The Year of the Poet VIII ~ June 2021

Foreword

June marks the halfway point for the year. It says to us "you have been successful thus far". Rayen Kang lives this as a young artist. The laurels of her early success will not rest here. The vision of conservation by young people can only be surpassed by the continued work.

There is no where one can turn without seeing information on climate change. What happened, what it is and how we need to change our lives is on the top of the list from the office of the President down to the youngest citizen. Rayen supports this through her art. Her "voice" brings awareness to the issues important to her. The realism in her choices of fowl bring us into her reality. We may only see a duck or a swan but the 80 plus hours she spent getting it true to her eye shows in how we appreciate the canvas.

The world has yet to weigh in on this young lady. She, however, is busy weighing in on the world. Helping out as a research assistant on quantile estimation, presiding over the STEAM organization at Georgia Tech, and spending time encouraging other young women in the STEM field, she is making marks in tackling real world problems in a challenging environment.

In this issue of the Year of the Poet, you will be challenged to see how we acknowledge the contributions of youth and how we see ourselves at the turning point of the year. We may allow our pens to reminiscence or dream forward. A very special thanks to the contributing poets. Keep in mind that you may think to yourself, "that is that piece", there is always more to come. The art cannot be stilled.



Gail Weston Shazor

Director of Anthologies