C.R. South Senior Named Bucks County High School Poet of the Year

Kiley Malloy, who rose to the top of more than 80 entries, read from her works Saturday, May 23, in an online celebration of youthful writers.

Bucks County Community College recently announced the winner of the Bucks County High School Poet of the Year Contest. The winner, Kiley Malloy, is a senior at Council Rock High School South.

Malloy rose to the top of more than 80 entries in the 33rd annual contest, part of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program administered by the college. A first runner-up in both 2018 and 2019, Malloy is copy editor for “Illuminations,” the Council Rock South literary magazine.

For her first-place finish, Malloy won $300 and was honored with a poetry reading. Because the college campus is closed amid COVID-19 restrictions, Malloy read from her works in a special virtual reading and celebration on Saturday, May 23, on the college’s YouTube channel.

The three poems Malloy submitted for the contest were entitled, “When You Take Me for a Ghost,” “For Allen Ginsberg,” and “Apology (Prose Poem).”

Judges were current Bucks County Poet Laureate Mary Jo LoBello Jerome, and last year's laureate, Carly Volpe.

Jerome called Malloy’s poems “a joy to read,” with “so many artful and surprising nuances.”

“The poet demonstrates a real gift, a true talent, by choosing the details that add interest and surprise, moving the imagery forward and creating depth, and treating the subjects thoughtfully and creatively,” Jerome said. “The poems are tight — well-crafted and strong.”

“When You Take Me For a Ghost”

when you take me for a ghost

you are forgiving. Every

chill in the air is a cause to be cautious, shoes

slipped off the soles of your feet in silence. The

goosebumps are the kind worth having, and

the blue in my fingers is charming, no faulty circulation.

This is how ghosts are supposed to look,

so the purple on my cheeks, red under my tongue is

welcome. You forgive me, and I’m Hamlet’s father

in this one except, I’m not asking for revenge but for

your favor— I thought I made that plain enough in Act One.

So you’ll slide closer to me right? Sigh

and see the clouds form? Press hand to cold cheek; untie

stones from my ankles with ginger fingers? The prints on the

window are ours, not just mine and my breaths

are warmer when we’ve both spit lakewater

from our lungs.

Until then, I’m the figure in the vent above the

black box and you’re still forgiving me when the

lights go out.

– Kiley Malloy

Runners-Up

In addition to the winner, the judges also named George School freshman Rhianna Searle as first runner-up; Neshaminy High School senior Nathalie Hernandez as second runner-up; and Council Rock High School South senior Jessica Wang as third runner-up.

The three runners-up also read from their works during the virtual celebration, along with judges Jerome and Volpe. You can watch the celebration at this link: youtube.com/BucksCCC.

About the Annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year Contest

The 33rd annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest is another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region. You can read more about how the contest is judged and the qualifications to enter in this article.