Poetry Challenge: How Has The Pandemic Changed You?

Over 126 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. After a long year, it feels like we can all take a breath.

Throughout the pandemic, we've learned a lot. No one is coming out of it unaffected.

Maya Angelou's poem "Still, I Rise" reflects that sentiment.

"Just like the moons and the suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I'll rise," she writes.

In a poem of your own, tell us what you learned throughout this pandemic. How did you come out on the other side? Use "Still, I Rise" as your first line.

Share your poem through the form below. NPR's resident poet Kwame Alexander will take lines from some of your pieces and create a community crowdsourced poem. Alexander and NPR's Rachel Martin will read it on air, and NPR will publish it online, where contributors will be credited.

The form will close on Wednesday, May 26.

Here are the terms of the callout:

By providing your Submission to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the following terms in relation to the content and information (your "Submission") you are providing to National Public Radio ("NPR," "us" or "our"):

You are submitting content pursuant to a callout by Morning Edition related to a segment with Kwame Alexander wherein he creates unique poetry based on listener submissions. You understand that you are submitting content for the purpose of having Kwame use that content to create a new poem or poems ("Poem") with the material you submit. You must be over the age of 18 to submit material.

You will retain copyright in your Submission, but agree that NPR and/or Kwame Alexander may edit, modify, use, excerpt, publish, adapt or otherwise make derivative works from your Submission and use your Submission or derivative works in whole or in part in any media or format and/or use the Submission or Poem for journalistic and/or promotional purposes generally, and may allow others to do so. You understand that the Poem created by Kwame Alexander will be a new creative work and may be distributed through NPR's programs (or other media), and the Poem and programs can be separately subject to copyright protection. Your Submission does not plagiarize or otherwise infringe any third-party copyright, moral rights or any other intellectual property rights or similar rights. You have not copied any part of your Submission from another source. If your Submission is selected for inclusion in the Poem, you will be acknowledged in a list of contributors on NPR's website or otherwise receive appropriate credit, but failure to do so shall not be deemed a breach of your rights.

Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.