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Sol Magazine (C) 1999
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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

Our 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, and the education of poets.
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SPONSOR:  Emily Katherine Earnest.  In her own words:

I want to honor my Grandmother Kay Lay Earnest and my Great Aunt Lois Lay Castiglioni on their January birthdays.

All my life my grandmother made up bedtime stories.  I learned from that and made up stories of my own.  Great Aunt Lois asked me to write for a Sol Magazine contest.  I may not take up writing as a career, but probably will always do it for pleasure.  In second grade, I wrote the following story which was published in our school paper, and the September 1998 Issue of Sol Magazine.
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The Rug Monster - by Emily K. Earnest

Once there was a little girl named Ashley and she was four years old.  She was not scared of the dark, but she was afraid of the bump under the rug.  She called it the Rug Monster.  Every night it would appear in the same place.  One morning she saw it moving!  She got so curious she lifted it up.  Out popped her cat, Tiger. So that's all the monster was.  Her silly little cat.

Michael is the son of Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor of Sol Magazine, and the father of Kiandra Jade and Corwin Blake. Look for the poetry of his talented wife, Shari, under the Judge's Poetry Contest.
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SPOTLIGHT: This month's guest poets are Craig Tigerman and Betty Ann Whitney.
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TOPIC ONE:  "Sunday" or "Sun Day"
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FIRST PLACE
Foraging Fun

Six children filled with anticipation crowded into the car.
The father always knew where Autumn's bounty was waiting,
Apples, nuts and muscadines free for the taking.
Hills echoed laughter as the children scurried through the woods.
The children, thinking only of the fun of sharing an adventure,
Never realized those Sunday afternoon forages
Furnished needed provisions for a Depression pantry.
Turning work into play, the wise man fed his brood
And stored memories in each child to draw upon for life.

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
Judge's Comments:  Touching story, good message.  Clear imagery.  Well-written.
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SECOND PLACE
The Scheme of Things

It is the usual routine
that precedes most departures:
Kid's clothes are duly checked
with minimum of torture.
But somehow in the Sunday scheme,
despite my urgent pleas,
when it is time to leave for church,
no one can find the keys.

Naomi Stroud Simmons, Fort Worth, TX
Judge's Comments:  Fun, cleanly written, a little text goes a long way.
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THIRD PLACE
Silent Offering

The tiny church gleamed
and showed its sparkling best
for those who'd come.
Time was near
its excitement grew.
Then softly sounded
a footstep or two
inside on the parquet floor,
while hundreds passed
right by its open door.

Marsha Rose Steed, Citrus Heights, CA
Judge's Comments:  The point-of-view of the church is wonderful.
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HONORABLE MENTION
winter cat

she yawns long sunshine stretches
looking out the frosted window
at empty nests in sleeping trees

the sunroom is her haven
of filtered warmth
and rainbowed sleeps

waiting patiently
peeking between naps
to watch sun fairies dance

Holly Solt, Laudersdale, MS
Judge's Comments:  Ingenious use of language.
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OUTSIDE VIEW - a guest editorial by Ron Blanton -
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Unusual Rather than Obvious, Catching the Judge's Eye with Fantasy

What puts us to sleep on a long straight drive?  Monotony, the same white lines blinking past, blinking past, blinking past.  Why do we go on rollercoasters, jump and laugh when someone startles us?  We like surprise!  Editors and judges may only be able to devote a few minutes to each poem they read.  When looking at a topic, I try to maximize those precious minutes and use words and phrases opposing the subject to state something surprising and to add the element of fantasy.

Allow your imagination to use light to paint dark, music to paint silence, cold to depict warmth.  With my poem "Foreshadowing," I used the fantasy of the disappearance of elves to paint our own possible demise, which to many may be a fantasy, but to others, a likely possibility.

Foreshadowing - by Ron Blanton

softglowgreen paints the air
of an abandoned elven wood
beamdancers evading sawtooth sentries
search for those who are no more

Want to catch the Judge's eye?  Greet them with a pleasant surprise and a little fantasy.
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TOPIC TWO: "Favorite City"
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HONORABLE MENTION
Avalon

High in the Keep midst the lake's mirrored mists,
Knights and magicians confer.
Armor is polished, spells enhanced, and beneath, children are safe.
Honor, goodness and prayer prevail in Camelot.

Ron Blanton, Salt Lake City, UT
Judge's Comments:  An excellent choice for a city.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Today's Home

Blinded by the romance of Rome
Beauty and history all around
But whatever city I call home
Becomes my most favored town

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  We could all learn from the point of this well crafted poem.
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HONORABLE MENTION
My Town

Heat, humidity, tropical, too
Theaters, museums, cathedrals and zoo
Ocean to the east, oil to the west
Houston, my city, the place I love best

Dawn Greenfield Ireland, Houston, TX
Judge's Comments:  Descriptive and concise.  And it rhymes, too.
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SECOND PLACE
Peace Corps Memories 1965

Towering minarets guarding majestic mosques
Turquoise blue waters separating East from West
Echoes of long forgotten sultans and forbidden harems
Ah, Guzel Istanbul, I see you in my dreams.

James W. Lay, Calhoun, GA
Poet's Note:  "guzel" - Turkish for beautiful
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THIRD PLACE
Crossroads

Multicultured, vertically structured;
Eastern money changer to the world.
Chicken feet, mysterious meat, other things you'd NEVER eat!
At night, neons flare from Wanchai and rainbow Hong Kong's harbor.

John E. Rice, Houston, TX
Editor's Comment:  The comment: "other things you'd NEVER eat," might make me smuggle in my own food!
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FIRST PLACE
Colloden

misty field of shivered ghosts
distant bagpipe winds
sing out the past with haunting notes
where yesterday begins

Holly Solt, Lauderdale, MS
Poet's Note:  Colloden, U.K.
Judge's Comments:  Wonderful, haunting imagery.  Short and very powerful.  You get a sense of history with this work.
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TOPIC THREE:  Judge's Contest - Topic:  NATURE
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This contest was open only to Judges of Sol Magazine, and we said we'd only print two entries, no matter how many we got.  Two prizes of one $5.00 gift certificate each.

The form is Cinquain.  Five lines exactly.   Twenty-two syllables.  No more than two sentences.  1st line - two syllables; 2nd line - four syllables; 3rd line - 6 syllables; 4th line - 8 syllables; last line - 2 syllables.

Our Judge offers us this example of a Cinquain from his wife,
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Mothers by Shari Schaefer

Mothers
teeth flashing steel
dripping hearts' blood on flesh
making scars that can never heal
unknown.

Editor's Comments:  Thanks for this truly arresting example from a very different perspective.
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Judge's Comments:  This contest's entries were very difficult to judge; all were very close to each other in quality.
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SECOND PLACE
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Destiny of a Daisy

Petals
plucked like raindrops
fall with the fateful grace
to determine if he loves me
or not.

Jade Walker, Lake Worth, FL
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FIRST PLACE
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Visions

and when
i saw him come
my heart near broke for he
came with a cup a cane and still
a song

Bonnie Williams, Deptford, NJ
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Betty Ann Whitney's website:

http://pages.prodigy.com/dandelionsoup
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Craig Tigerman's website:

http://sol-magazine-projects.org/prodigy/craig_tigerman
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ALPHA POET - John E. Rice, Houston, TX -
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Topic:  Infinity

Chronos

An infinite pendulum
regulates galactic tides
in ancient metronomic measures,
never mind now
or then,
gained
or lost
is of no concern:
Time simply Is.

Editor's Comments:  Paradoxically, this entry is both succinct and philosophical.  Memorable poetry from our 1999 Poet Laureate.
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Coming Attractions:  The Judge of our February Contests will be Cheryl Bolen, an award-winning journalist and romance writer in Houston, Texas.
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LUCIDITY POETRY RETREAT:  You are invited to attend the 8th annual Lucidity Poetry Retreat April 20-21-22 in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Poets from across the USA gather yearly in the heart of the Ozark mountains for 3 days of poetry study in lectures, critiquing workshops and read-arounds.

A special Poetry Retreat rate has been secured at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks at $36 a night for a double, add $5 for each extra person in the room.  You may book your room by calling toll free ===1-800-552-3785===  be sure to mention "for the Poetry Retreat." Don't delay to book -- you can cancel by April 18 if necessary.

Ted will need to know soon if you plan to attend since it affects his preparations.  Please mail your $20 Registration fee Payable to LUCIDITY:

Lucidity Spring Retreat
398 Mundell Road
Eureka Springs AR 72631

Call for guidelines of poetry submissions or for further details to:  501/253-9351     Ted O. Badger/Director or e-mail Ted at tbadger@ipa.net, or ask us to send you his last posting.
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Send comments, questions, advice to:
DMHT67B@prodigy.com or Mary_M_Carlisle@prodigy.com
Sol Magazine, P.O. Box 580037, Houston, TX  77258-0037
Phone number:  (281) 333-3741  call week days 8-5 CST
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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So you want to be judge, guest editor, interviewee?  Tell us.  We may have just the spot for you.  Judges are asked to write a guest editorial on a topic we set before being asked to judge a contest.
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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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New sponsors always welcomed.  Thanks for your support.
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Bonnie Williams manages an interesting website at http://pages.prodigy.com/artscafe
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Sol Magazine (C) 1999
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