Long after the last poem was shared at our 2023 Parkmont Poetry Festival Reading on April 29th, listeners were turning the pages of the winners’ booklet to revisit the words of the 40 winning poets. It was an afternoon full of the dreams, fears, visions, and memories of young writers from all corners of the District. They attend area public, private, and charter schools in grades 6-12, and each of them took to the podium and held the Sanctuary rapt in their unfolding words. The students’ winning poems can be read by selecting their image in our 2023 gallery of winners or by downloading the 2023 booklet here.