Poetry Contest

Event Information

When

THIS EVENT HAS ENDED
Monday, April 1
to Tuesday, April 30, 2024
iCal / Google Calendar

Voting

Read the poems below, then vote for your favorite!

Eclipse of the Heart

There are days in shadow,
there are days in light,
there are nights in shadow,
there are nights in light.
Just like an eclipse
you come and go
like a fading light,
like music, high and low.
You leave traces in my heart,
either if you are here
or if we are apart.
But tonight please fire up the stars for me
let’s walk together beside the sea,
let’s dance a waltz under the moon
and feel the summer breeze of June.

HER VOICE

A storyteller sat in the corner of the room. Of olde fashion vintage; this i did assume. Soon it got quiet and the light seemed to change. For some reason we stayed and heard a story strange:
“Let me tell you a tale not in a book. Caught me by surprise, i had a second look. i came upon this grove of evergreen tree. One for each direction this i did see.i felt a beckoning;almost as i had no choice. Then i felt it-could it be-Mother Nature’s Voice? Difficult to describe,the gentle force was strong. All i wanted was to stay and Linger Long…….

I’m Looking for a Smaller God

Deep in the forest, there’s a god of lost things
A god of curious footprints
A god missing most of its buttons

In the ditch, there’s a god
who crashed into a ditch

A god of spiders
A god who eats spiders

Deep in the forest
down by the pond
there’s a god who plays the harmonica

SPROUT THE NEW BEE.

A new beginner to the Gardening World
Felt the freedom like a flag unfurled
Native flora and so many vegetables too
Thought Nu-Be plant them together I shall do
Compost to the soil best wishes to all
Water when dry; let them grow tall
The Garden Party excelled and the uninvited guest?
Weeds were escorted to the compost to rest
From a few seeds how those new plants did grow
Especially pumpkins; more than Nu-Be could know
All the little green orbs expanded with each day
Coloring up orange so perfect in every way
Nu-Be discovered more than beauty at the sight
Pumpkins are such a nutritional culinary delight
Breads, pies,and soups: try a thick stew
Oh how Gardens are Great-who knew?
Thought Nu-Be I can eat vegetables from a can
Yet growing is better than I could plan.

NEW SEED FROM THE OLDE WAY

Grand Mother are you trying to make plants grow?
Watching from a distance the Child wanted to know
The Wise Woman responded YES a Garden for Earth
With our flowers a bit of magik and whimsy for mirth
Wide-eyed the wondering youth did not understand
GrandMother expected this; beckoned with gnarled hand
Using plants this Garden will honor Day and Night skies
And attract the birds, bees, moths and butterflies
Instructing thus her small apprentice with each seed
A new bond formed; they giggled with the flowers indeed
Beginning with the Stars color of Alyssum so white
And the darkest purple Pansy to represent the Night
Into shadows Galax whose flowers are the Milky Way
In full sun Hemerocallis beauty for just a day
On the fence give space for mystical Moonflower vine
Here now Aster whose name A STAR is so devine
Sunflowers of course we must plant plenty of these
Everyone loves them including the birds and bees
So my Grandchild’s Child do you now understand?
The smiling young Gardener nodded; held the gnarled hand

REFLECTED ONLY REFLECTED

There – over There
In the Ethereal Mist
Color of Evening Iris
A Glimpse- just a Glimpse
Of a Twinkling Light
Spiraling – Slowly Spiraling
Upward toward my
Direction of amazement
Here-Over Here
In the Ethereal Mist
Color of Evening Iris
With me- just with me
Small Twinkling Light
Floating-Now Floating
Gently suspended inches
Beyond my amazement
Here-Over Here
In the Ethereal Mist
Color of Evening Iris
With me-just with me
A pic of the Selfie
Floating-now Floating
Reflected in My Iris
With Amazement
Gone- now Gone
In the Ethereal Mist

The sky is blue

The sky is blue
How it makes me think of you
Breath me in, so bright

here to lay beside you

as always,

i hear jean-benoît in my ear whispering “my baby blue is a new star in the sky”
and i’m sat here dreaming of a kinder turn of events.

two years ago i bought a ring with your birthday on it something small, my first paycheck.
little keepsake of saudade

i wear that ring like it’s something sacred, like a constant memory
despite emerald stains on my finger, it’s kept there safe like a tattoo.

feels like i’m writing a neverending postcard, like you’ll be back soon
if i close my eyes and i’m dreaming it’s all messed up when i wake

what i’ll do when “do make sure to feel better soon” doesn’t work and
anything more overwhelms me

when it feels like i’m picking at wounds
like first graders bite their fingernails

and when the memory of an unknown grazes against my heart
like a newborn’s hand wrapped around a finger

unfinished sonnets whispered through a microphone
at 2:34am you make your way home i know

but now it’s pouring out and i’m still angry
and not at you, never at you

angels come to me whispering three syllables but
wish-me-wells do nothing in the end

you weigh down on my shoulders like i’m halfway through a night shift
and i don’t mind because i couldn’t wish for anything else

my sight for sore eyes i always get scared that
you’re up there all alone

so please, when the clouds fall asleep and it’s dim and lonely
pretend i’m here singing you lullabies

like “i need you.”

Multitudes

Teeth of Hurricane.
Claws of drought.
Tongues of wildfires.
Shakes of flood.
We love our earth as the flea
loves his cat.

Flawed

The murre does not fear its dive,
nor the rock its tumble into lava pooled.
The bee does not fear its fatal sting,
nor the cheetah its legs will tangle beneath it.
The oak does not fear the shedding of leaves
as approaching winter calls.
It’s us alone who bear the knowledge,
A creative mind, our greatest downfall.

Prepper

“The end is nigh!” he warns
to those he passes by,
heart beating in rapid anxiety.
The critical stares and derision mean nothing,
they will get theirs, he will kill if necessary.

The sun burns golden in the sky,
they allow it to saturate their bodies.
They shake and dance in adoration.
He dips into shadows,
makes sure he is not followed.

No one even turns their head, spring babes, all.
Soon he is back below the ground,
calculating how long he can survive alone.
He takes inventory, organizing endlessly,
ticking every box.

When the first cool breeze shivers the trees,
he gluts himself in self-congratulatory celebration.
He fills every cell with calories and protein.
Then, ever the master of industry,
he rolls another acorn down the hole.

He will emerge into Spring fat.

Interruption

We talked about the new show we both loved
because no one wants to talk about real things
when they have been given only months to live.
You mentioned another season, forgetting
for a moment
that you wouldn’t be here next Fall.
Hope flexing familiar,
a phantom limb.

Useless plans of the future
scattered when you left,
not young but still too young,
this earth.
You never found out who the killer was and
I had no appetite for season two.
How we entertain ourselves,
How we entertain ourselves.

Prayer of the Petty

I hope you get hiccups when it’s your turn to speak,
and the printer runs out of ink on the last page,
and sometimes you just can’t sneeze,
and your necklace won’t clasp.
I hope that you bring an umbrella but it doesn’t rain
and your grocery store rearranges its floor plan.
I hope your parmesan clumps, and your kitty litter doesn’t.

Forgive me, but you know not how you awaken
my little mean streak!
In your presence my heart gallops,
and my cheeks bloom with hellfire,
and I fill my lungs with air to keep from screaming.
I hope you get everything in life you desire
and every inconvenience you deserve.

I hope that you never see the smile I conceal
when the stapler etches empty depressions
on your loose pages
or you can’t find your keys
or your pocket gets stuck on the drawer pull…

…but I kinda hope you do.

Stand Tall

Let insecurities die.
Burdens go,
Let love in,
Let’s start the show!
Stand tall,
Give it your all,
Chase lightening,
Choose love once and for all,
When we were born,
Such brilliant innocence,
Let’s have that back,
Wild brilliance,
No scars,no fears,
Don’t hold back,
Like when you were a kid,
Run wild, run fast.

SPINNING

Silent rivers flow between us
I feel them when we speak
Our words are mist and shadows,
That swirl and lap against our feet –
They break the silence
But no more,
It is our hearts that carry substance,
Thoughts and feelings
Weighted with intention
Cast like sinkers from the shore,
When they touch depth
We edge away
And laugh like thirsty children
In some silly, awkward game,
Desperate for the quenching,
Never daring to dive in,
Wondering all the while
If the rivers will carry us to safety
Once we find the taste is sweet
Where the currents merge and spin.

REST

I have been here before,
This place on the stair,
There’s a break and a window
And a time to be still,
To wait and be waiting
For something unknown,
To lean into nothing
And find myself wanting
A long moment alone –
No music, no laughter,
No talking, no tears
Just silence and shadows
And the warmth of the sun
That comes streaming through glass,
Fusing dust in the air,
Suspended but dancing
And lit from within –
This is the moment that lasts
All forever,
A halo of light
Holds me captive
And free
From all that eludes me
And all that has been
While I sleep without sleeping
And savor the taste
Of time on my tongue,
I am ancient and ageless
Neither past, nor the future,
I am all things and one
While I sit on the stair.

GOOD-BYES

Shadow now befall us
Silver in the snow,
You and I are parting love,
Where is it we must go?
The tapestry is turning
Strands of silken thread,
Figures in the distance
Weave visions in my head,
Where was our beginning?
Where then do we end?
The winter light deceives us,
Beams are broken into patterns,
The clarity must bend
And I must gaze
Not into crystal
But through broken glass
Instead.

TIGERLIGHT

The emperor has eyes
As bold as the ball of fire
That spins in the barren skies
Of his kingdom in winter,
We are all his subjects,
Rebellious, wayward kin,
Scattered far beyond the confines
Of his forest
Searching for that which
Only draws us back again
To the power of his gaze,
There is magic in his eye –
He has seen a queen of heaven
Who came to him one day
When pieces of her heart
Fell instead of snow
And now lie burning still
In the vastness of his wood,
I am a sentry of stealth
He told her,
I shall guard your secrets
And you shall have my soul
When my children take my body
To sever wisdom from my tail
And gain courage from the fight
That they might know
What makes me king
And in doing so, forget
That which keeps them children
Still fearful in the night.

HALLOWEEN

Wake me when the stars come out
When the wind has turned
And the air grows cold,
When summer’s light has faded
And flame is on the trees,
Take me where the golden moon
Hangs heavy on the sky,
Where amber mum and marigold
Lend fragrant spice
To frosty evening dew,
Where blackbirds rise like eagles
And call out in the night,
Here, all the gifts of autumn
Are summoned by the sound
And I myself am haunted
By the power of this night,
For I know that in a moment
The fire must turn to ashes,
The blaze of color die
And my heart be left with longing
For the gilded majesty of autumn
In the silence
And the shadows
Of a grey December sky.

CRUSHED CANDY

Lately you have broken
Into pieces in my mind,
Each fragment is a moment,
Neither bitter, nor sublime,
Just the flavor of a memory
That passes by unseen
In the shifting light of day,
The whole of you is fading
Into shadow
In the sun,
Only bits of you remain
Lodged in hidden places
In my corners or
Asleep in scattered memories
Washing over me
Like rain
When I am caught in sudden downpours,
The kind you can expect
But never plan for
In the seasons
Of the self
When flowers come in winter
And snowflakes in July,
These are things that melf
Or quickly bloom
Then die,
And so it is with you –
So, I must close the circle
Of ourselves and
This is how I say good-bye,
Gently crushing what I knew
Tasting pieces that dissolve
As they go floating through me, and
Letting some still linger,
The ones that do no harm
They will leave me too
In time,
Now that the whole of you
Is gone,
And I may come to find
The sweetness I once held
Was only bits of broken candy
That left flecks of sugar
In my palm.

RUINS

This broken road has taken me
Beyond the point of reason
And past the realm of dream,
I barely touch these stones
But my soles are sinking deeply
Into a vision drawn for me,
It is an eye within an eye
That enables me to see
Much more than I am seeing
And a thought within a thought
That leads to simple things
Much kinder and more sacred
Than I have ever known,
Such in my remembrance –
This place is more than ruin
This land still speaks of home,
She is dipped in golden sunlight
Where blue sky touches sea
Her stars cascade on moonlight,
Like diamonds crushed on sapphire
Still gleaming over me,
Her torches turn
Like lamplights in the desert
And light my path as I go walking
To the mountains and to caves,
There is music in the sky
And voices in the air,
Hushed tones blend together
To invoke a hallowed evening
With ancient chanted prayer
I am a ghostly traveler here,
But more solid than I seem,
What place is this?
What time?
And why do I recall
With such clarity and light
The warmth of sand beneath my feet
And the luminescence
Of the night?

DISCOVERY

A prism on the beach
Making rainbows in the sand,
And starfish in the sea
Reaching with each hand
To catch the falling sunlight
Sifting through the waves,
Empty shells and strings of weed
Draped like beaded lace upon the rocks,
A lonely gull whose footprints fade
As the water creeps behind him
Where he walks.

EVENING

I can walk no further
Than the pine tree on the hill
Where is the earth is soft and dark
And the gentle breeze is still
Filled with the memory
Of some place I once knew,
Oil of bitter orange,
Lingers on the air
And somehow
Finds sweet cinnamon
And a glistening swirl of brandy,
Very old and much too rare
To make much sense upon my tongue,
But, I gladly drink it
To savor the burning like wine,
That warms me and fills me
With flames of distant fire
Do I think sunshine
Or dark winter
And castle in the wood?
Worn books bound in leather,
Walls of deep mahogany and
Riding boots
Stained cordovan and oxblood,
Firelight flashes through the trees –
Am I in a misty forest
Or a citrus grove at sunset,
Having lost myself i
In a gentle whirl of lace
And castanets,
Lulled by warmth and love songs
From the chords of a guitar,
Now I am confused,
The images are fading and
I stand alone
Beneath a single pine tree
And an early evening star,
Not knowing where I’ve been or why,
Sensing only distant memories
Inspired by haunting words and music
And a fading summer sky.

MIDNIGHT

I have not met them yet, but
I left my children sleeping
Safe in dreams,
Wrapped in gentle summer breezes
And all the wild imaginings
Of childhood’s simple grace,
I heard the garden beckon them
With phlox and misty moonlight,
With lavender and yarrow
And a hundred firefly angels
That dance about this place, but
I let my children sleep
And came here in their stead
I stood a moment by the lilies
And then knelt to lay my head
Upon the summer grass
To hear the joyful murmurs
In the silence of the night
When all the worlds of dreamers
Come lighting tapers in the sky,
I lie still and voiceless, a dreamer now, myself
But I have been the wind,
I have touched the burning stars
And felt the empty places in my heart
On fire
For such a night as this,
It is their warmth that brings me here,
Their heat that binds my soul
When I have been fragmented and torn myself apart
In searching for the whole
Of who I am,
I left my children sleeping
To ponder on these things,
That I might gift them with the widsom
These midnight rovings bring,
My heart aches to protect them,
To nurture and delight,
Shield them from the darkness
And ease them into life,
But, softly, stars are whispering
They will be no more mine
Than I am theirs,
Only shaken from the heavens
To rest a moment in my care
And so, I wander in my dreams
With flowers in my hand
While I murmur lullabies and lovesongs,
Then bend to kiss them on the cheek
And sprinkle starlight
In their hair.

Contest

Stretch those creative muscles and express yourself with a poem!

This contest is an opportunity to explore the power of words and emotions. Whether you’re an experienced poet or a newcomer to the art, we can’t wait to read your beautiful and unique poems that capture the essence of life, love, nature, and more.

We invite you to create and share a short poem. All forms of poetry are accepted, including erasure/blackout poetry uploaded as an image. You can enter as many poems as you like, as long as each one is original and, simply for the sake of space, less than 300 characters. If you enter multiple poems, please refresh the page and enter them separately.

How to Write a Poem, Step-by-Step by Writers.com

How to Write a Poem: A Step-by-Step Guide by Grammarly

For more inspiration, check out our previous years: 2022

 

Rules

Compose an original poem.

Submission deadline is April 30.

The winner will be announced May 7.

1. Participants must have a library card.
2. Ages 14 through adult can participate.
3. Entries must be submitted by the deadline of April 30.
4. Submissions will be judged by a blind review panel.
5. Participants may submit multiple entries but can only win one prize.
6. Submissions must be a maximum of 300 characters. The character limit does not apply to characters that may be in the background of erasure/blackout poems.
7. Subject matter must be appropriate for display in the Library and on Library social media. We will reach out to you if there are any concerns.

 

Prizes

Every participant will receive a custom bookmark with their best poem illustrated with a photo or artwork. Multiple entries are allowed, but each participant will receive one bookmark.

The winner will be announced on May 7.

 

 

Registration