Spring Poetry Contest | writenowcolumbus

In celebration of National Poetry Month, we have some wonderful poetry submissions to share! Thank you to all of our entrants!

The contest themes were:

1) Spring is Here!= poems of any style/format but must include representations of our earthly spring (i.e. flowers, birds etc. changes seen in spring)

2) Transformation= poems of any style/format but must include an emotional or physical reference to transformation.

Rules: $5/submission with a limit to 3 submissions per author/ per theme. (6 submissions allowed per author). Submissions were accepted April 3 through April 21st.

Prizes are: First place: Sponsored post on our monthly newsletter to promote their website/work (delivers to 1200). Second place: $15 gift card to the Book Loft!

Congratulations to Candace Hartzler for her poem, “Death of a Husband”, in the transformation theme. Second place to “I miss it” by Tony Leo.

“Death of a Husband” poem by Candace Hartzler

Sitting most mornings
not wanting
to do, or to be
anything to anyone.

Watching the trees stand
so tall and still. Watching
a hawk land on a branch
of the Norwegian Pine.

Wondering why it sits
like some regal guide
eyeing me and why
does that praying mantis

cling like glue to the edge
of the window—pray for me
mantis. While my grief steeps
and simmers, boils over,

transforming me, blistering my days.
Is this my work now,
this watching? This sitting still
most mornings, until grief

burns away all reason.
“You will be okay,” he said. “In time.”
So my work is to be. Here now?
Sitting still most mornings.

“I miss it” poem by Tony Leo

My truth is “I don’t know”

The same truth that is a “knowing”

Dredging

Fingers through my coil of guts

But the pain goes

And I find I miss it

The intensity that punches the floor

The contortion

The pain that I don’t want

I miss it

You want

But you can’t have

I want

And I find it on the floor

Drenched in cold anger

My face

These words point toward my face

Whose face

Whose fucking face

Drenched in cold anger

Spread around on the floor

Bottle caps and lint

Do I have to know what it is

It is nothing but a tap

Push the tap in

Push it in

See what happens

Golgotha shadows spill out

All shadows

But on fire

This is my walk to the shadow

A baring of teeth

But I did not know

Though,

There is a knowing

The tap does not run empty

Never empty

Fire and shadows run from the tap

But I did not feel them until today

That is a lie

Congratulation to Sarah Riley for her spring poem, “Bird Song”. Second place is “Morning arises” by Lissa Beck.

“Bird Song” poem by Sarah Riley

“Morning Arises” poem by Melissa Beck

Other Entrants:

Spice bush is in bloom
I stare at it
from my window
blooms
look like firefly butts
golden
tiny
suspended in air
promise that spring
is here
teasing
that fireflies
will return
soon
~ Amba Elieff

Spring storms
they were coming in
rain
warnings of thunder and lightning
high winds
possible downed trees
the rain started
in the night
heavy drops
pelting the metal roof
a drum beat
and
the spring peepers
continued singing
in their vernal pool
their time to matethe melodious sound
through the rain
their persistent song told me
that the storm
would be a lot of nothing
~ Amba Elieff

Signal Spring

Come into spring.
Birds call to flower fragments.
Air cracks with renewal.
Skies read blue.
Winter gray recedes.

Landscaping trucks rumble.
Gardeners host virgin plantings.
Winter grime smears to clean.

Children’s laughter restores.
Branches urge new buds.
Another round of life.
A time before heat.
The time after cold.
-Donna Burtch

The Bloomings of Spring

As the snow melts and the first signs of spring start to unfold
Changes are foretold…

The sun starts to shine brighter
There are hikers
And bikers
The days get longer
And moods altar
Birds chirp and bees buzz
A flower blooms here
And there
Pink, Yellow, Blue
Everyone a single hue
A pink flowered tree outside my window
And a vibrant wing stretches below

All the things you see on the bloomings of spring.
-Maya G.