The poems not chosen are in some respects as remarkable as the 19 that were. One child wrote about the seashore, another about her grandmother with Alzheimer's disease. Special occasions inspired poetry. Many tributes were written to Carl Sagan. Teachers write about and for their students, using rap and other verse forms to make difficult subjects easier to understand or remember.
Students write about science, scientists, and hilariously failed experiments.
Researchers sent poetry written in field camps in Antarctica and the badlands of South Dakota. Choosing among the poems was difficult. In the end, the ones we selected represent a wide range, from touching to humorous. All are exceptionally fine. We have never even, stranger, been within ourselves.