Diya Abbas is a first generation Pakistani poet. They were named the 2020 St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate. Their work has been featured or forthcoming on The Offing, The American Library of Poetry, Button Poetry, Respire Mag, and the Youth Speaks anthology “Between My Body and The Air” (First Word Press, 2020). Diya is currently studying Creative Writing at the University of Wisconsin Madison through the First Wave program.

YOUTH PORTFOLIO

collecting words in attempt to keep them the same

By DIYA ABBAS

to be a daughter and make her a wish or
to be a daughter and make her a weapon