For Milford High School junior Michael Yanzito, poetry became a way to say what he could not.
Yanzito earned first place in the high school division of the 2026 Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Contest for his original piece, “The Mask of a Mourning Son,” a poem inspired by the loss of his father.
The contest, hosted by Sinclair Community College, invites writers to reflect on an annual theme. This year’s theme, “The Mask and What Lies Beneath,” challenged participants to explore the emotions people hide and the truths they carry beneath the surface.
“I wanted to create something that could take people through my entire process,” Yanzito said. “So they could understand what I was feeling without me having to explain it.”
In his now award-winning poem, Yanzito writes of standing in a grocery store aisle, accepting condolences and “performing normal, flawlessly,” while quietly wrestling with the reality of his loss.
Yanzito said he wrote the piece to give voice to emotions he struggled to share, particularly with peers who had not experienced a similar loss. His poem contrasts the composed, outward-facing version of grief with the intensity beneath it. While others see a son who is “healing, moving on,” Yanzito reveals anger, confusion and unanswered questions.
“A lot of people don’t know what to say,” he said. “I wanted them to be able to sit in that grief with me and understand it.”
The recognition comes at a meaningful time. This month marks one year since his father’s passing, as well as his father’s birthday, moments Yanzito described as reflective and challenging.
“To be able to say everything I wanted to say in a piece of writing, that was important to me,” he said. “I didn’t get to say how I felt before.”
Yanzito initially underestimated the significance of the award. After learning the contest drew more than 100 submissions and was open to a broad pool of participants, the achievement took on new meaning.
His poem will be published in the contest’s official booklet, and he will be recognized at the Spectrum Awards banquet April 20 at Sinclair Community College.
While he does not consider himself a frequent poet, Yanzito said the experience reinforced the value of creative freedom and self-expression.
As he prepares to be recognized for his work, Yanzito said the poem stands as both a tribute and a turning point.
“It’s for my dad,” he said. “But it’s also for me, and for anyone who’s trying to understand what something like this feels like.”
Read “The Mask of a Mourning Son” and experience Michael’s story here: https://aptg.co/mbTHB-