Local artist receives achievement award for poem

PLAINS – The Plains Woman’s Club recognized a local artist at their annual luncheon on Thursday at the United Methodist Church. Recent Plains High School graduate Rachel Ibarra was awarded a certificate of achievement for her poem entitled “Tin Man” that took first place in a statewide competition.

About a dozen club members attended the luncheon that began with an introduction of Ibarra and a summary of her many accomplishments in the field of poetry. Board member Mary Lou Hermes read off a summary of these achievements including three first place finishes in the youth poetry category.

Ibarra then proceeded to read aloud her winning entry. At the conclusion of the reading, she was presented with the certificate from Hermes and a round of applause from the audience.

Ibarra has been writing poetry nearly half of her life. She said her primary inspiration comes from the environment that surrounds her and how she interprets her experiences within her surroundings.

“I’m inspired by things around me, people I know, experiences I’ve had and the experiences that I see other people go through,” said Ibarra.

According to Ibarra, the inspiration for “Tin Man” falls into the latter category. She said that the poem was about someone she witnessed dealing with the difficulties of adjusting as a new student in school.

“It’s about this kid I met. He was the new kid in school. People picked on him. They didn’t understand him. He got to the point where he didn’t want to meet people,” said Ibarra. “A group of friends and I went and sat with him at lunch. At first he didn’t want to talk to us but we kept trying and eventually he spoke to me and we became friends.”

Ibarra said she appreciated the recognition from the members of the Plains Woman’s Club. Club President-elect Sandi Lane said acknowledging young talent in places like Plains is part of how the club reaches out to the community.

“I think it’s important to recognize young people especially young women because in small communities there are often less avenues to get their artistic abilities noticed,” said Lane.

“It’s encouraging to know that they liked it and understood it,” said Ibarra. “Poetry is beautiful in the way you can manipulate words. You can get a message across. It’s not straight forward and you can make people think.”

According to the contest sponsor’s website, the “General Federation of Women’s Clubs is an international organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.”

The website also indicates that the Youth Poetry Writing Contest seeks to “provide an avenue for GFWC members and community members of all ages to freely express themselves, as well as draw upon their experiences through writing.”

The GFWC can trace its roots back to 1868 when a female journalist named Jane Cunningham Croly was denied admittance to attend a dinner at an all-male press club honoring British novelist Charles Dickens.

Croly was denied entry based on her gender and formed a club for women in response. In 1890, Croly extended an invitation to women’s clubs across the country to attend a convention in New York City. Sixty-three clubs attended and the GFWC was born.'

Rachel Ibarra's Poem:

Tin Man

The metal man stands stiff and cold,

rusty steel born from gold.

A red affliction ebbs within,

trapped beneath the hammered skin.

Friction wears away the shine

as I watch them flock across the line

and scour his wrought iron gate;

I fear the blacksmith comes too late.

Hammered into the thinnest wire

One single spark will light the fire.

A conductor of acidic life,

the cobalt glows beneath the knife.

His element is strange to man -

the edges slice uncalloused hands.

Oxidized in ruby rain,

I hear the thoughts that flood his veins.

An alloy of corroded lead

But tarnished gold is what he bled.

Soft, I touch the foiled skin

to try and move the man of tin.