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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 to our website at:

http://pages.prodigy.com/sol_magazine

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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WINNERS ONLY ARE POSTED HERE.  Write and ask us for a copy of the complete November Issue.
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THIS MONTH'S SPONSORS:  Steven Cox (http://www.mectec.com) Sharon Goodwin, and Leo Waltz.  Thanks, folks, for your generosity.
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CONTEST ONE - GIFT - JUDGE:  Sharon Goodwin
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life  HONORABLE MENTION

no need of replies
nurtured in hands
warm as the sand
washed in gracile smiles

Pat Barber, Edgewood, MD
Editor's Comments:  this rolls on the tongue when spoken, and has a lovely sound to it, like the ocean gently washing a favorite shore.
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Witnessed  FIRST PLACE  WINNER OF A $15.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

You gave all one could offer...
reality robbed your body, then sibling.
Your gift, a living organ, accepted with love by her,
rejected by an unknowing body, the gift was truly yours.

J.C. Holland, Fort Worth, TX
Judge's Comments:  a truly priceless gift to the recipient of such a sacrifice.
Editor's Comments:  moving content.
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Priceless  HONORABLE MENTION

Life's most treasured possession
Envied even by kings
Is the gift of friendship
The gift you bring to me.

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
Judge's Comments:  so true, something often forgotten.
Editor's Comments:  simple, succinct, to the point.
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Preference  HONORABLE MENTION

The dinner guest I love best
Is not the one with the gift of gab
I like to sit by the quiet guy
who has the gift of listening

Lois Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
Editor's Comments:  makes us smile, then makes us think.
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Bill  HONORABLE MENTION

He showed me the hard way up;
He showed me the easy way down.
And in the pickup's old cracked mirror,
He showed me who I might become.

John E. Rice, Houston, TX
Editor's Comments:  Strong, clean, clear picture.  Good writing.
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Inheritance  HONORABLE MENTION

Though she's still now, and mourns in darkness,
Her eyes are full of life
As they look upon me, beautiful and bright,
From beneath her daughter's brow.

Gerald Michael Rolfe, Gainesville, FL
Editor's Comments:  A double portrait, written with economy, yet says so much about this relationship.
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Expectations  SECOND PLACE - WINNER OF A $10.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

Though broke, I'm forced to get her something
The unforgiving pressures of tradition are overwhelming
Giving her this overly expensive expression of love
I feel foolish, she wanted a hug

JL Seldon, Randolph, NJ
Judge's Comments: appropriate as we approach the holiday season
Editor's Comments: great build-up to an unexpected conclusion
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Keepsake  HONORABLE MENTION

I forget the dinner menu
but remember my apron, the sink,
warm soapy water, weary shoulders
until the surprise kiss on the back of my neck.

Naomi Stroud Simmons, Fort Worth, TX
Editor's Choice:  the sweet "surprise" ending of this poem gets our vote for Editor's Choice.
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Dandelions  THIRD PLACE - WINNER OF A $5.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

A boyish hand offers
What a mother's heart desires
A lifetime of sacrifices
Rewarded in a childish gift.

Marsha Rose Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Judge's Comments:  often the most treasured memory of Mom.
Editor's Comments:  touching portrait of childhood love.
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Offerings   HONORABLE MENTION

I suppose we should be grateful
for the loving gift of another
even if it is a furry creature
bleeding on our doorstep

Marsha Rose Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Poet's note:  "Sometimes (suddenly) the things you know in life are...memories, and who you have become." Quote from D. Davenport.
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Special  HONORABLE MENTION

She squeezed "a hundred drops" of glue
on the pretty paper applied to the box
where she placed the note she'd studiously marked
with the words, "I love you Mamma."

Betty Ann Whitney, Wesley Chapel, FL
Poet's Note:  visit my website and send your artwork, stories, poems... anything goes in the soupbowl:  http://pages.prodigy.com/dandelionsoup
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CONTEST TWO - A POET'S VIEW OF THE STARS - JUDGE:  Craig Tigerman
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a dreamer's sky  HONORABLE MENTION

and shall we always see the stars
bleeding from their bed of indigo
a solemn sight beneath a moonless sky
dreamers tell of ancient rites
that drew fire from the heavens
yet I wonder what sights
the stars themselves might sing

Pat Barber, Edgewood, MD
Editor's Comments:  wonderful word choices; the one rhyme fits the form beautifully.
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Miss Guiding Light THIRD PLACE - WINNER OF $5.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

On a starry night, after just one glance
My lonely heart asked, "Will I have a chance?"
The Lady of the Evening enchanted me
As she radiantly sparkled for all to see

My kisses were lost in the winter wind
She refuses to embrace mere mortal men
I'm doomed to worship my love from afar
Because Venus is the bright Evening Star

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
Judge's Comments:  Find development of the metaphor!  Kept me guessing well into the second stanza, and left me smiling.
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In the Night Sky  HONORABLE MENTION

White blobs in a sea of black
Hiding Martians bound for attack
Comet flashes leaving trails
Cosmic dust falls off their tails
Super Nova stars collapse
New ones form in slow elapse
History is in the making
All this fades as dawn is breaking

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK
Enid Writer's Club
Editor's Comments:  drifting through dreams painted on the night sky...this poem sounds good read aloud.
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Preference   HONORABLE MENTION

I've walked along sandy beaches
Gathering gifts from the sea
I've driven through dusty deserts
Filled with life's mysteries

But my home is in the mountains
The best place by far
Gazing from my porch at night
I can almost touch a star

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
Judge's Comments:  Summarizes the topic theme well; nicely constructed.  "Beaches...deserts...mountains" and "gifts ...mysteries...gazing from my porch."
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A Muse in the Sky  HONORABLE MENTION

A poetry source
Shining on cue
To the beat of time
A light so pure
As simple as rhyme

The artist's guiding force
Saving the night
Shining so bright
We hear with our hearts
A sweet song of light

Jessica Hamilton, Longmont, CO
Judge's Comments:  Short lines with tight rhymes, right on theme; well-done.
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Ask the Stars  FIRST PLACE - WINNER OF $15.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

God's fingers placed them,
spaced them so that each shines clear and free,
and we may trace his fanciful design
by drawing lines revealing
cups and bears and maidens.

For brave Orion, is this compensation
for Diana's deadly misdirected shaft?
Or is his heavenly fame
a constellation prize?

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA
Poet's Note:  the story is, the moon-goddess, Huntress Diana, accidentally killed her lover Orion.
Judge's Note:  Fine use of interior rhymes intermingling with exterior rhymes.  Nice suggestions of the mysteries of the stars and how we seek to explain them via God and mythology.  Good pun in the last line.
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Navigators  HONORABLE MENTION

From behind the universal looking-glass
your seductive, stellar sirens lured me
across vast cosmic oceans, away from all familiars -
except for them.
Mine did the same to you.
My charts are yours, reversed.
I know you're coming.
I'll meet you halfway.

John E. Rice, Houston, TX
Editor's Comments:  Wonderful word choices.  The alliteration of "seductive stellar sirens" leads beautifully into "vast cosmic oceans."  Good writing.
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Infinity's Children  HONORABLE MENTION

I turn joyfully, in perfect sync
With Earth beneath the meteors and stars,
Showered by their impossible roaring light
Made into pins that pierce time --

What am I but happy, turning dust,
Made from starlight in the inky cold,
Burning splendidly amidst creation
In hopes of someday piercing time.

Gerald Michael Rolfe, Gainesville, FL
Judge's Comments:  Sitting contentedly in one's place in the infinite cosmos, the poet appreciates with joy the heavenly grandeur and affirms the aspiration to be a part of it.  Nice!
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Silver Screen  HONORABLE MENTION

You know in the movies...when he looks in her eyes
and the audience swoons, and the girls hug their guys?
You know the part, where his fingers reach out
and her eyes light up, and we know what love's about?

You'll recall the moment, the music begins to play
the camera moves in for a close up, it is almost cliché.
It is only a movie, we tell ourselves in the quiet darkness
yet somewhere within, we can't quite embrace hopelessness.

Poets hold up our lives, with their relationships and wishes
like an envelope to the light, to discover hidden places.

Marsha Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Editor's Choice:  the last two lines are great, "hold our lives...like an envelope to the light" and the rest is personal and familiar.  Wonderful writing.
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Wish I Might  HONORABLE MENTION

Stars that glitter,
Stars that fade,
Stars that linger into day.
Stars reflected in our eyes,
Stars that shoot across the skies.
Stars to wish on brightly blaze,
Hold the hopes of those who gaze.

Patricia Tabella, Providence, RI
Judge's Comments:  So many kinds of stars, inspiring the beholder to wish and hope on them in so many ways.
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Illumine  SECOND PLACE - WINNER OF $10.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE

Deep blue calico canopy
Light my way this night
By last white roses kissed with dew,
And corners lit in muted glow.
Cross-stitched constellations
Scattered  haphazard round the moon,
Guide me through this darkest night
To purest bliss and dreams anew.

Patricia Tabella, Providence, RI
Judge's Comments:  Very nice alliterations and internal rhymes; beautifully-phrased prayer to the constancy of the stars for guidance and deliverance.
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Seeking the Night's Fortune  HONORABLE MENTION

My neck has a permanent crick
for I have spent many nights staring at the sky.
That celestial treasure map,
full of belts and dippers
seems to be missing an X.
How am I supposed to find my way
when my path is obscured
by brightly-lit tombstones?
Perhaps I should move far to the south
and try a different angle.

Jade Walker, Lake Worth, FL
Editor's Comments:  the philosopher as poet, asking answer-less questions that somehow are answered by us all.
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CONTEST THREE - JUST ONE LOOK CONTEST - JUDGE:  Craig Tigerman First Place Winner received an autographed copy of "Just One Look," donated to Sol Magazine by romance writer, Joan Reeves.  No other prizes in this contest.
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The Crescent City Illusion     HONORABLE MENTION

On a steamy July day forty years ago
The dietitian walked into the doctor's office
There he sat - pants rolled up to his knees
Seeking relief from the sultry New Orleans heat
Just one look at those strong Italian legs
She began preparing a love snare
As skillfully as a Cajun weaving fishnets
By Mardi Gras, he thought marriage was his idea.

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  Colorful story told sweetly; clever ending.
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Desolate   HONORABLE MENTION

I sit here watching, waiting, hoping,
But never is there anything for me.
Just a smile, a glance - either would do,
Even a pause as they pass nearby.
My head aches and feels heavy,
My eyes long to close,
Yet I sit here watching the people,
Hoping for one tender look.

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  So sad, yet spoken with compelling detail.  Good angle on the theme, aching for "just one look."
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Actress   HONORABLE MENTION

She doesn't walk, for she's a goddess
Dressed in white, angelic
Moments of her, captured by sunlight
She's a supreme being among mortals
Her long hair flows lavish
Framing a perfect face, capturing me.
She's an idol to most...
But in reel life, she's just another actress.

J.C. Holland, Fort Worth, TX
Judge's Comments: Excellent diction, nice pun in the last line.
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(Read from bottom to top)     SECOND HONORABLE MENTION

John Rice, Houston, TX

Editor's Note:  The original form of this poem may not survive all e-mail systems.  Sufficient to say, we tried, but all poetry should be left-justified for best results.
Judge's Comments:  Novel concept, to illustrate the poem's message via its layout in addition to the meaning of the words.  Nice message, so much wonderfulness an follow in the aftermath of "just one look."
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FIRST PLACE WINNER of an autographed copy of "Just One Look," by Romance Writer Joan Reeves.

I Stole a Look Today

I stole a look today
I know I shouldn't be that way.
I peeked, I did, and I'm not even sorry
I relished the experience fully.

So, if you see me peeking
Round a corner I found,
Remember, it's not my fault.
You are the best scenery around.

Marsha Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Judge's comments: Lovely in its sweet innocence and simplicity; very true to theme.
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Romeo's Search   FIRST HONORABLE MENTION

At first glance,
she appeared rather ordinary.
A simply-clad woman, short red hair and glasses
hiding behind a tome of Shakespeare.
When he noticed what she was reading,
the mask of mediocrity lifted
and he realized she was his moon, his sun.
He had found his Juliet.

Jade Walker, Lake Worth, FL
Judge's Comments:  Good point, "the look" lasts longer than the initial glance.  It includes deeper discernment and perception than just the first appearance.  One can discern inward beauty, not just outward good looks.
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CONTEST FOUR - Milky Way - JUDGE:  Mary Margaret Carlisle
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The three winners of this contest will receive the book, "The Milky Way, poems 1967-1982" by Jon Anderson, from the American Poetry Series, Volume 25, all copies donated by Kathleen Schaefer, a manager of a Barnes & Noble in Houston, Texas.
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Summer   WINNER

Summer days spent picking cotton
Under the searing Georgia sun
Pushing a hand plow through the garden
Peeling peaches to can in steaming water
Shifting apple slices drying on wire screens
Boiling Dad's work clothes in three-legged iron pots
Stretching curtains on sharp-pinned drying frames
In the cool of the evening we lay on our backs
In the pasture counting shooting stars
Imaging a walk across the wide Milky Way.

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  this intimate view into the early life of the poet sweats us under a searing sun, gives us twinges of blisters from the plow, lets us smell apple slices and boiling clothes and allows us to feel the bliss of a long cool walk across the Milky Way.  Wonderful writing.
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Oh Boy, What a Candy  HONORABLE MENTION

Just one bite,
Sent me in flight.
That chocolate flare
Could not compare.
The feel on my tongue
As the addiction begun.
Money in my pocket,
Put it on today's docket.
That Milky Way candy
Sure is dandy!

Nina NightRaine, St. Louis, MO
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Hunters  WINNER

In '54, we walked the dark prairie.
An occasional refinery flare marked the horizon.
Red wolf and coyote sang to each other - and to us.
Trees, darker than the night, sipped softly from slow bayous
where great gators glared at our spotlight with rubied eyes.
In '54 we lay back in the tall, cool, dark-damped grass
and pointed into infinity's black bowl
marking bear and bull, crab and ram as they
slowly slipped past Orion's bright belt
and through the Milky Way's mesh.

John Rice, Houston Texas
Judge's Comments:  love the alliterative sounds of "sipped softly...slow bayous" and "slowly slipped past....bright belt." The metaphorical "mesh" is a vivid image.  An intimate report, sharing that special year, making us a part of the landscape.
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A Sirius Re-Quest  WINNER

Milky-white star-river sky-sliding by
Lazy, look down on our frown-ridden way,
Pleiades pleading, so Sirius cry,
Tell Taurus-tales, Orion-array.

Red beacon Betelgeuse, bend to our need,
Blue-white-hot Rigel, remind us how vast,
Far-flung, you Dippers, you nebulae, speed
Healing awareness of timelessness past.

Milky-white star-river lighting night sky,
Vega, Arcturus, now capture our gaze,
Wandering weary, we wither and die:
Bring back our child-like wonderstruck ways.

Craig Tigerman, Moline, IL
Judge's Comments:  beautiful word choices, wonderful juxtaposition of mystic star names and strong emotions.
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Stretched Across the Sky   HONORABLE MENTION

Girl Scout camping
our leader points the view
of our own galaxy, the Milky Way
constellating the midnight sky
its ever presence
spilling spherical clusters
affecting us without a word
in their being thus
like poetry or music
or great mean
and women
whose lives dignify the universe.

Betty Ann Whitney, Wesley Chapel, FL
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FIRST PLACE POETS - WINNER OF A BOOK donated by Kathleen Schaefer, manager of a Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Houston, Texas.
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Of Seasons

Shall we change
As the weather
With merriment's cloak upon us
Drawn tight against the wind

Pat Barber, Edgewood, MD
Editor's Comments:  Well written, succinct word choice.  To face the chill winds of November with good humor seems a great blessing.  We're sending a copy of "When Did I Stop Being 20, and Other Injustices" by Judith Viorst to Pat.
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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.  Include the id that needs to be deleted, please.  Some folks have more than one.
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You say you want to be judge, guest editor, interviewee?  Tell us. We may have just the spot for you.
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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.  We left-justify all work to compensate for the vagaries of differing computer systems.
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Special thanks to novelist Joan Reeves, of Houston, Texas, for the treasure trove of signed books she's sent in for our Grab Bag contests, and for her donation of several signed copies of her romance novels.

We thank Dr. Stella Nowicki, and her husband, Dr. Bogdan Nowicki, who helped sponsor the Poet Laureate Contest of 1998.

Previous sponsors:  Rita Smithuysen, Patsy Williams, Jean McAllister, Sharon Goodwin, Leo Waltz, Lois Lay Castiglioni, Steven Cox, and our gratitude to our newest sponsor "an obscure Texas poet," obscure only in that he refuses to give his name, the total sponsor of December.

Further thanks to Kathleen Elizabeth Schaefer, Manager of a Barnes & Noble in Houston, Texas, for her generous donation of poetry books and blank books for use as prizes in our contests.  We use book gift certificates from Barnes & Nobles each month to encourage poets to support others by the purchase of poetry magazines and books, all found in great supply at B & N.

New sponsors always welcome.  Thanks for your support.
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Check out Steven Cox's web site at (http://www.mectec.com).
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Enrique and RosaS Barreras say hello to all and ask folks to visit their web site at (http://home.earthlink.net/~the barreras).
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Take a look at Perihelion's editor's (Jennifer Ley) web addresses (http://www.heelstone.com) and (http://www.webdelsol.com/Perihelion).
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For a partial look at the fire damage to our home and office, go to (http://sol-magazine-projects.org/prodigy/leo.waltz/fire98.htm)
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Sol Magazine (C) 1998
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