Poetry Contest Winners for 1999     The winner for August Category: "Autumn" Autumn is a promise of future growth and beauty She comes and hushes all the noise, she quietly does her duty. As we wait with eager eyes and hearts, we see all things retire. Autumn gathers all the abandoned joys and lets loose Winter's ire. As we step slowly into the gray, we are saddened by the bland. We forget that Autumn always comes with promise in her hand.  -- Submitted by Patricia Hardesty from Las Cruces, NM email: hardesty@zianet.com         The winner for September Category: "The Sea" On a gray November day The Gustav made its way Round the rocks and down the inlet Out to sea, And its engine throbbed and droned, As it plunged and rolled to home Through the rising wind and foam Of heaving sea. Through an agony of time While they pace and fret and pine For a message from their loved ones, Out at sea, Arrival day came and went With no word, no signal sent To end frustration and lament, Oh, where at sea? The Pacific's northern gale Leaves no trace, tells no tale, Of lives in ships, storm tossed On wild seas, Just a single fishing float Bearing name of missing boat Flung in a cove remote By roiling sea. On a windswept grassy knoll Above the ceaseless breakers roll Where wind crook'd pine is stooped By timeless sea, Lies a cold, flat granite stone Forgotten and alone And carved words cut to the bone: "Lost at sea". -- Submitted by Susan Grieve from Victoria, B.C. Canada e-mail: hamewith@home.com (In loving memory of David and Wendy Trail, John Trail and Mary Anne Grubb, lost at sea November, 1978)       The winner for October Category: "Yesterday"  It seems that only yesterday, I knew a different world, Where life was good in every way, And I was but a girl. Just yesterday it seems to me, My world was free from cares, And full of dreams of what would be, No worries and no fears. But now it seems that yesterday, Is from a past long gone, So removed from my life today, Though memories linger on. And although yesterday was sweet, And things are not the same, I still consider it a feat To be a player in Life's game. -- Submitted by Maryse Achong from Trinidad, W.I. e-mail: maryse@tstt.net.tt         The winner for November Category: "Food" Ned strolled out to the chicken coup, to gather ten fresh eggs. While to the frozen pond strode Bill, with two rough wooden kegs. Dad milked old Daisy in the barn, and brought mom back the cream. With Lula there to help her stir, thus adding to the team. I watched with careful scrutiny, though just five years of age. Quite certain that when I reached ten, I'd be an ice cream sage. Then came the most important job, the crux of all the fixin'. With Ned and Bill lined up to crank, and Mom done with the mixin'. I stood by poised, determined, brave; Mom filled and closed the vat. A towel was placed upon the lid, then firmly down I sat. As if my job were not enough, I also gave the cue. The brew was frozen perfectly, right when my nose turned blue. -- Submitted by Timothy R. Oesch from Oak Ridge, TN e-mail: oeschplace@sprintmail.com       The winner for December Category: "Christmas" T'was the night before Christmas and to my surprise were lots of Sees Candies that caught my eyes Cakes and cookies placed in the freezer with care as I hope that I'd remember that they were there While Mom and I settled down for a long night's nap I took a swig of a little night cap All of a sudden there was such a clatter I jumped out of fright to see what was the matter Into the living room I flew in a flash I looked at the boxes as they were all smashed Looking at the luster of chocolate peanuts below I now see my favorite cupcakes with the color of snow When what to my wondering eyes should appear It was my mother with a can of beer When Mother bent down and snatched a piece of candy real quick I stood there and wondered where the hell was St. Nick? Now looking under the tree was more candy, I wonder from were it came A variety of chocolates, only the best brand name My craving for chocolate, I was ready to climb the walls But dear old Mom handed me those delicious snowballs As I sat there eating my snowball delight, on top of it was a damn fly I got the fly swatter, I whacked him and told him to die Well, all of a sudden that damn fly flew he flew into my bottle of Mountain Dew Mom and I were stuffing our face and looking down at our belly We laughed and laughed as they shook like two bowls of jelly Mom and I are round and plump, we looked like an old fat elf I sat on the chair and had plenty of candy to eat by myself As I listened to Mom chewing on a Carmel Delight We new Santa came in a flash that night I heard him flying all around the town and as he drove away out of sight I barely could hear him say... MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE NIGHT -- Submitted by Peggy Nelson from Lakewood, CA PeggyNelson@hotmail.com       Top | Winners for 2000 | Winners for 2001 | Back to Home Page