Winners’ List 2023

Listed by Category

#1 Free Verse
Judge: Peter Gordon

1st Place: Lorraine Jeffery (UT), “Precious”
2nd Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “Holding Hands with Strangers”
3rd Place: Stephanie DuPont (GA), “The Hurricane”

1st Honorable Mention: John Wolf (IL), “Too Far City”
2nd Honorable Mention: Gay Guard-Chamberlin (IL), “Ars Poetica”
3rd Honorable Mention: Carol Alfus (IL), “Line Dried Sheets”

#2 Formal Verse
Judge: Dan Campion

1st Place: Daniel Moreschi (Wales, UK), “A Starling Studded Show”
2nd Place: Chad Trevitte (VA), “The Adjunct”
3rd Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “Synchronicity”

1st Honorable Mention: John Wolf (IL), “The Book”
2nd Honorable Mention: Khalid Mukhtar (IL), “On Forgetting”
3rd Honorable Mention: Carol Kanter (IL), “Reflections on the Raising of Glass Ceilings: ‘Mother May I?’”

#3 Nature
Judge: Rebecca Kanan

1st Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “Before You Were a Daffodil”
2nd Place: Lynda La Rocca (CO), “Conflagration”
3rd Place: Kathryn Haydon (IL), “Hanging from the Edge”

1st Honorable Mention: Melissa Huff (IL), “Doggedness”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffery (UT), “Kaleidoscope”
3rd Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris (IL), “Seaweed”

#4 Humorous Poem
Judge: Roderick Bates

1st Place: Mike Orlock (WI), “Love Among the Molars”
2nd Place: Lorraine Jeffery (UT), “Community Rec Center”
3rd Place: Court Williams (IL), “A Meal”

1st Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris (IL), “Checking Out”
2nd Honorable Mention: Gail Denham (OR), “The Upper Berth”
3rd Honorable Mention: Rita Moritz (AL), “The Odds Just Can’t Be Beat”

#5 Miniature Poem
(12-line limit)
Judge: Marianne Paul       

1st Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “At the Altar of My Life”
2nd Place: Wilda Morris (IL), “Blue Willow”
3rd Place: Nancy Cook (MN), “What Wallace Stevens Meant”

1st Honorable Mention: Lynn Aprill (WI), “The Commandments of the Converted Church AirBnB in the Heat of July”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lynda La Rocca (CO), “Another Perspective”
3rd Honorable Mention: Carol Kanter (IL), “All Is Not Lost”

#6 Social Conscience
Judge: Catherine Moran

1st Place: Jocelyn Ajami (IL), “The Wizard of Loss”
2nd Place: Judy SooHoo (IL), “Search for Meaning — A 3-Image Poem”
3rd Place: Ellen Wade (IL), “It Is Not Enough”

1st Honorable Mention: Marianne Peel (KY), “Collage: Nine Ways of Looking at a Revolution”
2nd Honorable Mention: Carol Alfus (IL), “Rebuttal”
3rd Honorable Mention: Maureen Flannery (IL), “Judicial Record #2539”


#7 Ekphrastic
Judge: Michael Escoubas

1st Place: Melissa Huff (IL), “Music for the Eye”
2nd Place: Lynn Aprill (WI), “Curiosity”
3rd Place: Gail Denham (OR), “We Three”

1st Honorable Mention: Joseph Carey (IL), “Texas Chess”
2nd Honorable Mention: Ellen Wade (IL), “Majestic Sentries”
3rd Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffery (UT), “American Gothic”

#8 Home
Judge: Elizabeth Kerlikowske

1st Place: Ellen Wade (IL), “Iron Bird”
2nd Place: Maureen Flannery (IL), “Making a Home in the Church”
3rd Place: Anne Alarcon (NY), “Currencies”

1st Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris (IL), “Transparencies”
2nd Honorable Mention: Catherine Moran (AR), “Remembering the Warmth of My Home”
3rd Honorable Mention: Kathryn Haydon (IL), “Always On: My Neighbor's TV”

#9 Secrets
Judge: Deborah Petersen 

1st Place: Kathryn Haydon (IL), “Primary Source Documents”
2nd Place: Paul Buchheit (IL), “The Mystery That Is You”
3rd Place: Lynn Aprill (WI), “Scrabble: A Bop Poem”

1st Honorable Mention: Tanya Whitney (LA), “Just Pieces of Information?”
2nd Honorable Mention: Maureen Flannery (IL), “Another Story Hinted At”
3rd Honorable Mention: Mel Goldberg (TX), “Observation”

#10 Ancestors
Judge: Ricardo Ruiz

1st Place: Dan Fitzgerald (IL), “New Again”
2nd Place: Elizabeth King (IL), “Nana’s Purse”
3rd Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “Estate Sale”

1st Honorable Mention: Michael Freveletti (IL), “Uncle Umberto’s Magician”
2nd Honorable Mention: Ellen Wade (IL), “One Drop”
3rd Honorable Mention: Paul Buchheit (IL), “Oldest Friend”

#11 Endangered Animals and Plants
Judge: Michael Magee

1st Place: Marianne Peel (KY), “All Things Both Great and Small”
2nd Place: Nancy Davis (IL), “Inheritance”
3rd Place: Paul Buchheit (IL), “Sonnet to St. Francis of Assisi, Friend of Animals

1st Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dotson (IL), “Sequoia Tritina”
2nd Honorable Mention: Kate Hutchinson (IL), “The Alalā (Hawaiian Crow)
3rd Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris (IL), “Chimps”

#12 Chicago
Judge: Kim Ransom

1st Place: Jocelyn Ajami (IL), “Party Time, 1943”
2nd Place: Cassandra McGovern (IL), “John Prine’s Ravinia Concert, Highland Park, IL 1970s”
3rd Place: John Gordon (IL), “Chicago Playgrounds”

1st Honorable Mention: Mark Hammerschick (IL), “Walking in Horner Park”
2nd Honorable Mention: Gay Guard-Chamberlin (IL), “Chicago Corvids”
3rd Honorable Mention: Sheila Elliott (IL), “Chicago”

Winners’ List 2022

Listed by Category

Category #1: Free Verse
Judge: LeRoy Sorenson

1st Place: Gail Denham, “Waiting in the Emergency Room”
2nd Place: Maggie Kennedy, “John Appleseed Speaks His Mind”
3rd Place: Lynda La Rocca, “When the Doors are Closed”

1st Honorable Mention: Kate Hutchinson, “Dad in the Rear View”
2nd Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “So Long and Thanks for All the Riches”
3rd Honorable Mention: Lynn Aprill, “Heartache”

Category #2: Formal Verse
Judge: Susan Chambers

1st Place: Catherine Moran, “He leaves a touch of immortality”
2nd Place: Barbara Blanks, “The Disappearance”
3rd Place: Lynda La Rocca, “Perhaps It Is”

1st Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffery, “Hearing Loss”
2nd Honorable Mention: Beth Staas, “Tranquility”
3rd Honorable Mention: Noah Berlatsky, “Lullaby”

Category #3: Humorous
Judge: Joe Cavanaugh

1st Place: Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Cowboy Courts the Widow”
2nd Place: Nick Sweet, “Ruse de Cezanne”
3rd Place: Lynda La Rocca, “Howling at the Moon”

1st Honorable Mention: Tracy Davidson, “That’s Chemistry”
2nd Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dotson, “Winter in Highland Park”
3rd Honorable Mention: Cassandra McGovern, “Considerations of a Driven-Away Catholic”

Category #4: Miniature Poem
Judge: Lisken Van Pelt

1st Place: Dan Fitzgerald, “After the War”
2nd Place: Marianne Peel, “My Mother Was a Clothespin”
3rd Place: Camille A. Balla, “Autumn Takes the Lead”

1st Honorable Mention: Mark G. Hammerschick, “The Old Mexican”
2nd Honorable Mention: James Green, “So You Know”
3rd Honorable Mention: Karian Markos, “Hope”

Category #5: Nature
Judge: Sal Marici

1st Place: Dan Fitzgerald, “Temporary”
2nd Place: Nancy Cook, “The Natural Odor of Things”
3rd Place: James Green, “Catfish”

1st Honorable Mention: Lucia Walton Robinson, “Trees of Life”
2nd Honorable Mention: Charlotte Digregorio, “Autumn Peace”
3rd Honorable Mention: Beth Staas, “Winter’s Hush”

Category #6: Social Conscience
Judge: Barbara Blanks

1st Place: Marianne Peel, “Elegy for George Floyd”
2nd Place: Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Nuremberg Laws”
3rd Place: Charles Kouri, “a dream included me”

1st Honorable Mention: Lynn Aprill, “Transformation”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffery, “On the Subway”
3rd Honorable Mention: Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Black Warrior”

Category #7: Ekphrastic
Judge: Carole Mertz

1st Place: Caroline Johnson, “Hades Plays the Fiddle”
2nd Place: Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Announcing the Approach of Grace”
3rd Place: Nancy Cook, “Meta-ekphrastic”

1st Honorable Mention: Catherine Moran, “Looking at David”
2nd Honorable Mention: Carol Kanter, “Chiaroscuro Impressions”
3rd Honorable Mention: Barbara Lydecker Crane, “The Poem I Tucked into the Frame”

Category #8: Ode to a Common Object
Judge: Eleanor Berry

1st Place: Caroline Johnson, “Ode to a Paper Clip”
2nd Place: James Green, “Ode to Old Baseball Equipment”
3rd Place: Nancy Cook, “In Praise of a Gift of Verse”

1st Honorable Mention: Tracy Davidson, “Ode to My Vacuum Cleaner”
2nd Honorable Mention: Catherine Moran, “Ode to My Pen”
3rd Honorable Mention: Melissa Huff, “Pomegranate”

Category #9: Inspired by a Poet
Judge: Lisha Garcia

1st Place: John Wolf, “All This is Nothing”
2nd Place: Kate Hutchinson, “Emily”
3rd Place: Nancy Cook, “Poet of True Aim”

1st Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “Modlitwa”
2nd Honorable Mention: Catherine Moran, “Thoughts on My New Love”
3rd Honorable Mention: Marianne Peel, “Meditation After Holding Mary Oliver in My Hands”

Category #10: Re-worked Fairy Tales
Judge: Joan Leotta

1st Place: Lorraine Jeffery, “The Grasshopper and the Ants”
2nd Place: Kate Hutchinson, “Gretel Faces Questioning”
3rd Place: Jerri Hardesty, “Goldie Lox and the Bear Family”

1st Honorable Mention: Tracy Davidson, “The Foot Soldier”
2nd Honorable Mention: Cassandra McGovern, “Peaceful Calais”
3rd Honorable Mention: Tanya Whitney, “Snoring Beauty”

Category #11: Unforgettable
Judge: Cara Hagen

1st Place: Barbara Blanks, “Entranced by David Sanborn”
2nd Place: Marianne Peel, “Teach Me to Dance Because Bodies Never Lie”
3rd Place: Paul Buchheit, “A Son’s Passing”

1st Honorable Mention: Nick Sweet, “Victory Dance, 1945”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lynn Aprill, “54166”
3rd Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dotson, “Thanksgiving Eve in a Connecticut Farmhouse, 1971”

Category #12: Chicago
Judge: Barbara Blanks

1st Place: Cynthia Gallaher, “When Octavio Paz Spoke of Chicago, I Remembered”
2nd Place: Paul Buchheit, “Chicago, A Sonnet”
3rd Place: Dan Fitzgerald, “Yeah, Chicago”

1st Honorable Mention: E. J. Wade, “The Stoop”
2nd Honorable Mention: Carol Kanter, “Homeless”
3rd Honorable Mention: Maureen Tolman Flannery, “A Visitor’s Guide to Chicago Behavior”

Winners’ List 2021

Listed by Category

Category #1: Free Verse
Judge: Al Rocheleau, FL

1st Place: Lynn Aprill, “Advice to a First-Year Teacher”
2nd Place: Jerri Hardesty, “Extraordinary Contraption”
3rd Place: Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette by Vincent Van Gogh”

1st Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “Creed”
2nd Honorable Mention: Sarah Rae, “The Olives in Essaouira”
3rd Honorable Mention: Marianne Forman, “I am Still Waiting”

Category #2: Formal Verse
Judge: Catherine Moran, AR

1st Place: Melissa Huff, “Why Bother (a love poem)”
2nd Place: Linda Wallin, “Solace”
3rd Place: Melvin Goldberg, “The Affair”

1st Honorable Mention: Paul Buchheit, “Carpe Praeterita”
2nd Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris, “Sonnet for Cheryl”
3rd Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dotson, “Goodbye, Joe. A Villanelle”

Category #3: Nature
Judge: Joyce Shiver, FL

1st Place: James Green, “Heron’s Flight”
2nd Place: Wilda Morris, “Because”
3rd Place: Scott Shaffer, “Maine Boulders”

1st Honorable Mention: Maureen Flannery, “Mountain Spring”
2nd Honorable Mention: Jane Richards, “On the deck one August morning”
3rd Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “Nature’s First Gray is Gold”

Category #4: Humorous Poem
Judge: Roderick Bates, VT

1st Place: Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Anna Graham”
2nd Place: Michael Harty, “So Long, Coffee Bean”
3rd Place: Maureen Daley, “The Bumblers”

1st Honorable Mention: Melvin Goldberg, “How the Stimulus Works in Blank Verse”
2nd Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “Conscious Objective”
3rd Honorable Mention: Nancy Cook, “To Err is Human, To Give, Divine”

Category #5: Miniature Poem
Judge: Deborah Petersen, IN

1st Place: Carol Kanter, “Harbinger”
2nd Place: Sean Winn, “Fajr”
3rd Place: Marjorie Skelly, “Common Loons on the Surface of Big Crooked Lake”

1st Honorable Mention: Marcia Pradzinski, “Lost”
2nd Honorable Mention: Nancy Cook, “Music in the Time of Quarantine”
3rd Honorable Mention: Kate Hutchinson, “Your Hands”

Category #6: Social Conscience
Judge: Elizabeth Kerlikowske, MI

1st Place: Tonya Coats, “Camouflage is the New Black”
2nd Place: Marianne Forman, “Ashes”
3rd Place: Rita Yager, “Sharp Enough to Break My Skin”

1st Honorable Mention: Lynn Aprill, “Critical Race Theory”
2nd Honorable Mention: Melvin Goldberg, “Teaching History in the Barrio”
3rd Honorable Mention: Maureen Flannery, “Judicial Record #2539”

Category #7: Pop Culture
Judge: Donna Vorreyer, IL

1st Place: Marianne Forman, “Ancestry.com”
2nd Place: Katharyn Howd Machan, “O Muse, O Dove, O Listener to Wordless Breath”
3rd Place: Sean Winn, “Contrails”

1st Honorable Mention: Nancy Cook, “Normal People”
2nd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “Frida Kahlo Reflects on Her Life and Gives a Message to the Disabled”
3rd Honorable Mention: Dan Fitzgerald, “Celebrity”

Category #8: Antiquity/Legends
Judge: Rebecca Kanan, MO

1st Place: Wilda Morris, “Rethinking Icarus”
2nd Place: Maureen Flannery, “Land Holds its Own Memorials”
3rd Place: Jocelyn Ajami, “Remembering the Etruscans”

1st Honorable Mention: Sean Winn, “Gold Leaf”
2nd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “Mermaid in the Garden”
3rd Honorable Mention: Cynthia Gallaher, “Marble Reincarnation”

Category #9: Foreign Countries/Travel
Judge: Susan Huebner, WI

1st Place: Marianne Forman, “Ubuntu: The Clothing Store Queue at
Kara Tepe Refugee Camp”
2nd Place: Paul Buchheit, “Bangkok”
3rd Place: James Green, “Morning on Soi Charoen Krung 85,
near Wat Worachanyawat, Bangkok”

1st Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffery, “Anglophilia”
2nd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “At the Plaza del Carmen in Madrid”
3rd Honorable Mention: Sean Winn, “Bangkok”

Category #10: Neighbors
Judge: Michael Escoubas, IL

1st Place: Paul Buchheit, “Neighbors in the Morning Woods”
2nd Place: Catherine Moran, “Delivering Meals on Wheels”
3rd Place: Tanya Whitney, “The Neighborhood”

1st Honorable Mention: Jerri Hardesty, “From Left Field”
2nd Honorable Mention: Nick Sweet, “May’s Café”
3rd Honorable Mention: Lorraine Jeffrey, “Losing”

Category #11: Outer Space
Judge: Peter Gordon, FL

1st Place: Kate Hutchinson, “Bindings”
2nd Place: Beth Staas, “Upon Hearing of Higgs’ Boson”
3rd Place: Catherine Moran, “Entering with you into outer space”

1st Honorable Mention: Melissa Huff, “Scientists and I Come Closer to Agreeing about Sounds in Outer Space”
2nd Honorable Mention: Linda Wallin, “Childhood’s End”
3rd Honorable Mention: Cynthia Gallaher, “Solar Eclipse”

Category #12: Orange
Judge: Carol Croll, PA

1st Place: Maureen Flannery, “Painted Ladies”
2nd Place: Paul Buchheit, “Homage to Orange”
3rd Place: Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Remarks from the Artist”

1st Honorable Mention: Katharyn Howd Machan, “Orange Sweatshirt from the Trunk of a Car”
2nd Honorable Mention: Michael Escoubas, “Reaching for the Orange”
3rd Honorable Mention: Sean Winn, “Tangerine”

Category #13: Chicago
Judge: Dan Campion, IA

1st Place: Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Cooler by the Lake”
2nd Place: Paul Buchheit, “Chicago: A Century After Mr. Sandburg”
3rd Place: Melissa Huff, “Walking Meditation – Lincoln Park”

1st Honorable Mention: Cynthia Gallaher, “When Octavio Paz Spoke of Chicago, I Remembered”
2nd Honorable Mention: Carol Kanter, “Full Stop”
3rd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “Sunday Afternoons”

Winners’ List 2020

Listed by Category

Category #1: Single Parents
Judge: Susan Stevens Chambers, MN

1st Place: Daniel Fitzgerald, “Alone is Here, Too”
2nd Place: Rita Yager, “Side Hustle”
3rd Place: Nancy Cook, “Being Black”

1st Honorable Mention: Candace Armstrong, “My Mother’s Dress”
2nd Honorable Mention: Gail Denham, “Agreeable Irene”
3rd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “My Sister”

Category #2: Free Verse
Judge: Alan Harris, AZ

1st Place: Linda Banks, “Sanctity”
2nd Place: Maureen Flannery, “For the Children of My Uncles”
3rd Place: Charlotte Digregorio, “Capturing the Moment”

1st Honorable Mention: Beth Staas, “Playing Marbles”
2nd Honorable Mention: Marianne Forman, “Waiting in Line at the Piggly Wiggly”
3rd Honorable Mention: Terry Loncaric, “The Rhythm of Bourbon Street”

Category #3: Formal Verse
Judge: Carole Mertz, OH

1st Place: Catherine Moran, “Walking past the city streets”
2nd Place: Linda Banks, “Near and Far”
3rd Place: Jeffrey Santosuosso, “Fifteen Rounds”

1st Honorable Mention: Patrice Claeys, “Crossing the Chicago River at Wabash”
2nd Honorable Mention: Elise Kazanjian, “The Magic of Water”
3rd Honorable Mention: Lorelei Kay, “That Autumn Scent”

Category #4: Humorous Poem
Judge: Joe Cavanaugh, FL

1st Place: Jerri Hardesty, “Be Careful What You Wish For”
2nd Place: Lynda LaRocca, “The Anti-Rubayat”
3rd Place: Mark Hudson, “In Praise of Big Greek Women”

1st Honorable Mention: Linda Banks, “School-Girl Heart”
2nd Honorable Mention: Nick Sweet, “Ruse de Cezanne”
3rd Honorable Mention: Rita Yager, “Thursdays at the Rhapsody Café”

Category #5: Social Conscience
Judge: Jared Smith, CO

1st Place: Curt Vevang, “At the Library”
2nd Place: Lorelei Kay, “Stuck”
3rd Place: Gail Goepfert, “I heard them coming”

1st Honorable Mention: Sheila Elliott, “The Prayer That It’s Not Real”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lucia Robinson, “A Rant After Confession”
3rd Honorable Mention: Sara Gipson, “War Dragons”

Category #6: Miniature Poem
Judge: Lisken Van Pelt Dus, MA

1st Place: Maureen Flannery, “Less of the Excess”
2nd Place: Ann Clark, haiku
3rd Place: Bonnie J. Manion, “Anchor”

1st Honorable Mention: Becky Alexander, haiku
2nd Honorable Mention: Lynda LaRocca, “Beaded”
3rd Honorable Mention: Patrice Claeys, “Champagne Grapes”

Category #7: Nature
Judge: Peter Ludwin, WA

1st Place: Caroline Johnson, “Dance of the Adders”
2nd Place: Kate Hutchinson, “Labyrinth”
3rd Place: Camille Balla, “At the Window of My World during the Pandemic”

1st Honorable Mention: Mary L. Thompson, “Earthquake Seasons”
2nd Honorable Mention: Michael Escoubas, “Two Men in a Boat”
3rd Honorable Mention: Melissa Huff, “Sakura”

Category #8: Healthcare Workers
Judge: Lucy Tyrrell, WI

1st Place: Nancy Cook, “From the hundred poems as told by the nurse”
2nd Place: Wilda Morris, “Praise”
3rd Place: Tanya Whitney, “Angels of Mercy”

1st Honorable Mention: Sara Gipson, “They Followed the Troops”
2nd Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “Somalia Survival”
3rd Honorable Mention: Linda Banks, “Certainty in a Time of Uncertainty”

Category #9: Telephones/Digital Communications
Judge: Salvatore Marici, IL/FL

1st Place: Linda Wallin, “#nolimits”
2nd Place: Ninetta DeBoni, “Spreading the Love”
3rd Place: Michael Escoubas, “No Service”

1st Honorable Mention: Maureen Flannery, “When Technology is All We Have”
2nd Honorable Mention: Kate Hutchinson, “My Mother Speaks to Me in a Dream”
3rd Honorable Mention: Patrice Claeys, “Phone Call”

Category #10: Historical Events
Judge: Russell Strauss, TN

1st Place: Kate Hutchinson, “Katherine Johnson”
2nd Place: Daniel Fitzgerald, “D-day Reunion”
3rd Place: Maureen Flannery, “Wakova’s Vision”

1st Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “Battle of Verdun”
2nd Honorable Mention: Lynda LaRocca, “Trinity Site”
3rd Honorable Mention: Melvin Goldberg, “The Black Lawn Footman”

Category #11: Aches (Physical or Emotional)
Judge: Robin Scofield, TX

1st Place: Gail Goepfert, “I Wish I Had Gotten His Name”
2nd Place: Marianne Forman, “Midnight Novena in a Coal Mining Town”
3rd Place: Maureen Flannery, “Western Endurance”

1st Honorable Mention: Barbara Blanks, “At Close of Day”
2nd Honorable Mention: Nancy Cook, “Lost Summer”
3rd Honorable Mention: Nick Sweet, “Aunt Sue – Then/Now”

Category #12: Pets
Judge: Budd Mahan, TX

1st Place: Curt Vevang, “It’s Just Shep and Me”
2nd Place: Barbara Blanks, “For the Love of Baxter”
3rd Place: Lynda LaRocca, “(Dis)obedience School”

1st Honorable Mention: Patrice Claeys, “Vana”
2nd Honorable Mention: Melvin Goldberg, “The Cat Poem”
3rd Honorable Mention: Becky Alexander, “Beanie and Bud”

Category #13: Ekphrastic Poems
Judge: Steven Concert, PA

1st Place: Gail Goepfert, “Beached”
2nd Place: Marcia Pradzinski, “mother and child”
3rd Place: Gene Fendt, “Alexander Borodin, to his wife of thirty years (Quartet #2 in D)"

1st Honorable Mention: Melissa Huff, “Chasm”
2nd Honorable Mention: Patrice Claeys, “Fractal Forest”
3rd Honorable Mention: Caroline Johnson, “Hades Plays the Fiddle”

Category #14: Chicago Area Nature Trails (open to P & P members and poets near Chicago)
Judge: Barbara Blanks, TX

1st Place: Sheila Elliott, “Bearing Witness”
2nd Place: Maureen Flannery, “Without My Seeing It”
3rd Place: Marianne Forman, “Taking Old Eleanor Out for a Spin”

1st Honorable Mention: Wilda Morris, “Report from the Gateway Wetlands – Early April”
2nd Honorable Mention: Kate Hutchinson, “Busse Woods, 1970”
3rd Honorable Mention: Terry Loncaric, “On the Same Path”

Winners’ List 2019

Listed by Category

1.  Military Veterans: In Memory of Private Lindberg Stokes, Korean War Vet
Sponsor: Poets & Patrons Board Member Myron Stokes, Judge: Michael Escoubas.
Number of Poems Entered: 29

1st Harry Moritz, “The Dripping Trees,” Pell City, AL
2nd Robert Meek, “Forget Me Not,” Palos Heights, IL
3rd Carole Croll, “Hero,” Royersford, PA

1st HM Barbara Blanks, “Poetry of a Pilot,” Garland, TX
2nd HM Becky Alexander, “Alarms,” Cambridge, ON, Canada
3rd HM Von S. Bourland, “Calm after the Storm,” Happy, TX

2. Free Verse: In Memory of Gert Rubin and John Dixon
Sponsor: Linda Wallin, Past President of Poets & Patrons, Judge: Elaraine Lockie
Number of Poems Entered: 64

1st Barbara Blanks, “Taking the Reins,” Garland, TX
2nd James Green, “Isaac Aloft,” Muncie, IN
3rd Marcia Pradzinski, “The Call of Coffee,” Skokie, IL

1st HM Beth Staas, “Big Brother,” Oak Brook, IL
2nd HM Maureen T. Flannery, “Even Before the Diagnosis,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM Linda Wallin, “Wild Wind Symphony,” Palatine, IL

3. Formal Verse: In Memory of the Poetry Teachers of Her Youth
Sponsor: Poets & Patrons member Kate Hutchinson, Judge: Larry Turner
Number of Poems Entered: 48

1st Rita Aiken Moritz, “I’ll Sit Here by Your Side and Read to You,” Pell City, AL
2nd Joyce Shiver, “Backyard Oak,” Crystal River, FL
3rd Katharyn Howd Machan, “Provence,” Ithaca, NY

1st HM Nancy Cook, “Asylum Lunacy,” St. Paul, MN
2nd HM Curt Vevang, “Thoughts of a Loving Wife,” Palatine, IL
3rd HM Catherine Moran, “All the Forgotten Pieces,” Little Rock, AR

4. Humorous Poem
Sponsors: P&P Board Members Judith Tullis and Curt Vevang, Judge: Catherine Moran
Number of Poems Entered: 50

1st Tim Callahan, “Scents of Love,” Altadena, CA
2nd Joyce Shiver, “Enough is Enough,” Crystal River, FL
3rd Larry Turner, “Patrick the Positron,” Midlothian, VA

1st HM Judith Tullis, “The Attic,” Indian Head Park, IL
2nd HM Lucia Walton Robinson, “I Hate Banks,” Wilmington, NC
3rd HM Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Lament,” Chicago, IL

5. Social Conscience
Judge: Peter Gordon
Number of Poems Entered: 47

1st Donna Pucciani, “Hoax,” Wheaton, IL
2nd Nick Sweet, “Decent / Descent,” Shepherd, TX
3rd Katharyn Howd Machan, “For Adrienne, Her Voice, Us All,” Ithaca, NY

1st HM Mel Goldberg, “The Deported Veteran Meets an Anglo Woman,” Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
2nd HM Francis Flavin, “Crossings,” Sparks, NV
3rd HM Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Your Contract,” Chicago, IL

6. Miniature Poem: In Memory of Margarete Cantrall
Sponsors: Board Member Wilda Morris and Poets & Patrons Member Donna Pucciani, Judge: Alan Harris Number of Poems Entered: 51

1st Judith Tullis, “Morning News,” Indian Head Park, IL
2nd Gail Denham, “Enough,” Sunriver, OR
3rd Nancy Cook, “Enabling,” St. Paul, MN

1st HM Catherine Moran, “On the Way Past Pottery,” Little Rock, AR
2nd HM Beth Staas, “War Bride,” Oak Brook, IL
3rd HM Camille A. Balla, “Aftermath,” Lisle, IL

7. Nature: In Memory of Russell F. W. Smith and Wiltrude Lee Smith
Sponsor: Jared Smith, Past President of Poets & Patrons of Chicago, Judge: Jared Smith
Number of Poems Entered: 56

1st Katharyn Howd Machan, “Into the Place of Fifty Dragons,” Ithaca, NY
2nd Candace Armstrong, “Tempest,” Murphysboro, IL
3rd Wilda Morris, “Lament for Creation,” Bolingbrook, IL

1st HM James Green, “Summer Solstice on the West Coast of Ireland,” Muncie, IN
2nd HM Kate Hutchinson, “Nature Study Class for Teachers,” Palatine, IL
3rd HM Maureen T. Flannery, “Complete Solar Eclipse,” Evanston, IL

8. Poem of Reconciliation
Judge: Joyce Shiver
Number of Poems Entered: 25

1st Sheila Elliott, “Forgiveness,” Oak Park, IL
2nd C.J. Wilkens, “PAST HATE,” Libertyville, IL
3rd Barbara J. Funke, “When the Right Ear Goes Deaf,” St. George, UT

1st HM Candace Armstrong, “Argument,” Murphysboro, IL
2nd HM Sara Gipson, “Biting Words,” Scott, AR
3rd HM Gail Denham, “Sorry All Round,” Sunriver, OR

9. What I Learned in Kindergarten
Judge: Carole Croll
Number of Poems Entered: 19

1st Nancy Cook, “Learning to Share,” St. Paul, MN
2nd Raymond Ziemer, “Alphabetical Order,” Warrenville, IL
3rd Melissa Huff, “A Brother’s Gift,” Champaign, IL

1st HM Wilda Morris, “Lesson,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM Judith Tullis, “Riverside Central School 1947,” Indian Head Park, IL
3rd HM Maureen T. Flannery, “The Power of Privation,” Evanston, IL

10. Fairy Tales or Myths: In Memory of Dr. Lemuel Bowden
Sponsors: P&P Members Tom Roby and Jenene Ravesloot, Judge: Rebecca Kanan
Number of Poems Entered: 37

1st James Green, “That Holy Verge,” Muncie, IN
2nd Sheila Elliott, “What’s Learned from the Dais,” Oak Park, IL
3rd Maureen T. Flannery, “Reading this Fairy Tale Herself,” Evanston, IL

1st HM Jane Stuart, “Moon Over Georgia,” Greenup, KY
2nd HM Donna Pucciani, “For Charon,” Wheaton, IL
3rd HM Barbara Blanks, “The Real Thing,” Garland, TX

11. Illness and / or Healing: In Memory of Mary Oliver
Sponsor: Poets & Patrons President Caroline Johnson, Judge: Mary Jo Balistreri
Number of Poems Entered: 46

1st Wilda Morris, “The Unexpected,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Rita Aiken Moritz, “The Birds All Hushed,” Pell City, AL
3rd John J. Gordon, “Alternative Medicine,” La Grange, IL

1st HM Jocelyn Ajami, “Turnaround,” Chicago, IL
2nd HM Carole Croll, “Equinox,” Royersford, PA
3rd HM Curt Vevang, “I Just Talked with an Old Friend,” Palatine, IL

12. Poem inspired by Walt Whitman: In Memory of Sr. Jean Hughes, OP
Sponsor: P&P member John Gordon, Judge: Dan Campion
Number of Poems Entered: 24

1st Tricia Knoll, “Sisterhood,” Williston, VT
2nd Katharyn Howd Machan, “Toast,” Ithaca, NY
3rd Barbara J. Funke, “White on White,” St. George, UT

1st HM Maureen T. Flannery, “To the One I Will Meet on the Way,” Evanston, IL
2nd HM Curt Vevang, “Books,” Palatine, IL
3rd HM Donna Pucciani, “For Walt, in April,” Wheaton, IL

13. Automobiles: In Memory of Her Husband’s 1969 AMX
Sponsor: P&P member Maureen T. Flannery, Judge: Al Rocheleau. Number of Poems Entered: 26

1st Marjorie Rissman, “My Dreamsicle,” Highland Park, IL
2nd Erin O’Bryen, “Aubade in FOMO Time with Modes of Transportation,” Chicago, IL
3rd Carole Croll, “Can It Be that I Have Loved a Car?”, Royersford, PA

1st HM Candace Armstrong, “Spring Car Ride Through Time,” Murphysboro, IL
2nd HM Barbara Blanks, “Driving Daddy,” Garland, TX
3rd HM Cassandra McGovern, “Red Opel GT 1970,” Gurnee, IL

14. Chicago, Any Aspect: In Memory of Mary Winklebleck
Sponsor and Judge: Barbara Blanks
Number of Poems Entered: 23

1st Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Shift Change,” Chicago, IL
2nd Barbara J. Funke, “Art in Millennium Park, 2005,” St. George, UT
3rd Joclyn Ajami, “My Chicago,” Chicago, IL

1st HM Beverly Stanislawski, “Lady Michigan,” Crown Point, IN
2nd HM John Wolf, “Morning Metra,” Naperville, IL
3rd HM Maureen T. Flannery, “Chicago Harvest,” Evanston, IL

Winners’ List 2018

Listed by Category

No. 1 FREE VERSE Sponsors: Susan Moss and Donna Pucciani, Judge: Ellaraine Lockie

1st Katharyn Howd Machan, “This Beach,” Ithaca, NY
2nd Caroline Johnson, “At the Surgeon’s Office,” Willow Springs, IL
3rd Sara Gipson, “Ashes Away,” Scott, AR

1st HM James Green, “The Adoption, Near Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea,” Tinley Park, IL
2nd HM Curt Vevang, “Poetry,” Palatine, IL
3rd HM Barbara Blanks, “Fragility,” Garland, TX

No. 2 FORMAL VERSE Judge: Kathleen McClung

1st James Green, “Oedipus Begins Therapy,” Tinley Park, IL
2nd Ruth Hoberman, “Arachnophobia,” Chicago, IL
3rd Marcia J. Pradzinski, “Kindergarten 1950,” Skokie, IL

1st HM Katharyn Howd Machan, “Painting Pansies,” Ithaca, NY
2nd HM Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Six Stories,” Somerville, MA
3rd HM Barbara Blanks, “Breakfast Sonnet,” Garland, TX

No. 3 SPIRITUAL OR RELIGIOUS POEM Sponsors: Georgina, Eileen, and Deirdre Mahoney
Judge: The Reverend Emeritus Geoffrey Rimositis

1st Jamie Morewood Anderson, “How He Comes to Her,” Cedar Crest, NM
2nd Caroline Johnson, “Prayer,” Willow Springs, IL
3rd Lucia Walton Robinson, “After The Woman Taken in Adultery, by Rembrandt van Rijn, Wilmington, NC

1st HM Barbara Blanks, “The Conductor,” Garland, TX
2nd HM Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Naming the Sacred,” Somerville, MA
3rd HM John Gordon, “The Day God Took Off,” La Grange, IL

No. 4 HUMOROUS POEM Sponsors: Bill Marr and Barbara Eaton, Judge: Becky Alexander

1st John Gordon, “Clarity,” La Grange, IL
2nd Barbara Blanks, “Heads Up!” Garland, TX
3rd Caroline Walton, “The Price of Pleasure…” Crystal River, FL

1st HM Judith Tullis, “Lady Marmalade,” Indian Head Park, IL
2nd HM Dr. Emory D. Jones, “Good Taste in Pirate,” Iuka, MS
3rd HM Katharyn Howd Machan, “Brown,” Ithaca, NY

No. 5 SOCIAL CONSCIENCE Judge: Ellaraine Lockie

1st Wilda Morris, “Tools,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Sharon F. Warner, “Whitewash,” Chicago, IL
3rd Caroline Johnson, “Passing Time,” Willow Springs, IL

1st HM Kate Hutchinson, “#MarsToo,” Palatine, IL
2nd HM Ruth Hoberman, “Icarus in the Eastern Aegean,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM Jamie Morewood Anderson, “Singing for the Dead Who Leave No Ghosts.”

No. 6 MINATURE POEM Judge: Rebecca Kanan

1st Michael Johnson, “Twigs and Strings,” Russellville, AL
2nd Barbara Lydecker Crane, “Just Now,” Somerville, MA
3rd Robert Meek, “The Stonecutter’s Daughter,” Palos Heights, IL

1st HM Becky Alexander, “the net of evening,” Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
2nd HM Judith Tullis, “The Best Martini I Ever Had,” Indian Head Park, IL
3rd HM John Gordon, “Choices,” La Grange, IL

No. 7 NATURE Sponsors: Judy and Michael Galati, Judge: Jared Smith

1st Catherine Moran, “Across the asphalt,” Little Rock, AR
2nd Barbara J. Funke, “Burlesque Burlesque,” St. George, UT
3rd Donna Pucciani, “What idle hour,” Wheaton, IL

1st HM John McBride, “The Rich Earth at Indiana Dunes,” Bettendorf, IA
2nd HM Tanya R. Whitney, “Echo Canyon,” Sorrento, LA
3rd HM Jamie Morewood Anderson, “Small Bird, Rainforest Burning.”

No. 8 MIDWEST THEME Sponsor: Catherine Moran, Judge: Alan Harris

1st Ray G. Ziemer, “Trailer Park Incident,” Warrenville, IL
2nd Von S. Bourland, “Spring Storm,” Happy, TX
3rd Gail Goepfert, “Someplace Like Home,” Palatine, IL

1st HM Curt Vevang, “America’s Back Roads,” Palatine, IL
2nd HM Tanya R. Whitney, “The Farmhouse,” Sorrento, LA
3rd HM Lucia Walton Robinson, “Lakeshore Memories,” Wilmington, NC

No. 9 SHAKESPEARE Sponsor: Kate Hutchinson, Judge: Joyce Shiver

1st Caroline Johnson, “On Listening to Middle Eastern Poetry…” Willow Springs, IL
2nd Katharyn Howd Machan, “Hamlet and Ophelia,” Ithaca, NY
3rd Jerri Hardesty, “Iambic Pentameter,” Brierfield, AL

1st HM Beverly Stanislawski, “Shakespeare’s Challenge,” Crown Point, IN
2nd HM Barbara J. Funke, “To Be Then Not To Be,” St. George, UT
3rd HM Barbara Blanks, “Artificial Flower,” Garland, TX

No. 10 SPECULATIVE POETRY Sponsor: Charlotte Digregorio, Judge: Barbara Blanks

1st James Green, “Daedalus Laments Icarus,” Tinley Park, IL
2nd John Gordon, “Untimely Clairvoyance,” La Grange, IL
3rd Linda Wallin, “Cow and Cat,” Palatine, IL

1st HM Larry Turner, “Patrick the Positron,” Midlothian, VA
2nd HM Catherine Moran, “The orchestration of the String Theory,” Little Rock, AR
3rd HM Katharyn Howard Machan, “When Shadows Disappear,” Ithaca, NY

No. 11 LOVE Sponsor: Beth Staas, Judge: Catherine Moran

1st Jamie Morewood Anderson, “All I Know of Greece,” Cedar Crest, NM
2nd John McBride, “The Last Bully,” Bettendorf, IA
3rd Caroline Johnson, “Blue Flame,” Willow Springs, IL

1st HM Wilda Morris, “What Woodye Finds in the Box,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM Sharon F. Warner, “I Ran Into Your Ex,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM Gail Denham, “Dog-bone it. I Found Her,” Sunriver, OR

No. 12 FREDERICK DOUGLASS Sponsor: Caroline Johnson, Judge: Barbara Blanks

1st Jamie Morewood Anderson, “Browntown,” Cedar Crest, NM
2nd Caroline Johnson, “My Bondage,” Willow Springs, IL
3rd Beth Staas, “The Challenge,” Oak Brook, IL

1st HM Donna Pucciani, “Letter to Frederick Douglass,” Wheaton, IL
2nd HM Sharon F. Warner, “For the young ones who do not know him,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM Mark Hudson, “Douglass and Divine Intervention,” Evanston, IL

No. 13 CHICAGO, THE ARTS Judge: Marian Weidner

1st Ruth Hoberman, “The Idea of Order at the Art Institute,” Chicago, IL
2nd Donna Pucciani, “Vishnu in Chicago,” Wheaton, IL
3rd Jocelyn Ajami, “Headless in Chicago,” Chicago, IL

No. 14 DIVERSITY IN CHICAGO Judge: Charlotte Digregorio

1st Bonnie J. Manion, “An Urban Snapshot,” Hoopeston, IL
2nd Sharon F. Warner, “The Missin’ Hyde Park Boulevard Blues,” Chicago, IL

No. 15 CHICAGO, ANY ASPECT Sponsor: Linda Wallin, Judge: Marian Weidner

1st Sharon F. Warner, “Roses in the ‘Hood,” Chicago, IL
2nd Donna Pucciani, “Snow in March,” Wheaton, IL
3rd Ruth Hoberman, “Urban Theology,” Chicago, IL

Winners’ List 2017

Listed by Category

No. 1 RELIGIOUS POEM: In Memory of John Mahoney
Sponsors: Deirdre Mahoney, Eileen Mahoney, and Georgina Milsted, Judge: Rebecca Kanan

1st Wilda Morris, “A Prayer for Red-Winged Blackbirds,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Linda Wallin, “The Soul Quilt,” Palatine, IL
3rd Gordon Smith, “The Timeless Stream,” Hot Springs, AR

1st HM David Nekimken, “To All Ports Universe,” Chicago, IL
2nd HM Judith Tullis, “Big Rock,” Indian Head Park, IL
3rd HM Jerri Hardesty, “Jesus Wept,” Brierfield, AL

No. 2 HUMOROUS POEM: In Memory of Glenna Holloway
Sponsors: William Marr and Barbara Eaton, Judge: Barbara Blanks

1st David Nekimken, “It’s a Numbers Game,” Chicago, IL
2nd Wilda Morris, “Seeking Help for Depression,” Bolingbrook, IL
3rd Dee Bowlin, “Too Many Birds!” Roanoke, VA

1st HM Joyce Shiver, “House Proud,” Crystal River, FL
2nd HM Beverly Stanislawski, “Popeye’s Power,” Crown Point, IN
3rd HM Elise Kazanjian, “5 Days in September,” San Francisco, CA

No. 3 FORMAL VERSE:  In Memory of Maria Digregorio
Sponsor: Charlotte Digregorio, Judge: Kathleen McClung

1st Wilda Morris, “Mary Starbuck’s Letter,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Barbara Blanks, “Beyond the Veil,” Garland, TX
3rd Rose Ann Spaith, “Three Arts,” Columbus, OH

1st HM Caroline Johnson, “Ancient Cento,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd HM Joyce Shiver, “The Empty Cradle,” Crystal River, FL
3rd HM Gordon Smith, “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” Hot Springs, AR

No. 4 FREE VERSE: In celebration of all past, present, and future poets
Sponsors: Donna Pucciani and Susan Moss, Judge: Ellaraine Lockie

1st Caroline Johnson, “Skiing,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd Catherine Moran, “Finding the right place,” Little Rock, AR
3rd Gordon Smith, “My Father was Right,” Hot Springs, AR

1st HM Judy Bond, “Artist’s Block,” Rockford, IL
2nd HM Mary Downs, “Old Age,” Naperville, IL
3rd HM Debbie Crawford, “I am Facebook,” West Frankfort, IL

No. 5 SOCIAL CONSCIENCE:  In Memory of Russell F. W. Smith and Wiltrude Smith
Sponsor: Jared Smith, Judge: Ellaraine Lockie

1st Donna Pucciani, “Unravelling,” Wheaton, IL
2nd Robert Meek, “The Feast,” Palos Heights, IL
3rd Barbara Blanks, “The Right to Be Human,” Garland, TX

1st HM Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Surgical Strikes,” Evanston, IL
2nd HM Wilda Morris, “Sisters in Silence,” Bolingbrook, IL
3rd HM Mark Hudson, “The Social Conscience of Vincent DePaul,” Evanston, IL

No. 6  MINIATURE POEM: Sponsors:  Barbara Eaton and Beth Staas, Judge: Gay Guard-Chamberlin

1st John McBride, “The Rose, and More,” Bettendorf, IA
2nd Catherine Moran, “Stranded,” Little Rock, AR
3rd Kate Hutchinson, “Finding Your Better Self,” Palatine, IL

1st HM Judith Tullis, “Coyote Storm,” Indian Head Park, IL
2nd HM Donna Pucciani, “Reverie,” Wheaton, IL
3rd HM Sara Gipson, “Christmas Joy,” Scott, AR

No. 7 NATURE: Judge: Rebecca Kanan

1st Wilda Morris, “The Wild Creatures,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Robert Meek, “Salt,” Palos Heights, IL
3rd Curt Vevang, “Gazing Out My Window,” Palatine, IL

1st HM Judith Tullis, “Autumn Soiree,” Indian Head Park, IL
2nd HM Maureen Tolman Flannery, “If a Tree Falls…,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM Kate Hutchinson, “Thumbelina,” Palatine, IL

No. 8 MIDWEST THEME : Judge: Alan Harris

1st Rose Ann Spaith, “Barn circa 1900, Builder Unknown,” Columbus, OH
2nd Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Newly Acquired Farm, First Spring,” Evanston, IL
3rd Barbara Blanks, “Drop by Drop,” Garland, TX

1st HM Bonnie J. Manion, “Mowing,” Hoopeston, IL
2nd HM Pauline Mounsey, “Plowing Memories,” Sun City West, AZ
3rd HM Gail Goepfert, “Tethered to the Land,” Palatine, IL

No. 9 SHAKESPEARE: Sponsor: Kate Hutchinson, Judge: Larry Turner

1st Joyce Shiver, “The Music of the Words,” Crystal River, FL
2nd Beverly Stanislawski, “Hey, Shakespeare!” Crown Point, IN
3rd John McBride, “Tabloid Bard,” Bettendorf, IA

1st HM Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Reading at Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore, Paris.”
2nd HM Dee Bowlin, “The Role of a Lifetime,” Roanoke, VA
3rd HM Mark Hudson, “1599,” Evanston, IL

No. 10 SPECULATIVE POETRY: Sponsor: Catherine Moran, Judge: Beth Staas

1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Ask Death to Help You Care for His Body,” Evanston, IL
2nd Rose Ann Spaith, “Journal Entry of Ari,” Columbus, OH
3rd Wilda Morris, “Summer of the Imagination,” Bolingbrook, IL

1st HM Marjorie Rissman, “Tree House Dreams,” Highland Park, IL
2nd HM Mary Downs, “Moonstruck,” Naperville, IL
3rd HM Gail Denham, “Alice’s Descent,” Sunriver, OR

No. 11  LOVE: Sponsors: Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby, Judge: Catherine Moran

1st Caroline Johnson, “Exile,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Love in the State of Puebla,” Evanston, IL
3rd Gail Goepfert, “The Pinch of Love,” Palatine, IL

1st HM Joyce Shiver, “Raspberry Tea,” Crystal River, FL
2nd HM Raymond Peringer, “Love’s Hurt,” Toronto, ON, Canada
3rd HM Sarah HaBa, “Swallows,” San Francisco, CA

No. 12 CHICAGO, THE ARTS: Judge: Patricia Eaton

1st Donna Pucciani, “Two Photographs,” Wheaton, IL
2nd Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Chicago Offspring,” Evanston, IL
3rd Diane O’Neill, “Nighthawks,” Chicago, IL

1st HM Wilda Morris, “Reflections on ‘Pastoral Scene with a Shepherdess Milking a Goat.’”
2nd HM Jenene Ravesloot, “Lifeboat, After a Bronze Sculpture by Jeff Koons,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM Caroline Johnson, “Triptych in Color,” Willow Springs, IL

No. 13   CHICAGO, any aspect: Judge: Marian Weidner

1st Bonnie J. Manion, “Lullaby of the Ghetto,” Hoopeston, IL
2nd Beth Staas, “Seasoning,” Oak Brook, IL
3rd Judith Tullis, “Chicago Family 1945,” Indian Head Park, IL

1st HM Caroline Johnson, “Into the Woods,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd HM Marjorie Rissman, “Montrose Harbor,” Highland Park, IL

No. 14   THE POETRY OF GWENDOLYN BROOKS: Judge: Barbara Eaton

1st E.Tavon Briggs, “Bronzeville,” Chicago, IL
2nd David Nekimken, “Gwendolyn Brooks’ Chicago,” Chicago, IL
3rd Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Taggers Need to Name,” Evanston, IL

1st HM Sheila Elliott, “For Gwendolyn Brooks,” Oak Park, IL
2nd HM Wilda Morris, “I Spent the Day with Gwendolyn Brooks,” Bolingbrook, IL
3rd HM Kate Hutchinson, “Listening to Gwendolyn Brooks,” Palatine, IL

Winners’ List 2016

Listed by Category

2016 list to come.

Winners’ List 2015

Listed by Category

No. 1   RELIGIOUS POEM   Sponsor and Judge:  The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis  

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Salvation Army Rosary,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Janet Anderson, “Compassion,” Huntsville, AL
3rd   Meredith R. Cook, “Prayer Circle,” Blue Earth, MN

1st HM   Deborah Rohde, “Some Call It God,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM   Peter Halliday, “a moment at mass,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM   Henry Newton Goldman, “Omnipresent,” Augusta, GA
 

No. 2   HUMOROUS POEM   Judge:  Alan Harris

1st   Curt Vevang, “have you ever noticed?” Palatine, IL
2nd   Vera Ogden Bakker, “The Bottle,” Bountiful, UT
3rd   Susan T. Moss, “Takeoff,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Junior High,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd   HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, “The Turnaround,” Ashland, KY   
3rd   HM Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Crash Course,” Roanoke, VA
 

No. 3   FORMAL VERSE   Judge:  Kathleen McClung

1st   Catherine Moran, “Another look at dreams,” Little Rock, AR
2nd   Dalene Stull, “Reasons for Roses,” Danville, OH
3rd   Kate Hutchinson, “Bak Yard,” Palatine, IL

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Game Boy,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM   Larry Turner, “Return to White Horse Hill:  for Donna,” Fredricksburg, VA
3rd HM   Madelyn Eastlund, “It Was On the Eleven O’clock News,” Beverly Hills, FL
 

No. 4   FREE VERSE   Judge:  Becky Alexander

1st   Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Puzzles and Pie,” Roanoke, VA
2nd   Carole Z. Croll, “Tides,” Royersford, PA
3rd   Melissa Huff, “Come to me in April,” Champaign, IL

1st HM   Catherine Moran, “Touching the edge of poetry,” Little Rock, AR
2nd HM   Joseph Kuhn Carey, “Red and Green Men,” Glencoe, IL
3rd HM   Camille A. Balla, “I Will Not Write Poetry Today,” Lisle, IL
 

No. 5   SOCIAL CONSCIENCE   Judge:  John Lehman, Sponsor:  Linda Wallin       
In Memory of Ken and Adelaide Wallin                         

1st   Ellaraine Lockie, “Silent,” Sunnyvale, CA
2nd   Dorothy Rogers, “Touching Through Glass,” Lucedale, MS
3rd   Dennis Patton, “The Last Minute,” Alexander, AR

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Open House,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM   David McCovey, “Silent screams drowned,” Gulfport, MS
3rd HM   Taney A. Brazeal, “Peace,” Fairhope, AL
 

No. 6   MINIATURE POEM   Judge:  Catherine Moran, Sponsor:  Marilyn Huntman Giese                
In Memory of Ann Nelson

1st   Beth Staas, “Cloistered,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd   Carol Kanter, “Guide in Namibia,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Carole Z. Croll, “Opal,” Royerford, PA

1st HM   Wilda Morris, “Yellow-Bellied Slider,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM   Jeani M. Picklesimer, “Silhouette,” Ashland, KY
3rd HM

No. 7   NATURE    Judge:  Jared Smith, Sponsors: Susan T. Moss and Jared Smith

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Designs of Decay,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Melissa Huff, “Fern Room, Lincoln Park Conservatory,” Champaign, IL
3rd   Carol Kanter, “On the Namibian Pans,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Janet Anderson, “Joy For the Natural World,” Huntsville, AL
2nd HM   Jessica Jones, “Watching Words Fall,” Orange Beach, AL
3rd HM   Donna Pucciani, “Waiting for Crickets,” Wheaton, IL

No. 8   MIDWEST THEME   Judge: Dalene Stull, Sponsor: Beth Staas

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Abandoned Farm Houses,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Beverly Stanislawski, “Soldiers of the Corn,” Crown Point, IN
3rd   William Marr, “At the Frozen Window,” Downers Grove, IL

1st HM  Carole Z. Croll, “Vagabond,” Royersford, PA
2nd  HM Janet Anderson, “The Flood Zone,” Huntsville, AL
3rd  HM Gail Denham, “Burned Beans,” Sunriver, OR
 

No. 9   CHICAGO ART/ARCHITECTURE   Judge: Gail White,  Sponsors: Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby              
In Memory of Glenna Holloway

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Jan Van Eyck’s Annunciation,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Deborah Rohde, “Red,” Northbrook, IL
3rd   Carol Kanter, “Architect’s Design,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Mardelle Fortier, “Renoir, Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise,” Lisle, IL
2nd HM   Charlotte Digregorio, “What’s All the Roar?” Winnetka, IL
3rd HM   Nina Wieda, “Talking to Chicago,” Chicago, IL

No. 10   CHICAGO NEWS, POLITICS, HISTORY   Judge: Rebecca Kanan, Sponsor: Charlotte DiGregorio
In Memory of Maria DiGregorio

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Communal Snow in Rogers Park,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Beverly Stanislawski, “My Kind of Town,” Crown Point, IN
3rd   Judith Tullis, “Paper Fortunes,” Indian Head Park, IL

1st HM  Beth Staas, “Division Street,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM  Sheila Elliott, “Mark Beaubien’s Violin,” Oak Park, IL
3rd HM  David Nekimken, “The Great Chicago Fire,” Chicago, IL
 

No. 11    OUTDOOR CHICAGO   Judge: Larry Turner, Sponsor: Barbara Eaton     

1st   Wilda Morris, “Windy City,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd   Susan T. Moss, “Captive,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Backyard Real Estate in Chicago,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Deborah Rohde, “Biking the Lakefront,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM   William Marr, “Parabolic Curves,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd HM   Mardelle Fortier, “Another Look at Gray,” Lisle, IL

No. 12    CHICAGO:  A NIGHT OUT   Sponsor and Judge: Patricia Eaton
In Memory of Coco and Scout

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Stonewalled,” Evanston, IL
2nd   William Marr, “Red Shawl,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd   Deborah Rohde, “Jesus Saves,” Northbrook, IL

1st HM   Sheila Elliott, “Ramsey Lewis at Ravinia, August 2015,” Oak Park, IL
2nd HM   Mark Hudson, “Californians in Chicago,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM   Marjorie Rissman, “Elegy to the Alcyon,” Highland Park, IL   

Many Thanks to our Honored Sponsors

The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis
Linda Wallin
Marilyn Huntman Giese, author of The Eye of God: A Fisherman’s Tale
Susan T. Moss, author of In from the Dark
Beth Staas, author of Beside the Golden Door
Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby
Charlotte DiGregorio
Patricia Eaton
Wilda Morris, author of Szechwan Shrimp and Fortune Cookies: Poems from a Chinese Restaurant
Jean Sotos
John Bagdonas
Joseph Glaser
 

A special thank you to Arlyn Miller, of Poetic License, Inc. for her generous gift

Winners’ List 2014

No. 1   RELIGIOUS POEM   Judge: The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis           

1st   Becky Alexander, “Surprise!” Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
2nd   Camille Balla, “At the River,” Lisle, IL
3rd   Mardelle Fortier, “So Far North, So Light,” Lisle, IL

1st HM   Caroline Johnson, “Playing with Fire,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd HM   John F. Foster, “Sharing,” Sun City Center, FL
3rd HM   Charlotte Hart, “Blue Star,” Evanston, IL

No. 2   HUMOROUS POEM   Judge: Joyce Shiver

1st    John F. Foster, “Ode to Grampa,” Sun City Center, FL
2nd   Barbara Blanks, “Avoiding a Chore on a Summer Morning,” Garland, TX
3rd   Beverly Stanislawski, “Poop Scoop,” Crown Point, IN

1st HM   Gail Vescovi, “Not in Kansas,” Oak Brook, IL
2nd HM   Becky Alexander, “A Conversation with Jack,” Cambridge, Ontario, Canada  
3rd HM   Von S. Bourland, “Having the Last Word,” Happy, TX
 

No. 3   FORMAL VERSE   Judge: Kathleen McClung

1st   Lee Pelham Cotton, “Jasper and Lloyd Go Over the Top,” Locust Hill, VA
2nd   Madelyn Eastlund, “From a Frayed Journal,” Beverly Hills, FL
3rd   Barbara Blanks, “The Absence,” Garland, TX

1st HM   Maureen Flannery, “Have You Noticed an Absence of Cacophony,” Evanston, IL
2nd HM   Caroline Johnson, “Ghazal for Brenda,” Willow Springs, IL
3rd HM   D. Beecher Smith II, “Ode to Aging,” Memphis, TN
 

No. 4   FREE VERSE   Judge: John Lehman

1st   Mardelle Fortier, “Bride in the Elevator,” Lisle, IL
2nd   Gail Denham, “If I Left for the Day After Tomorrow,” Sunriver, OR
3rd   Judith Tullis, “I Write Poetry Because…” Indian Head Park, IL

1st HM   Vera Ogden Bakker, “Inside these Walls,” West Bountiful, UT
2nd HM   Gail Vescovi, “pocket poem,” Oak Brook, IL
3rd HM   Sheila Elliott, “The Beauty in Disregarded Things,” Oak Park, IL
 

No. 5   SOCIAL CONSCIENCE   Judge: Rebecca Kanan

1st   Maureen Flannery, “The Dictator-General and the Never Born,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Curt Vevang, “Walk With Me,” Palatine, IL
3rd   Caroline Johnson, “Der Schrei,” Willow Springs, IL

1st HM   David Nekimken, “Color Me Black,” Chicago, IL
2nd HM   Donna Pucciani, “After the Fourth,” Wheaton, IL
3rd HM   Judith Tullis, “Mules,” Indian Head Park, IL
 

No. 6   MINIATURE POEM   Judge:  Linda Bamber

1st   Gay Guard-Chamberlin, “Suggestion for the Hall of Extinction,” Chicago, IL
2nd   John F. Foster, “Feeling,” Sun City Center, FL
3rd   Catherine Moran, “Of poodles and poems,” Little Rock, AR

1st HM   Gail Denham, “Drying Lard,” Sunriver, OR
2nd HM   Maureen Flannery, “Custody,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM     Mardelle Fortier, “Starry Night of Iceland,” Lisle, IL
 

No. 7   NATURE   Judge:  Patricia Eaton

1st   Wilda Morris, “More than Memories,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd   Ellaraine Lockie, “On the Road After a Record Rain,” Sunnyvale, CA
3rd   Sharon Warner, “Oil and Water,” Chicago, IL

1st HM     David Nekimken, “Autumn Portrait,” Chicago, IL
2nd HM     Deborah Rohde, “At Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum,” Northbrook, IL
3rd HM     Caroline Johnson, “A Foreigner Encountering the Dawn for the First Time,” Willow Springs, IL
 

No. 8   MIDWEST THEME   Judge:  Alan Harris

1st   David Spencer, “Iowa Trilogy,” Lansing, IL
2nd   Maureen Flannery, “Night Crawler in Mid America Farm Country,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Wilda Morris, “Not April!” Bolingbrook, IL

1st HM   Donna Pucciani, “Snow Globe,” Wheaton, IL
2nd HM   Caroline Johnson, “The Birdwatcher,” Willow Springs, IL
3rd HM   David Nekimken, “A Lake in the Hills Morning,” Chicago, IL
 

No. 9   CHICAGO ART/ARCHITECTURE   Judge:  Catherine Moran

1st   Caroline Johnson, “Outsider Art,” Willow Springs, IL
2nd   Mardelle Fortier, “A Chicago Van Gogh: Bridge over Time,” Lisle, IL
3rd   Charlotte Digregorio, “Urban Pasture for the Divine Bovine,” Winnetka, IL

1st HM   Donna Pucciani, “Open Rehearsal,” Wheaton, IL
2nd HM   David Nekimken, “Mountain Climbing,” Chicago, IL
 3rd HM   Wilda Morris, “The Old Guitarist,” Bolingbrook, IL

No. 10   CHICAGO NEWS, POLITICS, HISTORY   Judge:  Jared Smith

1st   Maureen Flannery, “Last Native Speakers of Aramaic,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Judith Tullis, “How the World Changed in 1944,” Indian Head Park, IL
3rd   Caroline Johnson, “Nowruz in Chicago,” Willow Springs, IL

1st HM     Wilda Morris, “Oh, Rats!” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM     Curt Vevang, “Memories Enriched by Time,” Palatine, IL
3rd HM     Mardelle Fortier, “My Mafia Doctor: One Man Remembers,” Lisle, IL
 

No. 11 CHICAGOLAND WATER   Judge:  Larry Turner

1st   Deborah Rohde, “Enchantment on the Des Plaines River Trail,” Northbrook, IL
2nd   Susan Moss, ”Zen By Design At Lee Street Beach,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Caroline Johnson, “The I & M Journey,” Willow Springs, IL
1st HM   Curt Vevang, “The Lawrence Avenue Rocks,” Palatine, IL    
2nd HM   Judith Tullis, “Beach Mineralogy,” Indian Head Park, IL
3rd HM Wilda Morris, “Chicago: City on the Lake,” Bolingbrook, IL

No. 12 CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS    Judge:  Dalene Stull

1st   Raymond Ziemer, “I heard They Were Closing St. Casimir’s,” Warrenville, IL
2nd   Maureen Flannery, “Ways to Play in Rogers Park,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Judith Tullis, “The Fox,” Indian Head Park, IL

1st HM   Deborah Rohde, “On South Karlov Avenue,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM   Mardelle Fortier, “Skid Row,” Lisle, IL
3rd HM   Curt Vevang, “I Didn’t Know How Bad I Had It,” Palatine, IL   

Winners’ List 2013

No. 1   RELIGIOUS POEMJudge: Kathleen Mullen   Sponsors: Wilda Morris & Camille Balla            

1stWilda Morris, “At the Gateway Wetlands.”
2nd   John McBride, “The Sojourn of Father Klein.”
3rdCatherine Moran, “Details of Heaven.”

1st HM   Becky Alexander, “On the Road.”
2nd HM   Caroline Johnson, “Layers.”
3rd HM   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Mary Recalls the First Christmas.”
 

No. 2   HUMOROUS POEM   Judge: Alan Harris, Sponsor: W. Clement Stone                                 

1st   Vera Ogden Bakker, “The Medicare Blues.”
2nd   John McBride, “Trophies in the Salvation Army Store.”
3rd   Larry Turner, “How Do Mermaids Mate?’

1st HM   Gail Vescovi, “Recipe for Marriage.”
2nd HM   Mark Wilson, “Going to Court.”
3rd HM   Lee Pelham Cotton, “The Good Life.”

No. 3   FORMAL VERSE   Judge: Becky Kanan, Sponsor: Donna Pucciani                                     

1st  Mardelle Fortier, “Gifts Bequeathed.”
2nd  Carol Kanter, “Before Dawn in Mandalay.”
3rd  Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Singer on the Isle of Stones.”

1st HM  Wilma Spellman, “Elderberry Picking.”
2nd HM  Beverly Stanislawski, “Ballerina.”
3rd HM  Wilda Morris, “The Red-Winged Blackbird.”

No. 4   FREE VERSE Judge: Judith Zukerman, Sponsor: Charlotte DiGregorio                             

1st  Joe Metz, “50th Class Reunion.”
2nd  Robert Meek, “Barn Lace.”
3rd  David Nekimken, “This Land is Our Land.”

1st HM  John Bing, “We Walk Free.”
2nd HM  Kate Hutchinson, “Anne Boleyn Attempts a Voice, Again.”
3rd HM  Kathleen McClung, “Behind the White Bird.”
 

No. 5   SOCIAL CONSCIENCE   Judge:  Jared Smith, Sponsor:  Linda Wallin

1st  Catherine Moran, “Tin Sounds.”
2nd  Caroline Johnson, “Golden Lilies.”
3rd  Kathleen McClung, “Renter Sonnet.”

1st HM  Cathy Decker, “The Trudge.”
2nd HM  Margie Skelly, “The Silence of Columbine.”
3rd HM  Donna Pucciani, “Orpheus Descending.”
 

No. 6   MINIATURE POEM   Judge: Alice Weidner, Sponsor:  Beth Staas                                             

1st  Lee Pelham Cotton, “The Husbandman.”
2nd  Kathleen McClung, “Perfect Game.”
3rd  Sharon F. Warner, “Aftermath of the Accident.”

1st HM  Madelyn Eastlund, “Message to a Man Married in Another Lifetime.”
2nd HM  Von S. Bourland, “Celestial Courtship.”
3rd HM  Marilyn Huntman Giese, “Spendthrift.”
 

No. 7   NATURE   Judge:  Joyce Shiver, Sponsors:  Jared & Deborah Smith                       

1st  Donna Pucciani, “An English Spring.”
2nd  Beth Staas, “Summer Storm.”
3rd  Mary Daul, “A Seed Dreams.”

1st HM David Spencer, “Seasons.”
2nd HM  Robert Meek, “The Wind.”
3rd HM  Dennis R. Patton, “Evening Song.”
 

No. 8   CHICAGO ART & ARCHITECTURE   Judge: Patricia Eaton, Sponsors: Jenene Ravesloot & Tom Roby          

1st  Gail Vescovi, “The Art of Love.”
2nd  Caroline Johnson, “The New Guitarist.”
3rd  Mardelle Fortier, “Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise.”

1st HM  Mary Daul, “The Chicago Hotdog.”
2nd HM  Charlotte DiGregorio, “Strangers.”
3rd HM  Marilyn Peretti, “Available Dreams.”

No. 9   CHICAGO NEWS, POLITICS, & HISTORY Judge: Larry Turner, Sponsor: Judith Tullis

1st  Wilda Morris, “News that Cannot Be Forgotten.”
2nd  David Nekimken, “For Poorer and for Richer.”
3rd  Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Headline:  Illinois to Boast World’s Highest Goat Tower.”

1st HM  Mardelle Fortier, “Gerard Pawlicki.”
2nd HM  Judith Tullis, “After Reading Carl Sandburg.”
3rd HM  Susan Moss, “The Inimitable Marshall Fields.”

No. 10   LAKE MICHIGAN OR OTHER ILLINOIS WATERWAYS Judge: John Lehman, Sponsors: Caroline Johnson & Barbara Eaton                 

1st  Mardelle Fortier, “Flood of DuPage River.”
2nd  Charlotte DiGregorio, “The Sun over Lake Michigan.”
3rd  Deborah Rohde, “North Branch.”

1st HM  Sheila Elliott, “Origins Park:  South Branch of the Chicago River.”
2nd HM  Beth Staas, “Salt Creek.”
3rd HM  Caroline Johnson, “Digging.”