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