Moons and Flowers: Poetry from Sol

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Sol Magazine (C) 1998

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Twice a month, Sol Magazine sponsors poetry contests, and from the results, produces an electronic poetry magazine, published on the last day of each month. The winners are posted here on our web site.

The topics are on a variety of subjects about nature and the nature of humanity. Our purpose: to foster the reading and writing of short poetry.

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Shown here are February's winners. For a complete copy of the current Sol Magazine Edition, contact DMHT67B@prodigy.com and ask to be added to distribution.

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A POEM FROM OUR POET LAUREATE

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Early Revival

beneath a bigbodied midnight moon
festooning the mauve-blue crystals of snow
a cluster of yellow aconite flowers
stunning the world anew

Betty Ann Whitney

White winter is special to me: I grew up in New England, where winter was a powerful sculpture. Now I remember what I can of that fullbodied realm from my present home in semi-tropical Florida.

Staff Comments: Thank you. Betty Ann, for this wonderful poem combining both of this month's themes, Winter Moon and Winter Flowers. Well said!

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HONORABLE MENTIONS - BOTH CONTESTS

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Flower in Bloom

Rest here, child, swaddled in the dirt.
Soon you will grow,
Bursting forth,
You'll spread your beauty upon the earth.

D.K. Kennedy, Altoona, PA

Staff Comments: Wonderful comparison of a flower to a child, as if they were one image.

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February in Seattle

Fragile frilly pink sparsely springing
All along dark boughs of plum,
Umbrellas flung against cold rain.
We are surprised by blossoms.

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA

Staff Comments: as close to haiku as a four-line poem can be. Restrained alliteration, with great attention to the sound and meaning of the words. We see and feel this scene. Lovely.

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Cold Moon

On a cold winter night
The moon stalks brightly through the trees.
Scary shadows frighten me,
On a cold winter night.

Maggie Stearns, Wilmette, IL

Judge's Comments: Simple, yet perfectly packaged. Each word links to the next to capture both emotion and picture. It comes full circle at the end. Staff Comments: The identity of each poet is secret until publication, so our judge had no idea that Maggie is eleven years old.

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Winter's Moonkiss

Winking shyly in the heaven
Shrugging off winter's abandon
Watching over sleeping buds
Blanketing mother kissed foreheads

Marsha Steed, Citrus Heights, CA

Judge's Comments: Playful words that stretch imagination, bringing comfort and warmth to the reader.

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Unseasoned (Southern California)

fuchsias dance a pink cotillion
blithe and brilliant hibiscus
nod beneath the blooming citrus
sky above a deep cerulean

Beverly Steward, Santa Barbara, CA

Judge's Comments: Painterly, brings to mind "Fantasia." Words carefully chosen, well woven. Delightful.

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Night Lights

A slice
Of ivory ice,
High in a cool black velvet sky,
Glimmers on icicled trees.

Pat Tabella, Providence, RI

Judge's Comments: Words reflect strong, sharp, clear idea and picture. Best recited aloud, but in a whisper.

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Awakening

A wary sun peeks through winter's clouds,
Coaxing fingers of daffodil leaves
From hard and frozen soil,
As birds chatter a hearty welcome.

Pat Tabella, Providence, RI

Judge's Comments: Clear definition of anticipation and encouragement. Beautiful.

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Idyllic Panorama

Across vast yards of crucified vines
Wild mustard in full bloom
Lends endless blends of yellow
To green terraces and vales

Craig Tigerman, Moline, IL

Judge's Comments: Stark view, near and far, delicately colored.

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THIRD PLACE WINTER MOON - BELOW -

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Moon's-eye View

Sailing through clouds and stars,
Are you thrilled to see snow, below?
Even though you will never come near--
Only delight with your light?

Jean Mcallister, Bellevue, WA

Judge's Comments: A curious twist of intrigue, pleasing style; a riddle with cadence.

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THIRD PLACE WINTER FLOWERS - BELOW -

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Courageous Flowers

Beside our front door,
The colorful pansies and kale
Robustly face the winds of winter
And silently prevail.

James Sandage, Oklahoma City, OK

Judge's Comments: Animated description, inspirational. A delight to read and ponder.

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SECOND PLACE WINTER MOON - BELOW -

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Winter Moon

thinking dreamers could hear
the winter moon sang
as the dark night
danced softly on frozen grass

Holly Solt, Lauderdale, MS

Judge's Comments: Visual image spans sky to grass. Animated cleverly, crafted carefully.

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SECOND PLACE WINTER FLOWERS - BELOW -

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A Winter's Glow

Japanese magnolias along the avenue
Blooming softly in New Orleans
A gentle glow of pink
Against the air still chilled

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX

Judge's Comments: This visual poem is thematically based, with strong contrast. It is warm, balanced, and captures a serene, unique perspective.

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Cold Moonlight

Highlighting the baying wolf
Etching in bas-relief the snowy landscape
Gilding winter-bare trees
Frosting with iridescence the starry sky

Amanda Murphy, Antioch, CA

Judge's Comments: The words bring texture to the clear imagery.

Perception and interpretation are delightfully read and reread.

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The Snow Flower

Silver crystals form on your leaves
Transforming you into a whisper among trees
Your pale little petals crisp with ice
Turning you white as rice

Cassandra Kosovich, Troy, MI

Judge's Comments: Fanciful, but clean and crisp in words and concept.

Careful detail to suit the season.

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Shadows

We build complicated satellites
And say they're getting better
Yet depend on the Ground Hog
To predict February's weather

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

Staff Comments: Funny and thought provoking, both cute and witty. Lois gets a copy of "Waiting for the Unicorn," poems and lyrics of China's Last Dynasty, 1644-1911.

Congratulations, Lois.

Snail mail: Sol Magazine, P.O. Box 580037, Houston, TX 77258-0037

Phone number: 1-281-333-3741

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Write to above address to be added or deleted from our mailing list.

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This month's judge was Roz Garay. Thanks, Roz! We appreciate all the time you spent making your selections of winners.

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Do you want to be a judge, guest editor, interviewee? Tell us. Private individuals are welcomed as sponsors!

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All poetry remains the property of the poet, except Sol Magazine reserves the right to publish all poems (once) at a future date, or to post them to a web page. NONE may be reproduced without permission of Sol Magazine. Electronic forwarding is permitted as long as no portion of this magazine is changed and all credits are given.

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We correct grammar and spelling errors, and often add a leading capital to the start of every line without asking permission or forgiveness unless NO line has leading capitals AND you have NO punctuation. We usually ask about other changes. If you use punctuation, expect us to make it consistent throughout your entry. If you use foreign words, expect us to ask you to verify correct spelling and definitions.

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Sol Magazine (C) 1998