Sol Magazine, A Poetry Journal: An international
organization of Members and Volunteers interested in the education of poets.
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SPONSORS: SOL MAGAZINE
JUDGES: LYN BELISLE, RUTH FOGELMAN, SOL STAFF
| DEDICATION: We dedicate this issue to Ron Padgett, the editor of the Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms. Thank you for providing poets everywhere with a comprehensive, intelligent guide to poetry writing. |
| FEATURED ARTICLES
Note: These links are on separate web pages and will exit you from the current edition.
|
CONTENTS of this page:
| LETTERS - Letters may be edited for length. |
| FROM -- R.K. Rowe - I'd like you to know how much it means to me to receive Sol Magazine. It's always a tremendous pleasure to read. I look forward to every issue. |
| FROM -- Betty Ann Whitney - I am so delighted with the gifts ordered from Barnes & Noble gift card (staff haiku contest.) The mail lady just delivered Billy Collins, "Nine Horses," and "Wight: The inmost listener," by my friend, Tim Hahn. Thank you so much, Sol, for the many opportunities you make available to poets around the world. |
LAGNIAPPE: ICE
JUDGE: SOL STAFF
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
FORM: HAIKU
FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR: There were many fine entries
into this competition, but only the winners were published here.
Thanks so much to all who participated.
============
FIRST PLACE - WINNER OF A $10.00 ELECTRONIC BOOK GIFT CERTIFICATE
ice shroudsCOMMENT: Crisp, clean, to the point, this minimalist Haiku shows how seasonal life wears down even the sturdiest of trees. Lovely duality in the stated "live oak" and the implied dead limb. The "crack" is starkly audible. So simple, yet so powerful. Perfectly done. Excellent portrayal of the destructive abilities of ice without saying too much. Good image of the tree made vivid by the poet's expressive choice of words.
gnarled live oak
crackAvonne Griffin, Greer, SC, USA
brown ducks landCOMMENT: Nice duality as dark ducks land on white snow.
on icy lake scooting into
soft snow bankKay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA, USA
icy windsCOMMENT: Good imagery allows the reader to see and feel winter, with the strong clear feeling of the cold wind under a bright moon. Beautiful lyricism, and parallel between the roaring blast of the wind and the pristine serenity of the moon.
blast through wintry nights
as still moon shinesJulie Hartman, Magnolia, TX, USA
black iceCOMMENT: Almost "miku", this stark yet fully-described scene features great economy of words and adherence to the intent of haiku. Excellent picture painting. The image of black ice is original and a nice surprise in the vivd image of "trees breaking." A common dread of motorists everywhere, black ice is exemplified here as being something worthy of poetics. The final line is acutely active, yet the narrator remains a passive seer over the landscape. Well-done.
covers cold ground
trees breaking
Jim Applegate, Roswell, NM, USA
Fantasy landscapeCOMMENT: Excellent use of form, with the added surprise almost-double-entendre in the very last word. Fine writing. The entire haiku brings to mind a beautifully lit winter woodland. Particularly nice is the word "glittering" with the neat tweak of "melting" into "melding."
Glittering woods by moonlight
Icicles melding
SJ Baldock, Lancaster, TX, USA
Cliché : Give it a rest
Rewrite: Let arguments go
RelentlessHer husband said she was a pro
At not letting arguments go
What they cussed or discussed
Would not gather dust
... Especially her "I told you so"
SJ Baldock, Lancaster, TX, USA
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Dark Night's Starry Span
Stars
suck me
up
seer-swirled
into space
to all
dark's
daunting
distances
from measure to
infinite.
Knowing
then
of sky's
far secrets
drawn back
down
I am
vast.
Warner Conarton, Zephyrhills, FL, USA
Sol Magazine's editors choose one favorite poem each month for the honor of EDITOR'S CHOICE. Each EDITOR'S CHOICE will be automatically entered in the FAVORITE POEM OF THE YEAR 2004 competition, voted on by Sol Magazine Members at the end of the year.
UNTIL THE SNOW
JUDGE: PAULA MARIE BENTLEY
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
FORM: HAIKU
FIRST PLACE - WINNER OF A $10.00 ELECTRONIC BOOK GIFT CERTIFICATE
snow dusts riverbankCOMMENTS: Sparse imagery allows the full flood of meaning to come through this haiku; the contrast between the vibrancy of life and the cool pallor of snow is excellent, especially when paired with the concept of the snow as killer/life taker, yet at the same time as an ironic "blanket" of sorts. Very well-sketched with dualistic images and a startling summating image.
lifeless limbs rise above
life snuggles beneath
Katherine Swarts, Houston, TX, USA
blowing snowCOMMENTS: A touch of the mystical here (white owl's presence, compounded by its magical "vanishing") combines with the action of the blowing snow to create a scene of conceptualized wonder at something truly beautiful in our world. Lovely contrasts between the blowing snow and the stillness of it once it's fallen, between night and day, and between the presence and subsequent "absence" of the white owl.
turns night into day
white owl vanishes
Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX, USA
white tailed deerCOMMENTS: Splendid parallel between the white of the deer tails and the white of the snow; wonderful use of "pewter" to describe the snow, and the contrast between the green of the grass being sought and the white of the snow blanketing it is well done. A nicely-said commentary on the impact of winter on the ever-present animal life.
nuzzling field of pewter snow
seeking green grassKay Earnest, Smyrna, GA, USA
snow caps mountain peaksCOMMENTS: Highly kinetic in language, this haiku moves swiftly from the opening to the closing lines, and packs a lot of imagery within its brevity. Good illustration of how Nature works to cleanse the earth. A good parallel between the snow of winter and the rushing floods of spring, and peaks and valleys.
rain showers fill deep valleys
floods follow spring thaw
John E. Rice, Houston, TX, USA
Woolly mammoth
Sheltered beneath changeless snow
Immaculate
SJ Baldock, Lancaster, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Snow as destroyer and preserver - a nice pull of the
past to the present, with the one unchanging constant being the ubiquitous
blanket of snow through time. Nice use of the word "changeless."
=========
red winged blackbirds bend
pine tree boughs peaked with snowfall
cones scatter below
Carol Cotten, Galveston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Although a "red-winged blackbird" is an actual creature's
name, it serves as a wonderful visual contrast here, especially when paired
with the snow. Splendid word choices here bring a sense of quiet
movement to this haiku.
=========
snow clouds
dust warm earth
with rime
Lynne Craig, Terrell, TX, USA
COMMENTS: "Rime" is a nicely-used doubly-meant word here, serving
both to sing of the earth's poetry and of the actual physical nature of
the frost it represents. Good contrast between the cold snow
and warm earth. Interesting contradiction inherent in the concept
of something cold meeting something warm.
=========
snowdrifts blow freely
wind sweeps swirls overnight blanket
morning light reflects
Betty Dobson, Halifax, NS, CAN
COMMENTS: A melodic tribute to the changes in nature. The
words "freely," "sweeps," and "swirls," give the sensation of the ever-shifting
aspect of our world.
=========
twisted trees
amethyst shadows drift
across snow
Kathy Lippard Cobb, Bradenton, FL, USA
COMMENTS: A specific and unusual color brings this haiku to vibrant
life. The twisted trees are still beautiful enough to linger shadows
across an accepting snow.
=========
Silent snow sparkles
shifting valleys sculpting peaks
windswept moonlit night
Jennifer Galvin, Stafford, VA, USA
COMMENTS: A lyrically beautiful haiku, easily visualized, with
good alliteration throughout.
=========
sun rises
over hidden ravine
sinking snow
Avonne Griffin, Greer, SC, USA
COMMENTS: Fascinating way of illustrating the meltingly warm
powers of the sun - "sinking snow" is a fabulously descriptive phrase.
The word "hidden," lends a secretively revelatory nature to this haiku.
=========
first snowflakes
one row of paw prints
on frost tinged grass
Deborah P Kolodji, Temple City, CA, USA
COMMENTS: Alluring in its simplicity, this haiku spins an image
of untouched, unmarred wilderness - tracked by one inhabitant. Lovely
diction.
=========
animal tracks trip
roots buried in recent snow
moonlight trails
Tanya Larson-Spahmann, Kamloops, BC, CAN
COMMENTS: Enlightening commentary on how even animals may be
fooled in a snowy landscape. "Moonlight trails" illustrates how all
must now learn to track paths by the moon, not by well-worn dirt paths.
=========
Unfamiliar snow
Squirrel crosses in bounding leaps
Green patch beneath tree
Mary E. Gray, Newport News, VA, USA
COMMENTS: Interesting use of the word "unfamiliar," and noteworthy
active image of the squirrel seeking the familiar - in this instance, the
greenery under the tree.
=========
covered in snow
beneath fir branch
bird's wing
Terrie Leigh Relf, San Diego, CA, USA
COMMENTS: Keenly observed contrast of lifeless snow and a once
life-full bird's wing. Nice parallel between life and death, the
sharpness of vitality with the cool omnipresence of snow's whiteness.
Good spark of color implied in the "fir" branch.
===========
Empty prints remain
fresh trails revealed by dawn
quiet life in snow
Brady Riddle, Galveston, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Good duality between the emptiness of the prints and
the fullness of life's implied by their presence. Nice concept of discovery
here.
===========
pine branches droop
stiffly arcing frozen ground
blanketed in snow
Eileen Sateriale, Bowie, MD, USA
COMMENTS: Well-done contrasts between the hard/soft, dark/light,
and up/down serve to create a scene of quiet action. Nicely done.
==========
moonlit night
snow flurries echo
in silence
James M. Thompson, Baytown, Texas, USA
COMMENTS: Good sketching of something purely aural - the quiet
whisper-shh of snow flaking down. Beautiful parallel between the
white moonlight and the whiteness of the snow, while the whole is easily
and simply summed up in one word - silence. Well done.
JUDGE: ROY SCHWARTZMAN
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
FORM: LIMERICK
GENERAL COMMENTS FROM THE JUDGE: These limericks demonstrate how
poets can engage in word play despite the form's brevity. Working within
strict (some might say restrictive) line and metric limits, many of these
poems dance on the page. The true test of a limerick's quality is whether
it also dances to the ear when read aloud. Fine limericks resemble
a leprechaun's lilt while telling a favorite joke.
============
FIRST PLACE - WINNER OF A $10.00 ELECTRONIC BOOK GIFT CERTIFICATE
Sushi for TwoCOMMENTS: The drastic about-face in the final line is swift and hilarious. Phrasing is simple and economical, allowing easy oral recital. The choice of uncooked fish effectively "waters down" the charred turkey. Sharp limerick with a delightful twist at the end. Hilariously rhythmic, this limerick flows so easily it seems effortless. Well-done, with a wonderful treatment of a truly "oops" kind of moment. Closing line is positively splendid. Humorous punchline at the end.Our turkey had burned through and through
We had no idea what to do
The kitchen glowed red
Our guests all had fled
It now looks like sushi for twoJames M. Thompson, Baytown, TX, USA
Oh DeerCOMMENTS: The image of the mounted wildlife watching the dinner offers vivid humor. The scene is easy to envision from this crisp narration.My host served up hot venison stew
Along with his New Year's homebrew
Mounted heads on the wall
Watched down at us all
I ate one bite but daresay not twoLois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX USA
Bromo PromoCOMMENTS: Reciting the entire menu as a catalog fills the ear as the meal would fill the stomach. Tamales quickly turn mere overeating into a toxic digestive adventure.
We had turkey, some ham and rare beef.
Roast goose, lobster mousse brought us grief.
We conclude Yuletide follies
with Texas tamales.
It's been days - I need some relief!
John E. Rice, Houston, TX, USA
OverstuffedThe litany of foods builds to a climax effectively captured in the final line. Very good illustration of how the final line of a limerick can reverse the momentum built in previous lines.With cornbread, baked beans, Jello crown,
And goose in a sauce rich and brown,
Even crackers and chili,
We stuffed ourselves silly –
At least till the table fell down.Elizabeth Barrette, Charleston, IL, USA
Season to RememberCOMMENTS: This limerick accurately describes my own holiday! Very original use of a limerick to convey a bittersweet message.We cooked what we'd planned for a year,
the whole scattered family was here,
but I had the flu
so what could I do?
I salted my broth with a tear.Avonne Griffin, Greer, SC, USA
JUDGES: RUTH FOGELMAN, LYN BELISLE, BETTY ANN
WHITNEY
SPONSOR: SOL MAGAZINE
FORM: WALTZ WAVE
FROM POETRY JUDGE LYN BELISLE: Thank you so much for including me - these poems were just a gift that made me delight in the realization of how many wonderful poets and artists still grace our collective creative community. - Lyn Belisle
FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR: There were many more submissions in
this contest than we could publish here. We thank all who participated.
The results were spectacular.
==========
FIRST PLACE - WINNER OF A $15.00 ELECTRONIC BOOK GIFT CERTIFICATE
Dark Night's Starry SpanCOMMENTS: Good handling of this challenging form as the wording twists and swirls hand in hand with the form. The poem makes excellent use of poetic tools such as consonance, and shows the tension between finite and infinite, heaven and earth, and creates a feeling of layers and depth through original imagery. The masterful use of alliteration that sparkles throughout this starry poem leads the reader like in a dance, much as the first three lines draw the reader in. Written in a thoughtful, universal, and impeccably crafted way that weaves in a strong sense of the metaphysical, and shows a "beyond-humanity" feeling of the vastness of our universe as reflected in ourselves. Excellent phrasings, such as "seer-swirled" and alliterations lend fluidity to a form which demands such. Good attention to diction as well as adherence to the visual appeal of the Waltz Wave. This stark visual fantasy ends with both surprise and duality, revealing unexpected insight and truth in its wonderful closing lines. The opening lines evoke a feeling of empathy in the reader. First half of poem deals with "you, Vincent" and the reader is drawn in, while the second half deals with "we." The symmetry works well.Stars
suck me
up
seer-swirled
Into space
to all
dark's
daunting
distances
from measure to
infinite.
Knowing
then
of sky's
far secrets
drawn back
down
I am
vast.Warner Conarton, Zephyrhills, FL, USA
Moonlight Hourglass in ColorCOMMENTS: Lovely title. Interesting use of rhythm, alliteration, consonance and sound strengthen the highly original and very gorgeous imagery - a lot of visual beauty is packed into this poem despite the tricky requirements of the form. The split in the word "man-go" is wonderful on several levels. The last line, "Tic," speaks volumes with three letters. Turning the sky into a timepiece is a clever allegory.
In
heavens
arch
this man-
go moon is
enclosed
in
aqua.
Smudgy stars
gain myopic
size. Reflect
lunar
rings.
Future
view where time
tumbles
slips
sideways.
Tic.Sharon Rothenfluch Cooper, Portland, OR, USA
Nothing Else to GiveCOMMENTS: Fine title, particularly in the context of the poem's meaning. Beginning lines bring an immediate visual of Van Gogh's painting. Excellent handling of the fear that the artworks of an eccentric genius might produce in those who see the world more conventionally. Clearly written historical narrative and character study with a good poetical sound that puts the reader into chilling emotional turmoil.
Oh,
Vincent,
you
saw things
another
way. You
tried
to give
us the stars
in your heaven.
We closed our
eyes, held
our
ears and
ran from fears
we did
not
know we
had.
John E. Rice, Houston, Texas, USA
Why Lovers Desire StarlightCOMMENTS: Title intrigues, poem delivers. Strong opening, with good verbs, imperatives, and forward movement. Well-crafted alliterative effect. In the surprising ending, the contrasts of "night/day, ancient/contemporary" help convey the universal paradox of nighttime passion versus daytime reality. Well thought out and expressed.Grab
what hand
seems
most kind.
Run round back
where stars
stun
wide eyes.
Fill pale skins
with ancient light.
Unknown sights
never
shine
until
each nighttime
turns each
day
inside
out.Larry L. Fontenot, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Stargazers and Rain DreamersCOMMENTS: Exceptional title invites the reader to pause and share this special moment. Strong visual accents are carried throughout the poem. Original and smile-making use of frogs as happy stargazers. The last half deftly and memorably brings the theme home through images of sleep and rain. Good for a re-read before lights out.
Rain
falls. Frogs
croak
in bogs
and marshes
all night
their
happy
eyes gazing
at lovely stars.
Imagine
as you
sleep
their deep
croaks sounding
throughout
your
silent
dreams.
Carol Cotten, Galveston, TX, USA
Long
ago
there
were so
many stars
the sky
seemed
filled with
a splash of
a child's spilt milk.
I must re-
member
to
look up
once again
and see
where
they all
went.
Lynne Craig, Terrell, TX, USA
COMMENTS: Interesting title invites the reader to read on.
Good use of both alliteration and consonance. Nice imagery.
Spilt milk is witty new twist for the ancient Milky Way.
============
Light Bright on High
Stars
swallow
night’s
darkness
high above
back roads.
Bright
Patterns
form on black
like a child’s toy.
More timeless
than youth
and
sharper
than beauty.
The stars
count
on our
dreams.
Betty Dobson, Halifax, NS, CAN
COMMENTS: Poem opens with one surprise, and ends with another.
Nice use of simile. The mix of personification and simile creates
an interesting piece.
============
He Colors the Night
One
starry
night
shining
colors of
midnight
skies
whirling
blue brush strokes
touch yellow stars
above the
silent
town.
Sleepy
people dream
this night
in
Vincent's
eyes.
James M. Thompson, Baytown, TX, USA
COMMENTS: The unusual title definitely catches the eye of the
reader. Beautiful imagery and use of color.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The allusion is to the Dutch painter Vincent Van
Gogh; his work used striking colors, coarse brushwork and contoured forms.
Starry Night, one of his most famous paintings, was completed near the
mental asylum of Saint-Remy, thirteen months before Van Gogh's death at
the age of thirty-seven.
Questions? E-mail Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor: Sol.Editor@prodigy.net
Sol Magazine, P.O. Box 580037, Houston, TX 77258-0037
Phone number: 281-316-2255
Call weekdays 8-5 (CT) (1400-2300 GMT or UTC)
Send comments, questions, advice to:
Sol.Magazine@prodigy.net
|
We hate to ask, but providing prizes for our winning poets is an non-ending task. Over the years we've offered many locking diaries, hundreds of book gift certificates and bookmarks, uncounted books and chapbooks, and even a few picnic baskets! Only about one-fourth of our prizes come from Sponsors, and the rest are donated by co-founders Leo F. Waltz and Mary Margaret Carlisle. Please consider adding your name to the list. Become a Sol Sponsor. Write to Sol.Editor@prodigy.net for more information. |