"some students give apples" Nominated for a Pushcart Prize
Matthew Henry
Confession time.
I was seeing writers I LOVE being nominated for Pushcarts and Best of the Nets all over the place, and feeling VERY PROUD/HAPPY for them, but also a little sad that it wasn’t me.
I also recognized feeling surprise that it wasn’t me, which was very unusual, until I realized that I’ve been nominated for a Pushcart or BoTN (or both) every year since 2018.
After some soul-searching and smacking of self, I remembered I’m not owed a damn thing. That I will lean into my joy for others. That I write for me, regardless of whether anyone else notices.
And then I got an email from Relief Journalsaying my poem “some students give apples” was nominated for a Pushcart. All the above remains true, but the recognition is still nice.