Author's Note: This poem is written in the form of a Cento, which is "a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets" used to create a new, unique poem. I cannot tell you how many poems I went through to do this, but it was at least triple the number of lines shown here. Each of the poets whose lines I have used have been given credit (in order) at the bottom. Enjoy!

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"On Ambition"

It must be due our hearts, our minds, our powers
Of wisdom, glory, truth, and light,
breaking free. I understand your astonishing
leapfrogging elephants
passing, again, the turnstiles of my life, its sharp
skin against the pure blue sky—
though the outdoors has rarely inspired me to write,
out of repetition comes variation.

Ambition is a dizzy height
of every girl or woman who tips her head up.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
and bleed for love until we faint.
Far below us, a stop-sign rose
as though created by someone skilled with a glue gun
and that started her always wanting
the encore, a raise, respect, results, whatever.

I’m not scared and I don’t care where the dream
learned of her secret special talent,
along her spine, splayed, in plaster
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
Call hallelujah, call amen, call deep thanks
like this obituary-filled Bible,
Enough for me the voice that cheers
someone else. Pretend I’m winning.




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Credits Go To:
Stanza one: Sterling Brown; Paul Laurence Dunbar; Tina Chang; Joshua Bennett; Perry Janes; Gary Jackson; David Berman; David Tomas Martinez.
Stanza two: Lucretia Maria Davidson; Luisa A. Igloria; Edgar Guest; Elsa Gidlow; Carol Muske-Dukes; Alexandria Peary; Victoria Chang; Claire McQuerry.
Stanza three: Erica Hunt; Gailmarie Pahmeier; Rosanna Warren; Theodore Roethke; Carl Sandburg; Tyree Daye; John Rollin Ridge; and Maggie Smith.