2012
The judges for the 2012 competition were
Susan Constable & Susan Antolin.
See 2012 judges' comments.
First Prize ($100)
death watch
she dies peacefully
in their sleep
Julie Warther
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Second Prize ($75)
rain gauge
the pastor talks
about grief
Michele L. Harvey
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Third Prize ($50)
waiting room—
a fly climbs the stairs
on an Escher print
Terri L. French
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Honorable Mentions (unranked)
my third glass of wine
the mosquito
comes back for seconds
Terri L. French
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philosophy class
I talk myself
into a corner
Tom Painting
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Old Faithful
the crowd arrives
right on time
Jim Kacian
2011
The judges for the 2011 competition were
Eve Luckring & Chad Lee Robinson.
See 2011 judges' comments.
First Place
undressing the summer wind turns color
Ernest J. Berry
Second Place
Father's Day--
a potato
without a face
Susan Marie La Valle
Third Place
stirring my coffee
every which way
flamenco
Sheila K. Barksdale
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
a watermelon smile drips off the end of my elbows
Bett Angel-Stawarz
Trick-or-Treat
a sailboat's name
reflects in the sea
Alan S. Bridges
Martin Luther King Day
I readjust
my rear-view mirror
Carolyn Hall
2010
The judges for the 2010 competition were
Linda Jeanette Ward & Marsh Muirhead.
See 2010 judges' comments.
First Place ($100) Garry Gay, California
my skeleton
going for a walk
in the cemetery
The first-place senryu offers a very fresh image, funny, ani- mated, containing both the cartoon image of a literal skeleton, jauntily walking through the cemetery, and on a more serious note, the poet's contained skeleton on his or her own walk-- that skeleton, the one which will possibly inhabit this place in the future, reminds us of our final end.
Second Place ($75) Roberta Beary, District of Columbia
mother's day
she puts me
on hold
2009
The judges for the 2009 competition were
w.f. owen and Johnny Baranski.
See 2009 judges' comments.
First Place
Barry George (Philadelphia, PA)
the stylist
rinses away
the sound of her voice
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Second Place
Marilyn Appl Walker (Madison, GA)
their first Thanksgiving
posing together
with the turkey
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Third Place
Kathe Palka (Flemington, NJ)
graduation day
in the gait of our son
your younger stride
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Honorable Mention
Carolyn Hall (San Francisco, CA)
Kona Wind
an ocean between me
and my worries
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Honorable Mention
Bill Pauly (Dubuque, IA)
new bride—
the squeak of her
sweet corn being shucked
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Honorable Mention
Tony Virgilio (Camden, NJ)
old timers' game
seventh inning stretch
the creaking of knees
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2008
The judges for the 2008 competition were
Alexis Rotella and Scott Mason. See 2008 judges' comments.
First Place:
David P. Grayson
street corner memorial—
my four-year old
asks for the balloon
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Second Place:
Michael Dylan Welch
busy Italian restaurant—
happy birthday
sung to the wrong table
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Third Place:
Margaret Chula
Tokyo vending machine
the long line
behind the foreigner
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Honorable Mention
Kenneth Elba Carrier
old palm reader . . .
my life line
her longest yet
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Honorable Mention
Marian Olson
engagement ring
he decides
it looks real enough
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Honorable Mention
Catherine J.S. Lee
parade march—
the old vet with canes
refuses to ride
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Honorable Mention
Robert Mainone
first day of school
her brother's backpack
with legs
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[Top] |
2007
The judges for the 2007 competition were
Ce Rosenow and Francine Banwarth.
First Place:
Scott Mason
inviting aromas . . .
the hostess asks
will it just be me
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Second Place:
Scott Mason
our pilot hopes
to see us again real soon
the intercom clicks
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Third Place:
Carolyn Hall
candlelight dinner
she fingers the rose
to see it it's real
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Honorable Mention
Collin Barber
stale cookie
I give away
the fortune
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Honorable Mention
Ernest J. Berry
wrong date
the thickening skin
on her latte
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Honorable Mention
Anne Maud Godles
a new boyfriend
the same lingerie
enticing again
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Honorable Mention
Marylouise Knight
feeling the shape
of the wrapped gift
I put on a polite face
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[Top] |
2006
The judges for the 2005 competition were Claire Gallagher and Carolyn Hall. See 2006 judges' comments.
First Place: ($100)
Roberta Beary
first date—
the little pile
of anchovies |
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Second Place: ($75)
Daniel Liebert
mistaking telephone
for doorbell—
I let loneliness in |
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Third Place: ($50)
Kenneth Elba Carrier
arguing—
a deaf man grabs
the other's hands |
Honorable Mention - 1st place:
Kenneth Elba Carrier
crossing the hopscotch
two old women
avoid the lines |
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Honorable Mention - 2nd place
C.R. Manley
dentist's obituary—
common interests
we could never talk about |
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Honorable Mention - 3rd place:
Garry Gay
As if it were spring
the green mold
on the cheese |
Honorable Mention -4th Place
Roland Packer
psychic fair
she brushes some dirt
from the cards |
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[Top]
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2005
The judges for the 2005 competition were An'ya & Carlos Colon.
First Place:
Emily Romano
centerfold:
the model's navel
off-center |
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Second Place:
Ron Moss
day moon
a fresh tattoo rises
out of her jeans |
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Third Place:
Susan Antolin
Independence Day
I struggle to free myself
from a wet swim suit |
Honorable Mention - 1st place:
Ron Moss
fresh blueberries
a 'gothic' teenager
darkens her lips |
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Honorable Mention - 2nd place (tie):
Scott Mason
switchbacks—
five or six cub scouts
an octave higher |
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Honorable Mention -
2nd place (tie):
James Fowler
my father and I
paint the barn
compare wars |
Honorable Mention - 3rd place:
Evelyn H. Hermann
picnic
in the sun-dappled courtyard
my freckled banana |
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[Top]
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2004
The judges for the 2004 competition were Terry Ann Carter, Claudia Coutu.
First Place:
John Stevenson
in the dream
my dog has a whistle
only I can hear |
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Second Place:
Emily Romano
rodeo cowboy
hopefully clutching
a handful of sky |
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Third Place:
J. Daniel Beaudry
two-way glass—
the patient waits inside
the therapist's reflection |
Honorable Mention:
Robert Bauer
rush hour—
the blonde in the Porsche peels
an orange |
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Honorable Mention:
Carl Patrick
scar on her cheek
she gets her lipstick
just right |
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Honorable Mention:
Marilyn Appl Walker
grocery shopping—
his python tattoo
squeezes the Charmin |
Honorable Mention:
Frank Walsh
on display:
her small and firm
opinion of men |
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Honorable Mention:
Jeanne Harrington
conservatory,
the carnivorous plants
behind glass |
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Honorable Mention:
Bill Pauly
grinding sausage meat
she recounts the times
her husband cheated |
[Top]
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2003
The judges for the 2003 competition were Roberta Beary and Ellen Compton.
First Place:
w.f. owen
aftershock
the picture on the wall
straightens |
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Second Place:
Carlos Colon
in the middle
of making love
counting syllables |
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Third Place:
R.A. Stefanac
nudist camp
where to begin
with the sunblock |
Honorable Mention:
Zanna P. Rade
Clothesline—
the shirt shows off
its biceps |
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Honorable Mention:
Bob Boni
open mike night
the audience
goes dead |
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Honorable Mention:
Carolyn Hall
getting acquainted
I learn another name
for wild radish |
[Top]
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2002
The judges for the 2002 competition were Pamela A. Babusci and Tom Painting.
First Place:
w. f. owen
divorced
she cleans the ring
around the tub |
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Second Place:
Heather Basile
after lovemaking
returning
to ourselves |
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Third Place:
Art Stein
nest of black hair
secured with ball-point pens
office geisha |
Honorable Mention:
Marilyn Taylor
naked at the ironing board
concentrating
on a crease |
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Honorable Mention:
w. f. owen
round and round
debating
circumcision |
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[Top]
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2001
The judges for the 2001 competition were Barbara Ressler and Bill Pauly.
Out of 574 entries, they selected the senryu below as the winners.
First Place:
Billie Wilson
freezing wind—
the body builder pumps gas
in a muscle shirt |
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Second Place:
W. F. Owen
werewolf movie
at the commercial
letting the dog out |
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Third Place:
Janeth H. Ewald
winter rain
holding the umbrella
over the dachshund—pissing |
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)—Greeba Brydges-Jones;
Richard Burri; Carlos Colon; Garry Gay; Barry George; W. F. Owen; and
R.A. Stefanac.
[Top]
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2000
First Place
Yvonnne Hardenbrook
the clerk’s lip ring
I forget
what I wanted
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Second Place
Robert J. Guarneir
in the midway sun
corn on the cob customers
grinning ear to ear
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Third Place
LeRoy Gorman
school library
such quiet
books
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Honorable Mention
Garry Gay
At the fence
they sit on their tractors
talking hay
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Honorable Mention
Timothy I. Mize
three surgeons
five nurses
wrong leg
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Honorable Mention
Marian Olson
Full moon
I iron a wrinkle
into his pants
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Honorable Mention
Michael Dylan Welch
Valentine’s Day
she reminds me
to fasten my seatbelt
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Honorable Mention
Michael Dylan Welch
before the guests arrive
I straighten
the straight cushions
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Honorable Mention
Michael Dylan Welch
a lull in her hands
the hairstylist asks
how I part my hair |
[Top] |
1999
First Place
Leatrice Lifshitz
in one room
everything she has
and a window
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Second Place
Garry Gay
Floating
in the dishwater
a pair of chopsticks
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Third Place
Jeff Witkin
serious
she takes off her sunglasses
to speak english
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Honorable Mention
Ernest Berry
nude beach
an empty bikini
turns me on
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Honorable Mention
John Barlow
dropping valentine chocolates
he quickly swaps them
for another box
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Honorable Mention
Carolyn Hall
leaning back
in their chairs
old friends reunited
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Honorable Mention
Theresa Mormino
saving her best dishes
for a better day
my eighty year old mother |
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[Top] |
1998
First Place
Carl Patrick
fireflies
my neighbor
has more
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Second Place
D. Claire Gallagher
blowing out
one birthday candle:
the whole family
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Third Place
John Stevenson
“Just Married”
the attendant
pumping too much gas
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Honorable Mention
Diane Tomczak
family reunion
everywhere I look
my old nose
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Honorable Mention
Lee Gurga
identical twins
their hair neatly parted
on opposite sides
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Honorable Mention
David Gershator
at the flea market
looking through books
I gave away
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Honorable Mention
Sandra Fuhringer
nightfall
the zookeeper
lets himself out |
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[Top] |
1997
First Place
John Stevenson
tourist town
postcards of the waterfall
racked upside down
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Second Place
Paul Watsky
carrying their canes
two old women lean
on each other
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Third Place
Jeff Witkin
first date
in the parking lot
our car doors touch
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Honorable Mention
Diane Tomczak
parents coaxing
baby to eat
mouths wide open
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Honorable Mention
Francine Porad
handsome vendor
my name
on a grain of rice
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Honorable Mention
J. Lent
driving lesson done
father and daughter run
fingers through their hair
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Honorable Mention
Bruce Detrick
naked
on the bathroom scales
stomach held in |
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[Top] |
1996
First Place
Sandra Fuhringer
reconciliation
the candle between us
sputters
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Second Place
Paul Watsky
his ashes scattered
what to do
with the box
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Third Place
John Stevenson
nude beach
his enormous
sand castle
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Honorable Mention
Helen Dalton
letting the dog out
letting the dog in
wrong dog
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Honorable Mention
D. Claire Gallagher
A gusting breeze
the comet wobbles
in my binoculars
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Honorable Mention
Marianna Monaco
long walk home
kicking a stone
for company
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Honorable Mention
John Stevenson
Christmas Day
the exchange
of custody
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Honorable Mention
John Stevenson
honeymoon trip
he refuses to stop
for directions |
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[Top] |
1995
First Place
Michael Dylan Welch
clicking off the late movie . . .
the couch cushion
reinflates
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Second Place
Connie Meester
opening night . . .
missing the entrance
of the night blooming cereus
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Third Place
Donna Claire Gallagher
Forgetting his underwear
the one with so many
frequent flier miles
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Honorable Mention
Donna Claire Gallagher
summer concert
fanning myself faster
during the scherzo
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Honorable Mention
John Stevenson
overmatched boxer
his eyes closed
before the fight
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Honorable Mention
Elizabeth St. Jacques
yard sale:
she takes the baby crib
back into the house
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Honorable Mention
Diane Tomszak
his toe
answers mine
a truce begin |
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[Top] |
1994
First Place
David Carmel Gershator
making sure
nothing grows
the rock gardener
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Second Place
John Stevenson
too quick to reply
cutting my tongue
on the envelope
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Third Place
Lynda La Rocca
Grandfather’s funeral
Cousin Kate, air kissing,
Spies a mirror, checks her makeup.
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1st Honorable Mention
Marilyn Taylor
in a semi circle
retired sisters watch
“Wheel of Fortune”
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2nd Honorable Mention
Mark Arvid White
dissatisfied
with her Virgo horoscope
she tries Pisces
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3rd Honorable Mention
Lawrence Rungren
first time
at the zoo my son
watches the people
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4th Honorable Mention
Jim Kacian
antiquities room
the curator asks
“So what’s new?” |
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[Top] |
1993
First Place
Tom Clausen
meeting her boyfriend
our handshake
out of synch
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Second Place
Leatrice Lifshitz
from the Holy Land
he sends a postcard of cracks
two thousand hears old
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Third Place
Makiko
Polaroid of her lover
coming clearer
with time
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Honorable Mention
Peter Duppenthaler
visitor’s day
buttons just right
her dress inside out
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Honorable Mention
Garry Gay
Blueberries
we show each other
our tongues
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Honorable Mention
Margaret Peacock
battered child
. . . kicking the swing
higher
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Honorable Mention
Michael Dylan Welch
a pause in the lecture
all at once three students
cross their legs |
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[Top] |
1992
First Place
Christopher Herold
cropped grass
∏r2 =
the tethered goat
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Second Place
Helen L Shaffer
whacking the bat
with a broom, she says
they attack people
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Third Place
Vincent Tripi
Clear about
everything
the window washer |
[Top] |
1991
First Place
Leatrice Lifshitz
dining out
next to the window
her coat
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Second Place
Carol Montgomery
late spring blossoms
the silhouette artist facing
another ponytail
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Third Place
Marlina Rinzen
balloon man
selling pins
for popping |
[Top] |
1990
First Place
John Thompson
On the same bus
the same strangers
as yesterday
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Second Place
Michael Howell
New neighbor
eyeing the worn path
between our houses
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Third Place
Michael Howell
a man swept by
in a wave rising, falling
sees us see him drown
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Honorable Mention
Lesley Einer
fingering my tattoo
granddaughter asks
when she can have numbers
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Honorable Mention
Kenneth Leibman
the words unspoken . . .
waiting for the toast
to pop up
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Honorable Mention
LeRoy Gorman
drilling deeper
my dentist talks me into
Amnesty International
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Honorable Mention
Anita Krumin
Methodical husband:
On his list of chores, she finds
Her name
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Honorable Mention
LeRoy Gorman
running down
FIGHT ILLITERACY
the gang’s red paint
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Honorable Mention
Brenda Duster
drunken sailor
loses both shoes
tying one on |
[Top] |
1989
First Place
Brenda S Duster
eating alone
my alphabet soup
speaks to me
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Second Place
Joe Nutt
lunch
with her lover’s wife
leftovers
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Third Place
Garry Gay
Hole in the ozone
my bald spot . . .
sunburned
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1st Honorable Mention
Sheldon Young
after kindling
his passion . . .
she lights his cigarette
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2nd Honorable Mention
David Elliot
Nurse’s Station
above the heart monitors
a soap opera
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3rd Honorable Mention
Dee Evetts
how desirable
in the thrift shop window
my old Mag Johng set |
[Top] |
1988
First Prize
Frederick Gasser
hopscotch
a one legged man
raises cane
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Runner Up
Charles D Nethaway, Jr.
young lawyer
his briefs
in the snow
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Runner Up
Dee Evetts
in his mother’s house
he walks into the cobweb
she underlooked
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Runner Up
Caroline G. Banks
Feel the warmth of
Basho’s frogpond
just xeroxed
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Runner Up
Carol Mongomery
behind shadow proof blinds
the calligrapher’s
word processor |
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[Top] |
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