Who am I? by YAPA 2026 Winner Diana Shavinyan
Read Diana Shavinyan’s poem “Who am I?” – one of the three winners of the 2026 Young Armenian Poets Awards in Honor of Tamar Asadourian.
Who am I?
When I opened my eyes for the first time, I saw the Sun.
The same ancient light that shone thousands of years ago,
The light that burns in my eyes today will guide the dawns of tomorrow… And I asked myself: “Who am I in this endless world?”
I closed my eyes and listened…
I heard the call of the Krunk,
echoing from the depths of time, calling me home…
In that moment, my body became the earth, and my soul became the sky. I am there, where the mountains stand strong and proud,
Where every drop of my blood joins the heartbeat of the mountain streams.
I looked at my hands; they were hard like stone and rock,
I am the child of the farmer, who carved life into the soil.
I looked at my feet; they were rooted in the ground like the pillars of a house, I am the child of the builder, who puts stone upon stone to build a fortress.
In the mirror, I saw my face, flushed with the warmth of the fire, I am the child of the woman, who spreads the life-giving scent of Lavash in the air.
But when I looked deeper into the eyes in the mirror,
I saw Him…
I saw a boy of my age, in a soldier’s uniform,
Kissing the cheek of the mother who gave him life,
Before stepping toward the land, that gave him a name.
Then I look toward the horizon at the unwritten pages of our tomorrow. I see hands that do more than move stones; they are reaching for the stars. I see myself, and in my eyes, there is only the fire of my will.
I am the house that is yet to be built on old foundations,
I am the song that is yet to be sung at the new dawn,
The sun that will warm this earth.
I am the name that will be whispered by the wind forever,
Through the pain, the light, and the ancient call:
I am the Future, born from the Armenian soil
I AM THE CHILD OF AN ARMENIAN.
Diana Shavinyan is an 18-year-old student from Abovyan, Armenia, who studies at Yerevan’s Real School. She is the founder of the “Handisatesil” theatrical group, which she established at her high school to explore philosophical and emotional themes through pantomime and rhythmic movement. Beyond the stage, Diana is deeply invested in preserving Armenian identity, often working with Classical Armenian (Grabar). Writing is her greatest passion, and she dreams of one day publishing her own book to share her inner world with others. Through her creative work, she seeks to bridge the gap between historical roots and a future defined by will and action.
YAPA Judge Arminé Iknadossian on Shavinyan’s poem:
“The question the title poses is one all Armenians have thought of at one time or another. Who are we as a culture, a people, a unified force for good? This poignant poem imagines a body that is made up of the Armenia we are all so proud of. As each line transforms the narrator into soil, sky, rock, bread, what emerges is an ancient call by a young poet who embodies Armenia from past, present and future.“
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Arminé Iknadossian’s family fled to California when she was four years old to escape the civil war. After graduating from UCLA, Iknadossian earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Antioch University. The author of All That Wasted Fruit (Main Street Rag Press), Iknadossian’s work is included in XLA Anthology, Ruminate, Five South, Whale Road Review, Southern Florida Poetry Journal, MacQueen’s Quarterly, and The American Journal of Poetry. She recently received a Professional Artists Grant from the Arts Council of Long Beach. She has also received fellowships from Idyllwild Arts, The Los Angeles Writing Project, and Otis College of Art and Design. Arminé is on the Advisory Board of the International Armenian Literary Alliance and is also one of the Tlaquilx poets for Project 1521.