Winner “Spill the Ink” poetry contest,
St. Joe County Public Library (2022).
O Center of My Universe
Decades ago in Kalamazoo, when he was still
my father,
on a Saturday afternoon not so different from this one . . .
the familiar trumpet sounding at the start of the race
like a siren calling my name,
hooves like jackhammers circle the track
working like a tattoo gun,
inking memories that cannot be erased.
Long weekend vacations of
hot dogs, cigar smoke, and horse flesh,
and cursing, and spitting, and drinking, but also
pink barrettes, bubble gum, and a Barbie purse
stuffed with losing tickets.
“That’s what happens when you bet on a horse
because the jockey is cute.”
The old man in the nursing home watches me and smiles
as I pick up the wrinkled racing program lying on his dresser,
a treasure unearthed from one of his many boxes
containing what was once his life.
“Have you ever been horse racing,” he asks me.
In his eyes, I see a patchwork of strangers, a collage of unknown faces,
with alphabet soup names crowding out any recognition of who I might be.
“No, tell me about it,” I say.
And afternoon passes to evening,
as he regales me with stories, like beautiful old movies,
of him and his daughter with matching sunburns,
watching horses draped in red, and yellow, and green rush by
like crayons falling from an open box,
all the while never realizing that I was that little girl.
1) O Center of My Universe from “Do you spell role model role model or roll model” by Bob Hicok.
2) Decades ago in Kalamazoo, when he was still from “A visit to my pantheon reveals a hole in the sky” by Bob Hicok.
Winner “Spill the Ink” poetry contest, St. Joe County Public Library (2022).
The Urge to Sleep In
Despite its reputation
as an early riser,
I imagine there must be days,
at least one or two,
when even the Sun
yawns in protest
at the hour
it must open the curtains
on another morning.
Winner “Spill the Ink” poetry contest, St. Joe County Public Library (2025).
Killing Fall
Fall leaves have escaped their trees
and delight in their short-lived freedom . . .
dancing hand in hand in driveways –
orange and red whirling dervishes;
swirling in a tall cluster reaching for the clouds -
an unruly kite determined to flee its master;
scurrying noisily back and forth across the yards -
children in an endless game of tag;
and finally, rushing across the street as fast as they can
like soon-to-be victims in a horror movie racing for their life,
but no matter how fast they run,
the boogeyman always seems to catch them . . .
as Winter does Fall.
Winner “Spill the Ink” poetry contest, St. Joe County Public Library (2026).
Amanda V. Judd is a receptionist for PBS Michiana WNIT.
Bio
Amanda Valerie Judd has an AFA in Creative Writing from Normandale Community College. She is currently attending Southern New Hampshire University earning her BFA in Creative Writing – Poetry. In 2020, she won the Patsy Lea Core Prize for Poetry. In 2021, her poem, “My Only Label” was nominated for “Best of the Net 2021.” She has published four collections of her poetry, and numerous individual poems in literary journals and zines, both in print & online. She has thrice won the St. Joseph County Library poetry contest (2022 & 2025). Most recently, her work has been published or is forthcoming in Micromance Magazine and MockingOwl Roost.