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Winning Poems for October 2007 First Place I like how innocence is thrown against the landscape in "Afterglow." So much said in the third line-- "the transmission leaking oil." Already we known this marriage can't go far. The reference to "Sweet Tarts" seems to capture the tension and arguments within the relationship. When was the last time you saw a reference to Sweet Tarts in a poem. I think I was addicted to them when I was young. I remember I didn't want to share... Even "beauty" disappears by the end of "Afterglow." It's a reminder of what you can't escape and perhaps an indication of the weight of it all. --E. Ethelbert Miller Second Place "A Woman of Summer" celebrates the female body as well as work. It embraces the strength of masculinity by "claiming" it and challenging stereotypes. Women can be beautiful and hard too. The tercets create their own column of power and resemble a tree trunk. This poem will not disappear until one answers the question raised in its last stanza. Although the title of the poem makes a reference to summer, the woman described here is one for all seasons. --E. Ethelbert Miller Third Place I love the language of the first section of "A Good Day To Die." I kept saying Chippewa river and wondering what it looked like in September. The four sections of this poem capture the passing of time very well. There is an Eastern sentiment hidden in each part; it seems to embrace the visual beauty echoed by the white space between lines. Why must flowers die? --E. Ethelbert Miller Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
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