorgeous, and hot cider season is really hard to beat. I think that is consistent with my view of my change — there are some things that are hard about it and maybe even scary, but transformation brings beauty.”
Big congratulations to Maya Weinstein for winning the contest and sharing her beautiful work of poetry with us. Let’s hope we see more of her work in the future!
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