Winners
Conformists of a feather
flock together.
Michael R. Burch, Nashville, Tennessee
The u of solitude allays the y of lonely.
The i in if precedes the o in only.
Michael Harmon, Scottsdale, Arizona
Runners Up
I sympathize truly my dear,
But as you see, I have a beer.
Robert Walton, King City, California
It’s always the common folk who must pay
When their leaders go looking for dragons to slay.
David Martin, Chantilly, Virginia
Honorable Mentions
Knowledge, bestow thy light upon the mind,
Lest pleasures waste and lucent trifles blind.
Joseph McKenzie, New Mexico
Face drenched with tears I wipe my eyes
with hope God hears my fervent cries
Jan Hersh
I want the facts that will inform my views.
I don’t need entertainment from my news.
James Ph. Kotsybar, Lompoc, California
Mid the forest, Dryad stood; hidden, oaken, silent wood,
Mid the glade, the Sun he splayed; folk content, they never strayed.
Neal Dachstadter, Knoxville, Tennessee
Participating Judges
Michael Curtis, Washington, DC
Joshua Philipp, Queens, New York
Damian Robin, Sheffield, United Kingdom
William Ruleman, Athens, Tennessee
James Sale, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Bruce Dale Wise, Naselle, Washington
Judge Michael Curtis poetically noted:
If I could improve it
I didn’t choose it.
I looked for wit, precision too,
Heart-felt feelings wouldn’t do.
__________________________________________________________________
RULES: To celebrate National Poetry Month, write a two-line poem (couplet) that rhymes. It’s nice to have some meter or the same number of syllables per line, but not required. Paste your poem into the comment section with your name, city, and state (no need to list your last name or email address if you don’t want to). No submission fee.
DEADLINE: April 30 midnight (***Deadline extended to May 1, midnight EST). Winner announced May 10.
PRIZE: Free Society of Classical Poets 2016 Journal due out later this spring.
JUDGE: Classical poets staff and advisory board will judge (which means they can’t compete, sorry)
Featured Image: “Candidates for Girton College” by Frederick Brown, 1884.
But, leaves` procession under the kiss of the wind;
Buds of faith and hope live in philosophical mind.
One Reliable Thing
Each year I count on just one thing:
The melting of winter into spring.
When you hear talk of green but spell it “grieve,”
Remember life will make you lief to leave.
Peter G. Epps
Oklahoma City, OK
When you leave liefer things behind in grief,
Remember where they’re pressed and turn the leaf.
Peter G. Epps
Oklahoma City, OK
There was a bird up in a tree;
he was so high, he couldn’t see.
Mountain clouds, foot-trodden ways,
And pale pink trilliums in the haze.
Chantilly, VA
I love the imagery of your verse 🙂
When your mind is open and your heart is gold
Life’s about more than what your hands can hold
The Roi du Bois, upon his gilded mushroom throne,
Oft recalls in loneliness his soldiers swallowed by the Rhône.
Will my wage be delusion, my plans overthrown?
She’s already pregnant and – with her own clone!
China’s moon is dark with corruption and grime
Suppressing free speech is a human rights crime*
*The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, section 17, subsection 19:
“19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Free Liu Xiaobo!
The Rabbit and the Hatter sat to eat a sumptuous tea,
Until a girl fell done a hole and spoiled their privacy.
Here’s proof that one should never rush poetry…
It should, of course have read:
The Hatter and the Rabbit sat to eat a sumptuous tea,
Until a girl dropped down a hole and spoiled their privacy.
Apologies.
We are shadows–from thoughts, half-heartedly
Looking through a broken glass darkly
It’s a feast for the senses to be showered on, kissed
As the twangy scent of rain rises up its tasty mist.
From age to age treat all as equal;
then at life’s end you’ll love the sequel.
An Untitled Couplet
Within you lies the Hope Diamond of wealth,
How fortunate you are to be yourself.
Copyright 2016
Lots of ifs and buts are ensconced in that couplet.
Maybe if it rhymed….
‘Or saunter along together amidst a chilly mizzle,
Not a bower nearby to conceal us from the drizzle’
My soul is now in pieces, my world has shattered,
My mom died on Saturday, took all that mattered
What does love made from you
You can laugh, cry but he doesn’t see u
Congrats to the winners here…
It was an honor to participate in the competition against so many talented poets, and a pleasant surprise to be one of the winners. Thanks very much to the Society for sponsoring the contest. I have won prizes or honorable mentions in 38 poetry contests, but this is one of my favorites because everyone was able to read the submissions. — Mike Burch
Congratulations to all the winners
I hope you are lauded over dinners.
Especially, thanks to Evan Mantyk
who works so hard though his life gets frantic.
Thanks also to the judges and the staff
who helped choose winners, where there was no chaff.
A toast to this poetical crew-
To each and all I raise my brew!
And to the host,
I lift my toast.
I love you more than I can say:
please, oh please, let me come to stay.
A crescent moon swing hung on ropes of stars.
We joined hands and, laughing, swung for Mars.