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The FINAL ROUND of Sol Magazine's by-invitation-only Poet Laureate
2003 Competition is complete.
Our six finalists were: Elizabeth Barrette, Gary Blankenship, Kathy Kehrli, Deborah P. Kolodji, Tanya Ruth Larson, and Maureen Wood. Sol Magazine's newest Poet Laureate will be announced in the special Poet Laureate 2003 Edition in mid-May. |
FEATURED ARTICLES
JUDGE: PAULA MARIE BENTLEY
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE DONOR
FIRST PLACE - Winner of a $10.00 electronic book gift certificate.
Spring EchoesCOMMENTS: The image of "daring more snow" beautifully captures the defiance robins show every spring when they return, snow or not, and bravely peck the ground and sing. Truly the spirit of Spring encapsulated... a spirit fleshed out all the more by the marvelous image of the "indoor-hunting" cat. Especially of note is the unusual phrasings used by this poet, such as "indoor-hunting outdoor birds," "uncaching acorns," "impatiently meowing," and "children are full of mud puddles." The style (and language) here, especially the final two lines, are reminiscent of e e cummings. Wonderfully done, and truly evocative of the spirit of Awakening.The robins return daring more snow
still they stay, they nest, they sing,
the cats are pacing window to window
indoor-hunting outdoor birds and
stalking squirrels uncaching acorns
impatiently meowing nature awakening,
the snow keeps melting into spring
and children are full of mud puddles.
Kathy Paupore, Kingsford, MI, USA
First Calf of SpringCOMMENTS: The warmth and soothing nature of this poem spring from carefully chosen words and phrases which convey the amazingly dualistic nature of birth. Wonderful turns of lines and images to create a very physically sensorial poem, with lovely contrast between the first and second stanzas (soothing and quiet, then suddenly jarring and bright.) Stanza two has some really amazing images, such as "eye of the needle," that really capture the push/pull nature of birth. The final line is the perfect cap.Enveloping, welcoming darkness
Tethered umbilical smorgasbord
Heartbeat a soothing comfort, while
Floating in thoughtless dream stateCompressed, then rudely awakened and
Pushed through the eye of a needle
Assaulted by bright light and sound
Consoled by a rough tongue of greetingSJ Baldock, Lancaster, TX, USA
Tree's Triolet to Terra FirmaCOMMENTS: The concept of Nature speaking is full of mystique. The repetition of lines throughout gives this poem a chant-like quality, one that fits very well with its conceptualization of self and Nature. "Scratches backs of worms who shiver" was one shiver-inducing line, for it is both beautiful and eerie. The entire poem feels as if it ought to be read in a whisper at dusk on an early Spring day, while standing in the midst of a huge forest.My hair rustles, human-leaves.
I breathe your beetled voice: The Whisper-Giver,
from the hollow arms of my sleeves,
as my hair rustles, human-leaves.The wind barks, Listen! Humus heaves,
scratches backs of worms who shiver.
My hair rustles, human-leaves.
I breathe your beetled voice: The Whisper-Giver.Maryann Hazen Stearns, Ellenville, NY, USA
Bear-ly ThereCOMMENTS: Wonderful descriptives, such as "acorn babies," "gone-to-ground," and "while a mother stupors." The poem captures the feeling of new birth and rebirth. Interesting pinpointing of how the mother "knows" the babies are there, even in her half-stupor, thereby implying she will protect them until it is time to emerge. The second stanza is the parallel, a little while later, when they come out of their den to breathe in the new air; nice usage of astronomy terms to describe the bear and her cubs (this gives them a feeling of distance, as well, as if they are untouchable - something to be watched, admired, but not engaged with). Nice use of "fat" to describe Spring (paralleling with the newly fat bears, as well), and wonderful internal rhymes and images in the final line.She nestles tiny, acorn babies
beneath a gone-to-ground, light breath.
The heavy body knows they are there
and while a mother stupors, they wait.Ursa major and minors newly aware
emerge to greet bright yellow-green,
move about playing in a new, fat Spring
shedding unlit dirt for sunlit, tender growthClaiborne S. Walsh, Montrose, AL, USA
Finches greet the rising sun,
Golden voices sweetly spun.
Red-winged blackbirds in the trees
Sing their descant to the breeze.
Buntings on the apple boughs,
Meadowlarks amidst the cows,
Robins in the sky so blue –
Spring’s alarm clock ringing true
Elizabeth Barrette, Charleston, IL, USA
COMMENTS: A sweet welcome-song to the rising Spring morning,
with a lilting rhyme scheme that exemplifies the happy nodding nature of
Spring's air. Beautiful imagery with careful attention to both colors
and animals, and how they fit together. Nice concept at the end of
Spring's "alarm clock."
============
Solicitous
Sleepy-eyed slugs
Slither from burrows
Leaving silver trails
On glossy hibiscus leaves
Caught in spring joy
Gardeners lift the critters
Rather than slapping them
Swiftly with spades
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Wonderful alliteration, as well as mental images such
as "sleepy-eyed slugs." With its shift to saving lives, rather than
"slapping them / Swiftly with spades" (more great alliteration there),
this poem not only celebrates the sparing of the slugs, but also helps
parallel the uplift we all feel when spring's first warmth nudges the air.
A celebration of every creature, not just the upright ones, done with alliterative
charm.
============
The Bear Emerging
Great shambling beast emerges
ravenous from darkened den.
Other creatures fall still, fearing
scimitar claws savaging fallen logs.
Hot tongue licks up insects,
plumps its flesh with fish until
appetite appeased, bulky body
yawns a greeting to spring.
SuzAnne C. Cole, Houston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Truly a magnificent scene, the bear awakening from
its long winter sleep. Excellent word choices to help convey the
sheer mass of the creature, as well as the contrast between it and the
smaller life forms around it. Very nice adjectives, such as "scimitar,"
are unusual but apt. Nice double meaning in "fall still," as well
as a parallel with the "fallen logs" in the next line.
============
Aphids Away
Sleepy Ladybug raises her head
Dusts off her bright red dress
Then rushes to my flower bed
To rid plants of aphids' sticky mess
Now I am the one to hibernate
In the comfort of my room
Where I sit still and wait
To admire each pansy bloom
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA, USA
COMMENTS: A very amusing title! This is a wonderful painting
of Nature helping Man, rather than the other way around. The opening
stanza is marvelous in its clarity of image, as well as amusing in its
droll concepts of "dusting off her bright red dress." Nice parallel
in the final stanza of Man to a hibernating creature, awaiting the success
of the Ladybug in her endeavors.
============
Emergence of a Monarch
Underside the milkweed
Crown of gold on jade green
A beautiful Monarch
Breaks free and spreads wings
Chrysalis is shed
Orange-black wings full of might
Once fully rested
She embarks her long flight
Deborah H. Nunn, Atlanta, GA, USA
COMMENTS: Sparce, yet full of lovely journalistic description.
Particular word choices allow the viewer/reader to be in the scene.
============
Caterpillars to Butterflies
Such a lovely green,
but now they've spun
a chalky white around
their gangly selves.
See how they wobble
beneath the leaves,
excited, perhaps, by
transformative dreams.
Terrie Leigh Relf, San Diego, CA, USA
COMMENTS: Meant to be spoken aloud, a sort of musing aloud to
oneself, or perhaps to another; this has the feeling of intimacy,
of a whisper that is shared between two Nature lovers observing.
Nice contrasts between colors, and wonderful twist of "transformative dreams."
============
Recipe for My Husband, Each Spring
Wake early and do not shave.
Remove remaining flannel.
(Pale winter skin soon darkens with perspiration and sun.)
Open shed. Ignore scurrying spiders.
With shovel and hoe, move earth.
Marvel at worms, ladybugs, and the scent of warming soil.
Sow seeds and starts with tenderness, deft hands, and love.
Nurture that you've sown until summer, every year.
Shannon Riggs, Honolulu, HI, USA
COMMENTS: Proving that animals are not the only ones to shed
their winter coats, this has the feeling of half-amusement, half-seriousness
woven throughout. The narrative style is especially appreciated,
as it has the air of a soft statement, perhaps even of a letter left for
a husband. The frequent line stops fit well with the subject matter.
Charming, double-meaning title lends much to the poem, as well.
============
Bear With Me
The hard, cold dreams of ice
Recede, and new, fresh smells
Wake me, make me hungry;
Life is hunger.
Hunger is life, trying to succeed,
Trying to fill out the emptiness
Of night with something that just
Might be dawn.. It is a hunger.
George Stateson, Grand Prairie, TX, USA
COMMENTS: The reader is left wondering - is this about the poet,
or about a winter animal? The interesting part of reading this is
attempting to analyze it from both points of view, and finding the parallels
there. The concept of "hunger is life" fits in with the business
world, with our world as it is today, but it is also a very real part of
every animal's life (especially a freshly-woken hibernating bear).
The final stanza is beautifully written, with a wistful tone to it that
makes the reader believe this is about far more than just a bear.
============
Early Waking, Slow Rising
At the first hint of warmth
Something stirs in the earth,
A faint breath of fresh life,
The first sign of rebirth.
The new spring calls above,
Yet the burrow's so snug....
Hibernation is past,
Venturing out yet to come.
Katherine Swarts, Houston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: A mysterious opening...a feeling of breathlessness
in "At the first hint / Something stirs." Words are carefully chosen
here to properly convey the conviction of Spring's restorative powers.
Here, Spring is seen as almost a magician, waving a magic wand to stir,
as if by unseen strings, the critters under the earth. Then in the
second stanza, there's a wonderful foil to this - the idea of the critter
being burrowed in so snugly, they don't quite want to get up. Beautiful
portrait of the limbo between hibernation and "venturing out," with Spring
calling from above.
============
False Alarm
Silken noses twitch a dance
to the scents of spring.
Sunlight fingers caress
shadowed corners, alerting.
Furry bundles arouse,
venture out of dark corners
in search of unexpected delights.
What’s all this white stuff?
M. E. Wood, Belleville, ON, CAN
COMMENTS: Impish lines with marvelously touch-feel words such
as "silken noses" and "furry bundles." Nice image of the pervasiveness
of Spring, leaking into each corner with "sunlight fingers," to waken the
world, bringing out the "furry bundles." The real laugh comes in
the final line, when one realizes that just because Spring is here does
not always mean the snow is gone - a lovely coup de grace to this song
of awakening (and realization).
============
Awaking Renewal
Time to wake
Dear grizzly-bear
And, smell the cleansing
Of springtime air
Emerge from within
The cave you dwell
Wake to live
By its magic spell
Daisy Autry Worrock, Abingdon, VA, USA
COMMENTS: With short, breathless lines, this has the air of one
who has run a long distance to deliver an important message. One
can imagine this as being Spring speaking, rushing around the world to
come waken this singular bear from his deep sleep, leaning into his burrow,
singing, "Time to wake!" The brevity of the lines, and the sing-song
rhythm, lend to this feeling of "being a messenger," and bringing the glorious
song of Spring's awakening to the animal world. Nicely done.
SILLY-KU COMPETITION
JUDGES: CRAIG TIGERMAN, MARY MARGARET CARLISLE
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
We asked our poets to put words together in a 5/7/5 form to create a
kind of portmanteau we dubbed "Silly-Ku." Note that humor was the
largest part of this competition, but form was also important. These
poets rose to the challenge in many creative and unexpected ways.
There were so many entries that only those that fit the form, and registered
on the audible laugh meter were included here.
============
FIRST PLACE - Winner of a $15.00 electronic book gift certificate.
Fospindilate (Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate)COMMENTS: This poem uses the very serious postal term of "do not fold, spindle, or mutilate" in hysterical conjunction with beginning line of a Dylan Thomas poem entitled, "Do not go gently into that good night." Impossible to just read this once.Oh, dead letter box,
do not fospindilate me
into that good nightGeorge Stateson, Grand Prairie, TX, USA
Celegration (celebrating, migration)COMMENTS: Mockingbird babies learn "in the shell," so to speak, the calls of other birds in the vicinity. This poet cleverly plays with that idea.Maestro Mockingbird
Celebrates copyright theft
Of migrating flocksLois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX, USA
Gynekidlogical (gynecologist, kid)COMMENTS: Silly to the nth degree! Great portmanteau formed from these two words.Room prep neglected
Stirrups extend from table
"Cup holders!!!" - squeals childSJ Baldock, Lancaster TX, USA
Stockini (stocking, bikini)COMMENTS: Fun in the sun in an unexpected way brings a smile to the reader's face, and a new word to jot down to use in the future!my swimsuit this year
flesh-colored body stocking
no sun block neededMaryann Hazen Stearns, Ellenville, NY, USA
Phonescent (phone, adolescent)COMMENTS: Wry humor, and an interesting combination of words.ignoring the ring
with teenagers in the house
it is not for meDeborah P. Kolodji, Temple City, CA, USA
kittens tiptoe close
tulips bob so temptingly
until all pounced flat
Elizabeth Barrette, Charleston, IL, USA
COMMENTS: Vivid portrait, with an interesting title.
=============
Particide (partner, homicide)
praying mantises
linked in love's embrace until
she bites off his head
SuzAnne C. Cole, Houston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Very serious reporting, yet the dual meaning of "bites
his head off" brings a laugh.
=============
Geneunion (generation, reunion)
At our reunions
Pasted on each smiling face
Are hand-me-down genes
Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA, USA
COMMENTS: Lovely twist of a commonly used phrase.
=============
Immortalmunity (immortal, immunity)
Mortals would have more
hope of immortality
in immune bodies
Jeanette Oestermyer, Roswell, NM, USA
COMMENTS: Wry take on a serious topic.
============
Frustracarpation (frustration, carping)
noise echos through house
from Jordan's new music box
drat generous Mom
Gary Wade, Williston, VT, USA
COMMENTS: The irony of this poem is self-apparent.
============
Grewash (grew, wash)
Day by day I see
To what lengths my hair will go
To get attention
Daisy Autry Worrock, Abingdon, VA, USA
COMMENTS: Another silly ku with a serious universal appeal.
=============
HINT OF A DREAM
============
JUDGES: BETTY ANN WHITNEY, BONNIE WILLIAMS
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
FIRST PLACE - Winner of a $15.00 electronic book gift certificate.
Eventide ArabesqueCOMMENTS: Well organized, alive with strong repetition of sound that moves throughout the vivid imagery. Wonderfully hazy in its wanderings back and forth over the line defining waking and sleeping; excellent word choices to properly convey the fight to "swipe" away lingering lushness of dreams, to properly force oneself back into the waking world. Lovely opening line to stanza 2, with many noteworthy phrases: "arachnid-spun entanglement," "eye-opening fists," "lingering strands," "swiping away the delicate threads," and so on. A very apt portrayal of how dreams entangle us, and so very reluctantly let us go.On the brink of consciousness,
Lurking somewhere between the realms
Of inertness and cognizance,
Like lacework they’re knitted:
Tatted visions; embroidered illusions;
Creweled fantasies; cross-stitched creations.
Crocheted intersections criss-cross
Into mind-wandering, one-way obscurities.Lashes tickled by unfiltered rays
Unfold to brush off the lingering strands.
Like an arachnid-spun entanglement
Eye-opening fists grind frail filaments,
Swiping away the delicate threads
Of my dreams.Kathy Kehrli, Factoryville, PA, USA
DreamtideCOMMENTS: This poem combines the flow of the sea in dreams, ever changing, ever unexpected. Rich imagery embraces and enhances the theme.Sleep is deep water,
A strong undertow pulling me
Out and down past the sandman’s shore.
Far above, the surface shimmers and
Dimples, a mirror of my dreams.
They dance in rainbow colors, a thin film
Of fragrant oil refracting light where
Air and ocean meet, while
Rose petals drift downward to
Spill from the wind’s fingers and sprinkle
The ripples with insight. Seen from below,
The waking world seems unreal, wavering
Dimly beyond the bright edge. Yet every day
When the tide goes out, I rise from the waves
All clad in a sheen of dreams, their radiance
Evaporating slowly in the sun
As I step from foam to
Firm ground.Elizabeth Barrette, Charleston, IL, USA
A Wild IdyllCOMMENTS: An imaginary outline of contrast, the exaggerated twist produces a strange effect of clashing tension. Rollickingly amusing, yet amazingly appropriate, this captures the other side of things - how do other people feel when we, as poets, "pluck" words? A wonderfully tongue-in-cheek look at the rampage of poets to find the right phrase that captures how every poet has felt at one time or another. Beautifully descriptive phrases enhance the realistic scene. "They squeeze the fruit / From unsuspecting phrases" is particularly a wonderful image.
Hiking trails and waterfalls
such tranquility
until a herd of poets
comes crashing through
my dream
Chittering and whooping
they forage about for words
then with frenzied snatching
they pluck the fruit
squeeze the juice
from unsuspecting phrases
Terrie Leigh Relf, San Diego, CA, USA
AprilCOMMENTS: This succinct piece says much in a few words. The double-meaning title gives this work a gentle touch of playfulness, as does the ironic first line.April had the best intentions
Of composing her English themes
Until spring winds puffed out the curtains
Lifting her into a passing world of dreamsLois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX, USA
Night VoyageCOMMENTS: What a wild ride of emotional stirring! The beautiful opening lines and gently lulling second stanza lead in one direction, but the final lines of this wonderfully written narrative both disturb and shock. Even though the poet leaves clues of a dream within a dream, the reader is left to wonder if the dreamer has simply gone from one nightmare into another, or if the ending is a chilling reality. Well done, poet!Night flowers, blossoming
below her heart, mature,
send seeds rocketing, parabolic,
into a sea of liquid tranquility,
engendering a leafy raft.The dreamer boards, glides
over the water, stroking the sea
like a lover. Rocked by raft rhythm,
lulled by insect hum, slips into a sun nap.
Dreaming within her dream,
shocked by a nightmare fish,
torpedo body, ravenous teeth.
Raft and languor dissolving,
she, placating, offers it her hand.Awakes, sweating, her hand a hook.
SuzAnne C. Cole, Houston, TX, USA
Awaken bud!
Burst into flower
-- Entice a bee
Disperse your
Anther-borne powder.
Fertile with promise
Ripe ovum distends
-- Engorged with dream
Of plump, sweet,
Summer-born peach.
SJ Baldock, Lancaster TX, USA
COMMENTS: Gorgeous word choices by this poet lead the reader
through this entreaty. Wonderfully written.
============
Shadow Talk
I watch in silence
as night passes quietly,
and shadows paint pictures
on blinds.
Listen
as solitude vacuums
the room leaving only
rumpled bed covers.
I whisper to emptiness
of visions
I'd like to have,
but slumber is only
a dream
and shadow talk
my only lull-a-bye.
Linda L. Creech, Bellefontaine, OH, USA
COMMENTS: Wonderful phrasing throughout, but particularly in
"solitide vacuums the room." Another sleepless night described in
a universal way, adding appeal to this poem.
============
Dreamcatcher
fresh spun web
single strand
winds its way around the hoop,
crossing itself
over and over
diamonds cascade
between hoop and
jeweled heart, clustered
feathers form a draped triangle
meant for magic, ward against
darker dreams
leather, string, wood, plastic
maybe the feathers are real
leather smells of newness
speaks of something older
alarm, allure, flight, fight
snared nightmares
block the light
Betty Dobson, Halifax, NS, CAN
COMMENTS: Descriptive language clearly pictures the dreamcatcher,
and explains its purpose. The rhythmic marching cadence carries the
reader to the end, asking, almost demanding that this poem be read aloud.
============
Slaying spiders
She came to me
my daughter
wild eyed and wide awake
whispering of scores of spiders
huddled on the ceiling
lying in wait only to
stream down toward
the bed on
cords of silk
sliding to a stop
just above her head
My own childhood nightmare
I'd never told her
Dreams entwined
Jennifer Galvin, Mountain View, CA, USA
COMMENTS: The "reporter's" style of this well written poem allows
the reader to "fill in" the feeling. Excellent imagery, done in a
clear direct style.
============
Red Dragons
He sent dragons
To ward and protect
I can't see them
Not even the press
Of foot or tail
In the grass
Welsh and wild
They circle the house
While the world weeps
I wonder if their fire
Mixes with the rain
To form steam
I struggle in sleep
Dreams twist and turn
Entangling me
In the morning
I remember nothing
Except a hint of red
Mary E. Gray, Newport News, VA, USA
POET'S NOTE: The red dragon is a symbol of Wales.
COMMENTS: This poet's imagination makes excellent use of metaphor,
personification and hyperbole. The combination of image, color, fantasy,
and remembrance hints at a longer tale yet to be imagined. This poem
seems a re-telling of some mythological tale, yet also seems based in reality.
============
leave the dogwood in the forest
still-life form of fireflies
captured in on position
not intermittent apparition
frozen prose inspired
poetry
unleashed beauty
from bark to bite-size
wonderment
floating blossom
emoting awesomely
soon to be flotsam
of spring a dream
but
it can't be
a transplanted tree
I've tried
Avonne Griffin, Greer, SC, USA
COMMENTS: Alliterative sounds are repeated throughout this piece.
Pleasant images and internal rhyme come together as the elements fuse.
============
The Reflection Speaks | skaepS noitcelfeR ehT
I look out of the flat glass of my face,
the pane of my containment.
I move when you do when I move you do too.
Do I move you? I love it when I look into your eyes
and the pupils dilate at precisely the same time as mine,
near and far and near and far. See? Just like that.
When I speak to you, you move your lips like a mime,
did you know that? Repeat after me... No, try again.
Repeat after me... Stop it. Stop it! You know what
I'm thinking, I can see it in your face. You haven't
been sleeping well because of me. When you dream
you dream of me except it's me who is asleep
and then I dream of you and you are wide awake.
When I turn my head to look behind me
I am gone. Am I alone in here?
Maryann Hazen Stearns, Ellenville, NY, USA
COMMENTS: One of the mysteries of the universe echoed in this
piece. Mirrors can lead one into another world, and this poet expresses
that idea nicely.
============
Paradise Lost
From floor forty-four of a
silver tower, surrounded
by trappings of wealth and
power, to this dusty corner,
hot at this high noon hour.
Ten dollars more today,
buck by buck. With any luck,
enough for a rack at the
mission. Beats a box under
the bridge any day.
I'm trapped in a nightmare.
I can't scream. I'm completely aware -
and it isn't a dream.
John E. Rice, Houston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: A protest poem that turns a finger on the reader.
This poem's protagonist does not find his nightmare in sleep, but in life.
How many are thus trapped in such circumstances, wanting a better life,
yet unable to break free? Written with understanding, the poem forces
us to examine our own lives, and that examination may make us uncomfortable.
============
Sonnet With Two-Part Harmony
Bilateral Symmetry:
That’s what it’s all about.
Try putting one head in,
And shaking it about.
We each have two brains
It seems - one with more clout
Than the other,
At least in daylight hours.
But at night, in dreams,
That other self schemes,
Complains, tries to make things clear,
To resolve those problems in arrear.
Are you schizoid? Well, yes;
Or one of us is, I must confess.
George Stateson, Grand Prairie, TX, USA
COMMENTS: This poem creatively combines rhythm, meaning and tone.
Nice insertion of unexpected and unusual rhyme in the second verse brings
new attention to what this poet has to say.
============
Reel-y True
Just hearing those bells and whistles sends
An obsessive message
Can you win? They seem to entice all
Kinked and twisted bodies as well as minds
Pull themselves up to the screens
Odds are some do win
Though most don't. That's
Why it's called gambling or gaming
In layman's terms
Not winning
Not taking it all home but
Every single person comes with the dream that those
Reels will stop on Jackpot
Claiborne S. Walsh, Montrose, AL, USA
COMMENTS: Vivid images and easy conversational language help
to build a clear speaker-to-reader communication.
============
Passion
Through those eyes
the ocean explodes
the breeze fills my soul
Lost in ecstasy
hand in hand
feet graze the sands
Forever in this dream
surreal surroundings
long for endless slumber
Yet he is true
as shall forever be
here in my arms
Mikaila Zeneth, Ridgeway, ON, CAN
COMMENTS: Is this the story of a dream? Or a dream of real
life? The poet expresses feelings in a series of succinct stanzas that
take full advantage of the dream-like quality of the chosen words.
============
THE UNIVERSE
JUDGE: SOL EDITORS
SPONSOR: MARY MARGARET CARLISLE
FIRST PLACE - Winner of a $15.00 electronic book gift certificate.
Universal UnderstandingCOMMENTS: This poetic survey features a bit of alliteration, lovely assonant phrasing ("arms embracing all existence") and fine diction, and tells all with beautiful imagery. So much is said in so few words, sweeping across all cosmic wonder. Internal rhyme and alliteration in first line alone sets poetic tone, with a continued preponderance of liquids (L's and R's) throughout the stanza, giving this piece a most lovely flow. Poetry at its best.
Swirling currents of life and light
flow through arms embracing all
existence draped in a shrouded cloak
bespeckled in stars.
Brady Riddle, Galveston, TX, USA
SearchersCOMMENTS: Short lines lend an air of awe as we are taken
Copernicus
and Galileo
took the long look,
searching
for borders. Infinity is
impassive and gives
no clues.
Pasteur
looked through his
brass tube and stacked
lenses. He found a
Universe in a
drop of water -
the tear
of a fearsome god.
John E. Rice, Houston, TX, USA
Cosmos HourCOMMENTS: Anthropomorphizing planets and stars, this poem draws us in to join in the delight of the spheres. Positive affirmation of the universe is mystically inviting. Succinct, yet the fullness of this allows the imagination to wander.
Planets play
Don't yield to the gravity
Stars chat
Don't be confused by the attraction
Or fall into the blackhole
Indulge in all of the cosmos
I want to give you all of the moments of the cosmos
Midori Saito, Saitama, JPN
Part & Parcel of the Ultimate ChaosCOMMENTS: Strongly written narrative brings the reader into the nightmare world of insanity.Often my thoughts spawn suicidal melancholy
Deceiving me with whispered threats, while
Surges of malicious animosity towards myself swirl
Introspective in a room of insane silences
Then heard (or yet I'm part of) Universal Truths
Not words, these specter-shrouded images
Of me asleep in Death -- nor dead, this Death
Whose raveled ends of thoughts unravel what
Was me, rushing onward -- racing past Infinity
To where it is that Death's minds go, until at last
The Comets and Supernals mix with muck of
Minds Eternal. Forward -- unwinding those
Complexities eyes never saw so simple, nor
Did minds know they knew -- yet in Death do:
Mind does not die … perpetual thoughts of YouSJ Baldock, Lancaster, TX, USA
Being CelestialCOMMENTS: A commanding poem, that wishes to bring each person in direct contact with the inner working of that "mini-universe," the one inside ourselves. Excellent building of elements, each one fits in the next. We see both "out there" and also inward. Beautifully written.I do not want you to think of the universe
as you read this poem, or think this is a poem about
galaxies and stars and moons; it is not.
Do not think of the frozen darkness of space
or the way the sun reflects off the skin of the earth
to light one half of the moon's surface
bringing tears to the eyes of a small handful of men
who have journeyed far away from the spinning blue mass
they've come to call, home. This is not
a poem about other planets, solar systems,
nebulous oddities, or indescribable creatures,
and, above all else, you must not give them a thought.
You must think only of yourself as you read this;
the compact skin you live in, the internal mini-universe
that lives within that quasi-cosmos, which is your you.Maryann Hazen Stearns, Ellenville, NY, USA
Ten vacationing friends at
Saturday night star party,
joyful expedition, a universe
expanding before our eyes.
Dark cold night, telescopes reveal
binary stars, the moons of Jupiter,
Saturn's blurry rings.
Phone call interrupts our viewing;
on this planet, a mother has died.
Kindness--private office offered,
coffee and water, long-distance calls,
arrangements, airplane reservations.
Circle of hands clasped in prayer,
universe contracts to one still room.
SuzAnne C. Cole, Houston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: The title tells us where we are, and each line reveals
more about who, what, where, and even when. This is a universal tale,
for most of us have a friend whose loved one has died; many of us have
clasped hands in friendship and support. There is kindness as well
as love in the words of the reporter. Well done, poet!
============
Beyond What I See
I wonder what lies beyond
Would it be as my mind envisions
The mysterious universe
Could I fathom what I see
Would my mind absorb the memories
To savor
After reality takes me away
I can taste the longing
The craving for the unknown, is there
Seeing, is only to dream
But an invigorating one
Daisy Autry Worrock, Abingdon, VA, USA
COMMENTS: One of those universal questions we all ask is here,
asked of self, and even asked of the reader. Could anyone absorb
the memories after reality has taken us away?
============
Lost King
Now
a little boy sits on the shag carpet,
wooden blocks strewn between
his outstretched legs.
Today
he is a builder,
creating and demolishing
his own universe
in a random circle.
Expansion is certain.
Soon
he will outgrow the world
created within these walls.
M. E. Wood, Belleville, ON, CAN
COMMENTS: Today a builder, and tomorrow? Interesting title
in the context of this poem. This poet comes to the point in a gentle,
loving way.
===========
Universal Understanding
Swirling currents of life and light
flow through arms embracing all
existence draped in a shrouded cloak
bespeckled in stars.
Brady Riddle, Galveston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: This poetic survey features a bit of alliteration, lovely
assonant phrasing ("arms embracing all existence") and fine diction, and
tells all with beautiful imagery. So much is said in so few words,
sweeping across all cosmic wonder. Internal rhyme and alliteration
in first line alone sets poetic tone, with a continued preponderance of
liquids (L's and R's) throughout the stanza, giving this piece a most lovely
flow. Poetry at its best.
There is no immediate prize associated with a poem having been picked as Editor's Choice in a particular month, only the knowledge that our editors picked it over all the other prize winners of that month. However, all poems chosen for EDITOR'S CHOICE of each month in the year 2003 will be automatically entered in the EDITOR'S CHOICE OF THE YEAR 2003 competition, voted on by Sol Magazine Members at the end of the year.
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