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Contests : Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest : Past Winners : 2009 : High Distinction
CLIMBING THE WATER TOWER
Climbing the water tower's ladder to see my home
Slow rung by rusty rung
Grasping the cold steel handles
Feet following hands, one beat behind
Slow rung by rusty rung
Body intent on just one more rung, not looking down
Feet following hands, one beat behind
In quiet darkness before dawn, jaw clenched, biting my tongue
Body intent on just one more rung, not looking down
Glancing up, what seemed like almost quite there isn't
in quiet darkness before dawn, jaw clenched, biting my tongue
hopeful the top will reveal something new in my little world
Glancing up, what seemed like almost quite there isn't
still, looking up again I'm closer still to the curved dome's summit
hopeful the top will reveal something new in my little world
I continue to climb as the sun touches my little town.
Still, looking up again I'm closer still to the curved dome's summit.
I turn to see my parents' peach orchard, my high school's red clay oval track
I continue to climb as the sun touches my little town
'til I pull myself up and walk on the dome.
I turn to see my parents' peach orchard, my high school's red clay oval track
Hands trembling from grasping the cold steel handles,
pulling myself up to stride atop the dome.
Climbing the water tower's ladder, I see home.
This poem won a High Distinction award in the 2009 Tom
Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books. Author Susan Keith received a $200 award. Winning Writers assists this contest. Copyright is reserved to the author.
About Susan Keith
Susan grew up in North Carolina and earned degrees at Mount Holyoke College and Emory University School of Law. She practiced law for fifteen years and later enrolled in the Creative Writing Program at UCLA Extension where she earned a certificate in Short and Long Fiction. Her poetry, short fiction and essays have won awards and placements in numerous international literary contests and her work appears in the minnesota review, Wordgathering.com, WinningWriters.com and numerous anthologies. She and her partner live near the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon. Susan has ranked among the top fundraisers during the last twelve years of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk, supporting treatment and a cure for the disease she's had for over twenty years.
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