Winners of the June
Sunshine and Rain, Poetry and Passion Contests

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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 topics come from 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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ALL HONORABLE MENTIONS
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Curse of the Cursor

Cursor blinks a steady, mocking beat
Never changing intensity, taunting defeat
It knows the page is blank, words refuse to flow
Why must it taunt?  See?......I told you so.

Dean Bloomfield, Kalamazoo, MI
Judge's Comments:  evokes common frustrations we all share.
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Solar Spectrum

Our plants need sunshine and rain
To crank up photosynthesis.
Yet we seek sun without rain
Dermatologists ask what sense this is.

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
Judge's Comments:  Clever use of rhyme and alliteration.  Love the irony in this one.
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Rainbows

Did you ever watch a rainbow
As it slowly fades away
And wonder how such beauty
Brings the sunshine back to the day

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX Judge's Comments:  Great perception.
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The Only Truth

Passion is my name
Poems are my food
Passion of poems is for them
For me it is only truth

Stella Nowicki, Galveston, TX Staff Comments:  Nicely written.
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To an Errant Weatherwoman

Two days ago you faithfully promised me rain,
Yesterday you swore I'd have sun,
Today you smile roguishly (as I tune you in)
And cliche:  "No one can please everyone!"

Tom Padgett, Bolivar, MO
Judge's Comments:  Good assonance and consonance, clever infiltration of cliche.
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True Romance

Since Andy suffered rocket passion, he naturally
Attended the Space Convention.  He, unnaturally,
Rode with honeymooners, slept in their trunk,
And in this space capsule suffered THEIR rock-it passion.

Tom Padgett, Bolivar, MO
Judge's Comments:  Great humor and play on words.
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Sea Turtle's Journey

With simple taste of salt and sand to guide
Over many years, over thousands of miles
Mother passion returns home
Dropping soft-shelled futures in the fertile sand

Lynette Bowen Post, League City, TX
Judge's Comments:  Beautifully charged word choices and earth imagery.
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Purpose

Emotions gather
Words simmer in the soul
Pens were invented to witness
That Poetry can make us whole.

Marsha Rose Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Staff Pick:  to the point, covers both topics beautifully
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A Conference Love

I will not forget your fingertips in chapel
Our first kiss under night stars
I will not forget your hunger and your smile
When you gave yourself to me

Ulf Sunblad, Tumba, Sweden
Staff Comments:  simple, strong, steamy.
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THIRD PLACE - SUNSHINE AND RAIN CONTEST -
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The End is Not Yet

Gravid clouds loom in the east over hills 
Humped in mute defense against the deluge-- 
But look westward:  the last light gleams 
To stream a riotous ribbon across the night.

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA
Judge's Comments:  Good consonance and internal rhyme.  Vivid imagery, thoughtful assonance.
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THIRD PLACE - POETRY AND/OR PASSION CONTEST -
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Sleep

Passion's thirsting, wretched greed
Rises, falls, swells, recedes.
Lidded eyes gaze at me
Charged with flame and glazed with need.

Dean Bloomfield, Kalamazoo, MI
Judge's Comments:  we see even the eyes in this vision personified.  Emotional, terse imagery.
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SECOND PLACE - SUNSHINE AND RAIN CONTEST -
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Repentance

A child stepped in a puddle
Heedless of his shoes
Perhaps the drops that filled it
Will gain forgiveness by sunbeam's muse.

Marsha Rose Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Original, thoughtful use of the universal child's experience.
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SECOND PLACE - POETRY AND/OR PASSION CONTEST -
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One Early Morning

Passion passes, even grief, 
When treading dew-bowed grasses 
On the first day of the week, 
The women find death cleanly fled.

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA
Judge's Comments:  Imagery and consonance resound our mortality.


FIRST PLACE - SUNSHINE AND RAIN CONTEST -
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Goodnight, Good Night

All day it rained in my heart,
As summer came in on wicked squalls.
Grey hung moodily until dusk,
When the glow of a sunken sun softly kissed the horizon.

Patricia A. Tabella, Providence, RI
Judge's Comments:  Mood and tone richly rendered.   Lovely.


FIRST PLACE -  POETRY AND/OR PASSION CONTEST -
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The Gatherer

The poet neither spins nor weaves,
Nor does he plant or reap, 
But binds his words into sheaves 
Of images for the mind to keep.

Milton Earnest, Smyrna, GA
Judge's Comments:  Oppositional, defiant, common cliches disintegrate and a new perception emerges--well done.
Staff Comments:  Thoughtful, memorable.
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FIRST PLACE POETS - WINNER OF A BOOK FROM OUR GRAB-BAG:  Patricia A. Tabella - a copy of "Finders," a poetry book by Julie Parson-Nesbitt is on the way to you.
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All That Glitters

Diamond glitters flicker over warm bay waters,
Worth ten thousand times gems cut from cold carbon base.
Jewels tossed by summer solstice
Always bring a smile to my face.

Patricia A. Tabella, Providence, RI
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GLOSSARY:  from Reader's Digest's "Illustrated Reverse Dictionary"
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Anadiplosis:  repetition of a word or group of words at the end of one phrase and the beginning of the next one for rhetorical effect:  "waited for the dawn--the dawn that would restore hope."
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POETRY WORKS - a guest editorial by J.C. Holland
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Write What You Know:  I went to a writing seminar recently.  The participants (Berkley editor, Simon-Schuster editor, and two literary agents) seemed to voice the same themes:  write what you know; develop a special niche for your work; don't write for a publishing house; promote your own work.  They intimated good writing will be recognized, although it may take time.  Just keep at it and submit.
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Voicing what we all know, but need to hear again!  Thanks, J.C.  We appreciate your sending this to us.
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Send comments, questions, advice to:  DMHT67B@Prodigy.com
Snail mail:  Sol Magazine, P.O. Box 580037, Houston, TX  77258-0037
Phone number:  (281) 333-3741
Website:  http://pages.prodigy.com/sol_magazine
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Write to above address to be added or deleted from this list, or to change your id.   Include the id that needs to be changed, please.   Some folks have more than one.
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Do you want to be a judge, guest editor, interviewee?  Tell us.
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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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See our contest website or last contest for current guidelines.  We do not accept entries that make use of graphic language, touch on partisan politics, or support particular religious views.
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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.  We usually ask about other changes.  If you use punctuation, expect us to make it consistent throughout your entry.
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Sol Magazine (C) 1998
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