Wayah Bald on the horizon
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[ 3 poems from the 2026 Gilbert-Chappell mentorships ]
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all selections are from the 2026 edition of
Witness: Appalachia to Hatteras
the annual anthology of the Gilbert Chappell Distinguished Poet Series
mentor program of the North Carolina Poetry Society
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Weeping Willows
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In a garden of weeping willows,
roots coil in secret below the patient gaze of stones,
and shadows thicken with stories unsaid and untended—
secrets no one can tell.
Yet, each leaf holds a history pressed thin by longing,
longing something forgotten—
leaves know more than anyone could ever know.
The weeping willows weren’t just there for show,
they were there for a story,
a story on how everything had gone wrong.
Once upon a time they weren’t weeping willows,
but just willows.
However, with all the history they held,
they wept.
hoping and praying they could just die,
hoping they would be forgotten
so no one would cause them more damage,
but every spring’s arrival
rattles against those hidden wounds,
making forgetting impossible.
They hide in winter, hoping no one will see,
but spring only draws attention,
when they are forced to be beautiful,
while at night they weep.
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Cynthia Ward
Eastern Region Gilbert-Chappell student poet, Cynthia is a junior at West Columbus High School, where she is the school poet laureate. The Eastern Region Gilbert-Chappell Mentor is Gideon Young, Chapel Hill, NC.
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Cross #12
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A random cross was performed between parent 1
and parent 2. Figure 8.1 gives the results
of the cross. Use the table to answer the
following questions:
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1. If the offspring’s genotype is a result
of independent assortment and crossing over,
is the offspring really just the sum of
probability and chance?
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2. If the offspring express a recombinant
phenotype, what gives it inherent beauty?
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3. If there are no alleles for morality,
why does the offspring feel an inherent sense of
right and wrong?
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4. If parent 1 was heterozygous
dominant, and parent 2 homozygous
recessive, what is the offspring’s purpose in life?
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5. If the offspring’s mos fundamental instinct
is to survive and reproduce, why does it care
about so much more?
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6. If all there ever was and is is this world,
why isn’t the offspring satisfied by it?
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Kendal Dixon
Kendal is a Central Region Gilbert-Chappell student poet. She graduated in 2026 from Southern Alamance High School. The Central Region Gilbert-Chappell Mentor is Joseph Mills, Winston-Salem, NC.
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Why I Love Polka Dots
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My mother is going out.
I don’t really know what this means,
I only know that
soon I will be left behind.
But she is here now,
I am here now,
and now
it is just the two of us.
I sit at the foot of the bed.
She, high priestess, poses in front of the mirror.
Girdle, garters, stockings,
lipstick, rouge, hairspray, jewelry.
The bumps of the old white bedspread
press mountains and valleys
into my sunburned summer thighs
as she twirls in front of me
in her favorite dress,
chocolate brown satiny silk
covered with
black velveteen polka dots
that shiver and pulse with a life
I don’t yet understand.
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Mary Beth Stevens
An adult student of the Gilbert-Chappell Western Region, Mary Beth lives in the Blue Ridge mountains. She has written children’s books but only lately turned to poetry. The Western Region Gilbert-Chappell Mentor is Lee Stockdale, Asheville, NC.
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The Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series originated in 2003 at the encouragement of Fred Chappell, North Carolina’s fifth Poet Laureate. Fred felt a mentorship program for students and young adults would further the North Carolina Poetry Society’s mission of encouraging the reading, writing, and enjoyment of poetry across the state. Through a generous endowment from the family of Marie Gilbert (herself a life member and supporter of NCPS), this mentorship series is permanently funded and has thrived for twenty-three years.
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Three Distinguished Poets from Eastern, Central, and Western North Carolina each mentor a middle-school student, a high-school student, a college or university student, and an adult mentee within their respective regions. The current State Coordinator is Michael Dechane, and the Distinguished Poet Mentors for the 2025-26 season have been Gideon Young (East), Joseph Mills (Central), and Lee Stockdale (West).
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Applications for the 2026-2027 program open September 1 – November 15. Find more information about the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series, including an application form, at the NC Poetry Society web site HERE
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Each student works with their mentor to write and edit a series of poems. In addition to public readings and presentations, GCDPS publishes an annual anthology with poetry by the students as well as the Mentors, Witness: Appalachia to Hatteras. Order your copy HERE
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Cape Lookout
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Thank you for visiting Verse and Image:
. . . . . every Friday I present one or more poems I’ve read this week that particularly speak to me;
. . . . . some Saturdays I present one or two poems submitted by YOU, my readers.
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Thanks again for joining the conversation.
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– Bill
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V E R S E and I M A G E 
Thanks, Jenny. All three of these poems have depth and beauty. ---B