There is a certain love for Rafael S.W at ZO. He was the Gold winner of our inaugural 2014 Poetry Expo and won with what our judges perceived as a globally thought provoking entry.

Creative Writing graduate and a founding member of Dead Poets’ Fight Club, Rafael S.W has been published in The Big Issue Fiction Edition, The Sleepers Almanac, and Award Winning Australian Writing. He also regularly contributes to Going Down Swinging online and competes in poetry slams and giant-sized chess games.

ZO Connections:
| Australia
| Gold winner of ZO’s 2014 Poetry Expo with “Red Dress”
| Articles — The Cavernous Heart of Underground Art
| Poetry — “Fault Lines”

“RED DRESS”

By Rafael S.W

. . . And all I want is someone who can weather my collapse.

On the last train out of the USSR, while it was still
that bright ventricle sickle, my grandfather fell
ill of the kind of dying no one is immune from.
A revolt in the lungs, and endless coughing. Snow
deep in the bones. He banged a carriage open,
introduced himself and his vitriol onto her dress. My gran
looked him straight in the blood. Loved him. Laid him down.

My mother said she was conceived right then. The rocking
of one body to sleep, another to birth. Knowing now
the complexities of babies, the average temperature
of a Russian winter. I don’t believe, but nor does it matter.
We never knew him. Now the universe and its infinite redress
has given me a chance. In the silence I put my hand
on your new stomach as you sleep.

_______________________________________________________________________

Rafael S.W opted to take the gold coin rather than cash award that we offered; which helped us to open a relationship with the gold dealer that we purchased the coin from. Rafael’s quote below was kind of the magic wand that opened the conversation:

……….“The American Gold Eagle Quarter made an excellent prize. So refreshing to have a physical reminder of my triumph, a medallion that has both weight and worth.” — Rafael S.W 2014 Poetry Expo winner.