By Wallace Ianicelli Lovell McAnany
4th grade | Longfellow Elementary School | Maine
Finalist in the K–11 contest, Human Rights category
With lines from “This Queer Couple Supports LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Farmers’ Mental Health” by Nicole J. Caruth, a Pulitzer Center-supported story
We deserve to hear the earth as it is:
The water running,
the birds chirping,
the leaves bristling,
the wind blowing.
We deserve to not cower from the world, just like you
We deserve to live as we please, just like you
We deserve to be loud, just like you
We deserve to not worry, not fear, not care, just like you
We deserve rights, just like you
We deserve to be human, just like you
Though people are going to hate us,
We deserve to be ourselves,
Just.
Like.
You.
Wallace Ianicelli Lovell McAnany is a rising fifth-grader at Longfellow Elementary School in Portland, Maine. They love fantasy books, Batman villains, Marvel heroes, and Greek mythology. They enjoy reading, writing, drawing, playing kickball, and doing tricks on their scooter. Wallace believes that all beings should be treated equally no matter what. Their favorite subject in school is literacy. They often hang out with their sister Sadie. Classmates describe Wallace as smart, creative, brave, motivated, encouraging, and witty.
Read more winning entries from the 2026 Fighting Words Poetry Contest.