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Sol Magazine © 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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From the staff of Sol Magazine: Happy Thanksgiving! We
wish your day be full of family and friends, you find much to share, sparrows
sing on your doorstep, and in all of this you see much happiness.
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CONTENTS :
This month's judge, Paula White, is one of the newest Assistant Editors
at Sol Magazine. She was originally born in Virginia, but transplanted
to Lexington, Kentucky, as part of her new job for IBM. She is a
recent graduate of the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English,
and has studied both here and abroad in Cambridge, England. She loves
to read, write, and play sports. Her work has been published in several
anthologies, and her first book, "Words Elude Me," will be published at
the end of 1999. Paula and the staff of Sol Magazine are quite thrilled!
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NOTE: BGC from B&N means Book Gift Certificate from Barnes
& Noble. Any B&N BGC may also be used at any Bookstop.
My thanks have been for bounties given me.
I now include the storms of pain and sorrow.
Though they destroyed cherished dreams, I see
rainbows glow with peace and hope for tomorrow
Roberta Pipes Bowman, Fort Worth, Tx
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Speaks for everyone who has seen the fullness
of life.
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High Octane
I've had these empty tanks
much longer than I count.
I'm praying miles of thanks
lest Heaven's fuel runs out.
Roberta Pipes Bowman, Fort Worth, Tx
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Well expressed sentiment.
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Juxta
Ovid's woman celebrated Ceres,
Her wonderment heaped on a holy dais;
I wander through the series of my days,
Just thankful that the bread machine still works.
Martha Kirby Capo, Houston TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: So, too, we are thankful for all the machinery
that make life's work easier. We may complain about these machines,
but they give us time to reflect, time to rest, and time to write!
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Lughnasadh
The laden fields begin thanksgiving waltzes,
Emancipated leaves leap through the air,
I lift you up to dance on laughing breezes,
And lose my fingers in your sylvan hair.
Martha Kirby Capo, Houston TX
Editor's Note: Lughnasad is named after the sun god, Lugh, after
whom London and a host of other cities in the Roman world were called,
including Lyons, and Carlisle (originally Luguvallium). Races and
athletic contests were traditional for the date, as well as an offering
of grains to the gods. It is also called Lamams, or "loaf-mass."
It was the day when you brought a loaf made from the first fruits of your
grain harvest to church for a blessing. Still celebrated August 1,
in some places in Europe.
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Uppity Woman at a Church Staff Meeting
I mutter "Thanks be to God" when expected,
My jaw is tight, my shoulders hunching tensely.
But inside I am dancing for the goddess,
Spontaneous, voluptuous and sassy!
Martha Kirby Capo, Houston TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Near rhyme works well in this poem.
Love the surprise ending.
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SECOND PLACE - $5.00 BGC from B&N
Bugs of Pray
Americans offer their appreciation
With a yearly Thanksgiving feast
The praying mantis shows gratitude
Daily over each small leaf
Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Excellent duo meaning of the word "pray" in
the title. This poem showcases the contrast between being thankful
once a year, and being constantly thankful. I like the contrast between
Americans and the mantis, we pray yearly, he thanks daily. Lovely.
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Shape Down
Weeks before Thanksgiving, Tom Turkey
Pecks at a Weight Watcher's dinner
Achieving his annual goal
Of looking peaked and thinner
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: The underlying message is amusing.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Special Guests
As hunters search the countryside
In search of eight-point bucks
In my backyard the thankful deer
Drink side-by-side with ducks
Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Truly a reason to be thankful. Gives
"thanks-giving" an entirely new meaning.
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After Dinner
As we sit bloated in the den
We give thanks from way back when
That washing dishes has given way
To electronic devices in this day
Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Cute poem, stating a "world" of truth.
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Church Donations
Thanks be to those whose
Giving freely of their extra food
Provides gift baskets to the needy
A bright ray of hope from human good
Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK
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Uncle Milton
Each Thanksgiving he refines recipes
For our family's sumptuous feast
There's one ingredient he never changes
The generous dollop of his love.
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: You can "feel" the sincere apprecitation of
this poet.
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Not Just a Word
I thought I understood thankfulness
Being thankful was a good thing
But becoming truly grateful for life
Was a lesson much harder learned
Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: This simple expression of gratitude is a lesson
for everyone.
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Grateful
A reverent reflection
on our bountiful plenishment.
Time for personal inventory
minus material wellness.
J C Holland, Ft. Worth, TX
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Blessings
Once a year. . .
surrounded by personal, society excess.
We attempt to strip bare
recognize our added blessings
J C Holland, Ft. Worth, TX
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Overindulgence
It's popular to overindulge.
Odd for a day to take thanks.
Thus families, friends are united
to display all we're thankful for.
J C Holland, Ft. Worth, TX
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HONORABLE MENTION
Over-Consumption
Tender, moist turkey with fixings galore.
I clean off my plate, then come back for more.
Top it off with pumpkin pie whip cream puffed.
Thanksgiving's over, but boy am I stuffed!
Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: This one made me laugh, because this is me
every year. Descriptions made my mouth water, and the phrase of "pumpkin
pie whip cream puffed" is nice.
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Yearly Reminder
Thanksgiving reminds us for just one day
To honor our blessings most precious and dear.
For such rich-filled lives we gratefully pray,
May these feelings endure the rest of the year.
Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA
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Change of Heart
Daddy raised turkey chicks
For gifts on Thanksgiving Day.
In the end they were his friends,
And he could not give them away.
James W. Lay, Calhoun, Georgia
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: I can see a backyard full of gobblers so very
grateful they were spared on Turkey-Day!
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Fulfillment
Give thanks for friends and loved ones
Who fill our minds with pleasant thoughts.
No matter how crowded the day might be
Without them, we'd have an empty world.
Lena S. Norman, Saginaw, TX
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Reciprocity
Children thank parents
For the gift of life.
I thank my children
For their endless love.
Lena S. Norman, Saginaw, TX
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FIRST PLACE - $5.00 BGC from B&N plus a copy of "Tidelines."
FullJUDGE'S COMMENTS: I love the rhythm of this piece, the way the cadence flows; the sprit of Thanksgiving shines in every word. Nice double use of the "sp" sound in line two, as well as the opposing "pourings" in the third line.
I am so thankful for the many ways life fills me up,
Though sometimes spent or spilt - this too, a part of living.
In the pouring out there comes a pouring in,
For the fullest way to live is found in giving.
Allyson Noyes, Longmont, CO
By far the least known blessing
that the Indians shared that day---
But popcorn is what I'd like to see
piled on the Thanksgiving tray.
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, New York
EDITOR'S COMMENT: Come on over and we'll pop up a huge batch!
This poem expresses a child-like enthusiasm for simple things, and I'm
certain with this kind of attidude, this poet will find much to be happy
for this Thanksgiving Day.
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Indian Corn
I can't imagine how Pilgrims
ever ate the Thanksgiving Corn,
without losing a few of the teeth
they were blessed with when they were born!
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, New York
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A Spread of Laughter
I don't eat the Thanksgiving turkey
and the vegetables are always well done
So I'm not sitting here for the food
but just for the sake of pure fun!
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, New York
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THIRD PLACE - $5.00 BGC from B&N
Creation
Each time it happens, word on word
assembled, ordered, in their ranks,
spoken slowly, softly slurred,
my whispered chant is giving thanks.
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: I like the quiet, prayerfully subdued tone
of this. "Each time" is particularly compelling. I also like the
image of the words lined up like a small army.
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: John Rice is our 1999 Poet Laureate.
His work is always wonderful, with a rich use of language, and thoughtful
commentary on the world he creates with his words.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Castaway
Burned and bruised on some nowhere beach,
perhaps I've died, perhaps I'm living.
Reality's somewhere out of reach:
there must be cause for some thanksgiving.
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: There is hope in this piece evocative of the
spirit of Thanksgiving. No matter what, there is still something
for which we may be thankful.
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A Small Voice
In a state of thankfulness,
aware of blessings freely given,
a small prick reminds us
of our debt to those with less.
Naomi S. Simmons, Ft. Worth, TX
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One Plus One Equals Joy
Welcome to my table
as meager as it is.
With two full hearts we'll celebrate
and be thankful for this gift.
Naomi S. Simmons, Ft. Worth, TX
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On The Birth of My Grandchild
May you lie gently in the arms of love
as we rejoice in your birth,
and pray your greatest gift may be
a thankful and a joyful heart.
Naomi S. Simmons, Ft. Worth, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENT: What a beautiful wish for a newborn infant,
and what a memorable gift for anyone.
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The Power of Song
I stopped preaching and began to sing
About love and thankfulness
Birds sang and stones smiled
And people listened
Ulf Sundblad, Tumba, Sweden
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The Gathering
The sun glares off crusty granular snow
Turning Thanksgiving into a glitzy production.
A procession of family and friends parades to the door
Carrying savories and specialties for the feast.
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
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Little Blessings
Birds flutter, chirping lively songs
In gratitude, give thanks
For feeders full with black oil seed
And sunny Indian summer.
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
NOTE: We included five poems under this topic to showcase the
beautiful writing of our Alpha Poets. (Only first place poets are
allowed to enter this contest.) Not every writer focused on our topic,
something we look for when choosing winning poems, but each poem here is
still an excellent example of good writing.
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FIRST PLACE - Winner of "Facing Fear, Finding Courage," by
Sarah Quigley with Marilyn Shroyer.
Azure's BluesEDITOR'S NOTE: Excellent control of internal rhyme and skillful use of alliteration in the repetition of "st" sounds. This poem paints November tress in such a rich, beautiful sweep of language, we readers stand transfixed amidst the trees ourselves.
Rust and reds dance,
enhance,
romance the trees
with shades of gold and green.
Earthen, this palette
stark against azure,
steeped in maxfield parrish blues
strewn in late November's skies.
Pat Barber, Edgewood, MD
The sweetgum with its gaudy colors
Proudly decorates the lawn.
An ash tree dressed in simple yellow
Looks akin to the early dawn.
But my favorite tree of Fall
On this warm November day
Is the pecan with luscious bounty
Which it provides and shares with all.
Lena S. Norman, Saginaw, TX
EDITOR'S NOTE: Were only these trees in my own yard! Nicely
written, and directly to topic.
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The Hand of Winter
November reigns
with cold, steel hand
its steadfast grip
on tree and land
No longer do the willows weep
their limbs are bare
they sway in sleep
Their beauty's locked away
by time
To be awakened
by Springs sweet rhyme
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, New York
EDITOR'S NOTE: This succinct poem flows with fine poetic rhythm
and rhyme. Well-written. The concrete images put us into the
scene.
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Rejuvenation
In the low latitudes, on arid islands set
where Easterly Trades toss and trough tropical seas,
searing sun scars the earth,
sucks its sangre
into clouds which weep on distant mountains -
until November.
Then troubled Trades yield to their Northern, Western cousins
who come bearing The Gift. Remembering who they are,
triumphant trees wave their banderas verdes.
Se lluvia - it's raining!
NOTE: sangre = blood, banderas verdes = green flags
John E. Rice, Houston, TX
EDITOR'S NOTE: This beautifully written poem gives us an excellent
view of the Trade Winds. We include it here as an example of fine
writing. The use of English and Spanish gives this poem richness
and depth.
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SYLVAN SCENE
Autumn-shorn oak's leafless fingers
trace treescapes inventive,
teasing with fantasy forms
silhouetted against November sky.
Nearly naked lemon eucalyptus
shivers while shedding shaggy suit,
loosening fragrance, painting scene
with celebration of the senses.
Beverly Steward, Santa Barbara, CA
EDITOR'S NOTE: The very words are poetry themselves. Marvelous
alliteration, good personification of the trees. These word choices
are deliberately alluring. Directly to topic.
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Black Cloaked Criers
The calls come
Intermittently
Urgently
Overlapping -
One voice distinguishable
From the next.
Crows, perched high
On golden crowned trees
Swung in on November winds.
Have they come for souls
A quick meal
Or just to taunt the jays?
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
EDITOR'S NOTE: This excellent poem is a wonderful portrait of
crows. Mysterious, and intriguing, a good example of layered writing, where
one line builds to the next.
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|
by Betty Ann Whitney, Assistant Editor http://pages.prodigy.com/dandelionsoup The Sestina, a form of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by a
tercet (half stanza) works very well for the poet who wants to examine
a subject from different viewpoints. The Sestina depends not on rhyme,
but on the repetition of end-words.
For this form, the poet chooses any six non-rhyming words. For
example: a) sunshine, b) poems, c) sister, d) silk, e) wood, f) flowers.
The pattern: Stanza 1: a, b, c, d, e, f.
In a big chair by the light of sunshine,
She hasn't always worked with flowers.
A year ago, you would not know my sister.
But there is something settling in the richness of wood
There is something precious and delicate about silk,
She is the commitment expressed in a Book of Poems,
As the sunshine of spring garden poems
Betty Ann Whitney, Assistant Editor |
EDITOR'S NOTE: According to "French Pattern," by Viola Gardner, the Sestina is one in a series of "French Forms." Each has interlaced refrains and rhythms. Other types of this form are: the Ballade, Pantoum, Rondeau, and Villanelle.
There once was a man from Montana
Whose dog wore a bright red bandanna
His cabin was cold
His long-johns were old
But they served to make winter Nirvana.
Coke Brown Jr, Fort Worth, TX
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Zoology
There once was a man from Peru
Who wore his long johns to the Zoo
"Aren't monkeys funny?"
He asked his Sonny
Who sighed, "Dad, they're laughing at you."
Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
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CEO
There once was a man from Alief
Who wanted some comic relief
Wore long johns to work
Some called him a jerk
Until his promotion to Chief.
Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
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Grouch Potato
There was an old man from St. Ives
Whose long johns gave him the hives
Each night he was grouchy
As he sat on the couchy
He has been through 6 or 8 wives.
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
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The Bends
There once was a young man named Milt
Who wore plaid long johns with his kilt.
He said to his honey,
"These skivvies look funny
But I feel more secure when I tilt."
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
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Confused
In writing on long johns I fear
I have stumbled on something quite queer
Is it something you wear
Or a doughnut to share
It's a question I just have to hear!
Shelley Crabtree, Enid, OK
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Outhouse Outings
Grandpa was a sight to behold
Scoots in long johns out in the cold
Ma thinks he is cute
In his union suit
Preferring a man who is bold
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
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Best Buy
There once was a miser from Kent
In winter was never content
His wife said, "Don't fear
I bought long johns, Dear"
He said, "That was money well spent."
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
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SECOND PLACE - $5.00 BGC from B&N
Shiver Me Timbers
Treasure Island's one-leg pirate chief
Was a treacherous, conniving thief.
Though his mind was astute,
He'd lost his union suit.
Sans Long Johns, Silver needed relief.
Milton Earnest, Smyrna, GA
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: I laughed out loud at this clever twist on
Long John Silver. Wonderful rhythm and descriptions.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Line Dance
On the line on a winter day
Hanging, wet long johns dance and play.
Steps the breezes choreograph
Make the viewer want to laugh;
As at Ray Bolger's scarecrow ballet.
Milton Earnest, Smyrna, GA
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: "Steps the breezes choreograph" is a wonderful
phrase. This poem makes a vivid picture for the reader.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Freeze Easer
Sleepily stifling back a yawn,
Farmer Joe's up at the crack of dawn.
The cold air's so shocking
His knees keep a knocking
'Til he goes and puts his Long-Johns on.
Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Good title. Nice alliteration in the
opening. I can empathize!
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Trap Door Blues
A shivering Grandpa named Jack
Was prone to pneumonia attacks.
To keep his lungs clear
He wore Long-Johns all year,
But he still has a draft in the back.
Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA
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Illusion
There once was a woman named Pat
Who seemed to be getting too fat.
She said,"Don't despair
It's my long johns I wear."
But no one is sure about that.
James W. Lay, Calhoun, Georgia
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Hindsight
When Sam was a foolish young child,
He thought long johns were out of style.
As the North winds blew
He was cold all through.
His walk home was a very long mile.
James W. Lay, Calhoun, Georgia
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HONORABLE MENTION
Indian Summer
My long-johns will stay curled in their drawer
And new ones will not leave the store.
Our November heat
Has the need for them beat
And SHORTS will be what I wore!
Lena S. Norman, Saginaw, TX
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: This poem rang a bell. I like the new
tack on longjohns, not the wearing of them, but the NON-wearing of them.
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The Outhouse Two-Step
There once was a miner named Pete
In the outhouse he had him a seat
Till he heard a wolf howl
Then he ran with a scowl
His long johns trailing down at his feet
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY
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A Royal Treat
One fine day old King John met a lass
Whose sweet beauty was quite hard to pass
He took a good look
While his conscience, it shook
His long johns were soon left in the grass
Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY
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Statuesque
Old Jethro went to the town square
and took off his long-johns, right there.
He froze on the spot
and, until it turned hot,
he stayed sculpturally, classically bare.
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas
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THIRD PLACE - $5 BGC from B&N
Northern Exposure
Some long-johns are silver, some red.
They cover up all but your head
and your hands and your feet
and of course there's your seat
if the flap is unbuttoned instead!
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Another smile-provoker. I liked the idea
of the longjohns covering everything, except your hands, your feet, and
your...! Made me smile. I did wonder if the title should not
have been "Southern Exposure."
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FIRST PLACE - $5 BGC from B&N and a copy of "Tidelines"
Funny FarmJUDGE'S COMMENTS: This one had me howling in laughter. I love the sleepwalking twist on the limerick, and the image of longjohns on the dog just did me in. Great play on words in the title, too.
Farmer Grady woke up in a fog
After falling last night on a log.
He saddled the pig
Gathered eggs in his wig
And put long-Johns and socks on the dog.
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
Princess Nadia constantly froze
Always bundled up up to her nose.
She danced with her prince
At her wedding in Minsk
With her long-Johns snug down to her toes.
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
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Wet Woolies
Old Charlie's red underwear stayed on his frame
All Winter and Spring awful stinky they became
When they started to itch
Charlie bathed in a ditch
His long johns stretched and were never the same
Bill Truax, Cedar Hill, TX
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Suprise, Suprise!
Husband John had long johns in aubergine
Put 'em on, felt long and lean
Bent over forwards, split the back
Leaned over backward, there was still slack!
John wasn't long (if you know what I mean)
Claiborne Schley Walsh, Montrose, AL
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Aubergine...eggplant...in this case, the color
of Eggplant. Also the clever use of ""Suprise, Suprise" rather than
"Surprise, Surprise," gives the reader a subtle reminder of Gomer Pile.
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|
"Semantic Rhyming Dictionary, by Craig Tigerman, Assistant Editor http://sol-magazine-projects.org/prodigy/craig_tigerman Semantic Rhyming Dictionary - website: http://www.link.cs.cmu.edu/dougb/rhyme-doc.html
This is the on-line equivalent of a book every poet Sol interviews says
needs to be on a poet's bookshelf. More than a rhyming dictionary,
when you enter a word into this search engine, you can choose any of these
options to act on your input: Find perfect rhymes, Match last sound
only, Match consonants, Find homophones, Find semantic siblings, Find synonyms,
Search for definition, List related words, Spell check, or Search for pictures.
With any of these you may also check Exclude obscure words, Streamlined
output, or both.
I tested the program by asking for perfect rhymes of the word "unfurl."
I got 60 rhymes, sorted alphabetically within syllable count (up to 5 syllables).
I went back and checked "Exclude obscure words" and still came up with
14 rhymes. I went back and entered "orange," and it said there are
no perfect rhymes. We knew that already, didn't we?
You can also click on Thesaurus, or Reference Tools (which takes you to lycos.com/reference). When you become a power user, you can choose the Advanced interface. The main page also has links for Help and feedback, plus a few other surprises. You'll have fun enriching your writing and building your vocabulary when you make the online "Semantic Rhyming Dictionary" part of your reference library. |
Weathering the Months
In August the weather is rotten
December requires we wear cotton
The most soothing feeling
Is flannel concealing
The feeling of chills
While warming the gills
And winter's cold bite is forgotten.
Coke Brown Jr, Ft. Worth, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: This wonderful little limerick sticks with
you, because the melodic quality of the poem encourages the reader to "sing
-song" the words.
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FIRST PLACE - $25 BGC from B&N
Nor'easterJUDGE'S COMMENTS: A wonderfully lyrical limerick, in a refreshing departure from standard. Good carryover from one line to the next, giving the poem a feeling of continuity. "Laughing Canadian geese sing" is a wonderful turn of phrase.
A chill winter wind minueting
With pine needles wistfully clinging
To branches that crack
And strain to hold back
One vestige, at least, of
Last summer. (And thereof
The laughing Canadian geese sing.)
Martha Kirby Capo, Houston TX
There once was a giant Panda bear
Who ate maidens with long frizzy hair
During winter's blue chill
He devoured Lucille
But she did not fret
She's glad she's been et
For she has a fur coat to wear
Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
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Relocation
There was a young lady from Gibraltar
Who was sure she looked good in a halter
The winter winds blew
Cutting her in two
They found her in time
Stitched her back just fine
Then she moved to the tropics with Walter
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: This one makes me laugh!
============
Snowbirds
Folks up north believe in migration
To the southern part of our nation
When the winter winds blow
They get out of the snow
Leaving worries behind
They bask in the sunshine
And have a fantastic vacation
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
============
Shivering Blows
Black clouds rolled in and the warm sunshine thinned.
Icicles pointed, he wickedly grinned.
Then he puffed up his cheeks,
Letting biting air leak.
Jack Frost's frigid breath
Blows autumn's kiss of death.
Goodbye balmy breeze, hello winter wind.
Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA
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The Adjustment to the South
Danielle is the girl I name,
Who cowers all winter in shame,
She's lost her Canadian blood,
In the heated Houstonian mud,
Now she shivers and shakes,
She chills and quakes,
When she gets cold with these people the same.
Danielle Lovell, Houston, TX
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Cute! It seems to take folks a long
time to get used to the humidity and heat in Houston, but once adjusted,
a wrap-up-warm-in-your-woolies cold snap to a Houstonian is merely sweater
weather someplace further north!
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Clean-up Time
Winter winds whistle through the alley
Garbage cans roll and join the rally.
Plastic sacks, like parachutes
Skip and fly and jump through hoops.
Nature's circus plays right on
Till the actors are all gone
And the mess left behind takes its tally!
Lena S. Norman, Saginaw, TX
============
Bonanza
There once was a young man named Harold
Who said,"I have no winter apparel."
The wind nipped his nose
He almost was froze
Till rich Uncle Bill
Put Hal in his will
Then he bought warm clothes by the barrel.
James W. Lay, Calhoun, Georgia
============
Olfactored
The wind chill is factored each day -
an abstraction for sure, you could say.
Yet when winter wind blows
'cross the end of my nose
and lifts off my hat,
then it's colder than that!
Thermometer, say what you may.
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas
============
THIRD PLACE - $5.00 BGC from B&N
In The Thick Of It
The wind in winter's cold ripped
Blowing cows along fast as they flipped.
It swirled them around
As they skid on the ground.
To the farm they all sped.
Farmer Bob scratched his head
When they gave cream that was already whipped!
Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Poor cows! This poem paints a humorous
scene, and is wonderfully kinetic, with verbs like "swirled" and "skid"
and "ripped," etc. This poem is charged with action. Great
ending line.
============
SECOND PLACE - $10 BGC from B&N
Winter On The Gulf Coast
Our blood turns to sludge when mercuries dip
When winter winds freeze Southern lips
Good Heavens, it's sixty-nine outside!
Our body temperature is Southern fried!
The closeted jackets come out
We walk around with blue pouts
And our drawls freeze down to our hips
Claiborne Schley Walsh, Montrose, AL
JUDGE'S COMMENTS: Wonderful phrases, such as "blood turns to
sludge" and "our drawls freeze down to our hips." "Southern fried"
temperature is a nice introduction of the antithesis of cold.
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mention of figures out of any holy book. Everyone is welcome here.
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19th Century words, such as "Tis," "Til," "Thine," and "Thou," belong
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