"I really appreciate your selective work: you don't just throw a bunch of stats at us and hope we'll figure it out."
Jane Carpenter, Poetry Contest Insider subscriber

"Your site is the best! I've sent a lot of my fellow writers to you. I'm on the board of a local writers' group here in the Tampa Bay area called PINAWOR (Pinellas Writers and Authors Organization), and we have 140 members. I will often announce contests that I see on your site. I also tell them that it is well worth the subscription cost to have access, so that they will have links to the guidelines, submissions and information about of all the contests you list. I believe in Winning Writers."
Wayne Williams, Poetry Contest Insider subscriber

"For evaluations of the merits of individual contests, consult Winningwriters.com (a paid service)."
From the FAQ at Creative Writers Opportunities (CRWROPPS), a highly active mailing list announcing quality literary contests and publication opportunities

The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
Next conference: November 10-13
The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference provides the faculty, connections, and method necessary to set poets with a completed manuscript or manuscript-in-process on a path towards publication. Includes workshops, consultations with press editors, evening poetry readings, editorial panel Q&A, group critique of selected poems, and an after-conference strategy session.

Faculty for 2006 include publishers Jan Freeman (Paris Press), Jeffrey Levine (Tupelo Press), Dennis Maloney (White Pine Press), April Ossmann (Alice James Books), Martha Rhodes (Four Way Books), and others; workshop leaders Joan Houlihan, Director of the Concord Poetry Center; Suffolk University creative writing program director Frederick Marchant and Lesley University MFA faculty Teresa Cader.

Cost of the conference is $695, which includes lodging and meals. The conference takes place in Colrain, a country town in Western Massachusetts, at the unique and magical Round House. For an application and complete guidelines, please visit www.concordpoetry.org/Colrain. You may also call 978-897-0054, email cpc@concordpoetry.org, or write to Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference, Concord Poetry Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA 01742-2418.


The Shorter Decameron
by Larry Lyall
On sale now at Amazon.com

when I pray Lord please let Thy will be done
not only here but for eternity
& find that what He wills is such good fun
I'm certain heaven's for the likes of me
(VII, iii)

Boccaccio's refreshing wit recast as Petrarchan sonnets. The Shorter Decameron is a handbook for Boccaccio's masterwork as well as a stand-alone, comedic romp in the spirit of the original. You'll enjoy a critical gloss, ample quotes from Boccaccio, and, of course, the gist of the tales themselves.

"Pays brilliant tribute to the revelatory and transformative power of poetry, story, and intellectual exchange."
—Marilyn Migiel, author of A Rhetoric of the Decameron

Excerpt from The Shorter Decameron

now here's a little tune whose merry spin
turns best upon the wolf outside the door
or better still (per ancient lovers' lore)
the husband soon excis'd the wolf let in
if she lies fallow proves too much to tend
why lay aside your plough? why not restore
that which you first intended then foreswore?
how is it that you've stopp'd where she begins?

to wit: your flimsy house is made of straw
defended by an ass's spindly stick
& our sweet piglet knows (per nature's law)
this wolf is strong & hungry hard as brick

my guess is bacon—since the wherewithal
to harvest what's well-plant'd turns the trick

(VII, i)


New England Writer's Studio
Treat yourself to a weekend writing retreat for just $100
Editorial Expertise offers writers a period of secluded concentration in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Located between the Lakes Region and the White Mountains, Tamworth is a village with spectacular mountain scenery; quaint shops; winter and summer outdoor activities; a library within walking distance; and easy access to nearby towns and villages in the Lakes Region and White Mountains. The Barnstormers Theatre, the oldest summer stock playhouse in the country, is located in the heart of the village and offers plays and concerts throughout the year.

The newly renovated, fully furnished studio with a private entrance, bay window overlooking a small cottage and woodlands, and adjoining bathroom/utility room (with washer and dryer) is $100/weekend (Friday-Sunday), $275/week, and $550/month. Since each writer has unique needs and preferences, the cost of the writer's studio is separate from the fee for editorial services. Dr. Elizabeth Tillar is available for editing and consultations at $15/hour. Email Eliztillar@aol.com or call 603-323-2924. The peak foliage season is just around the corner, along with Thanksgiving and Christmas events at the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm. Call now for the best times to stay.


Hotmetalpress.net Call for Submissions
   Jack Wolford Memorial Prize for prose and poetry (no fee)
hotmetal press is accepting prose, poetry, photos, artwork. We publish high-quality works in seasonal issues. Submit your work in the body of an email message. Attach a jpeg image file for artwork. For guidelines, see www.hotmetalpress.net. $500 Jack Wolford Prize awarded for the best poem or prose work accepted for publication on the website prior to December 2006. Enter by email—no fee!

"The mission of hotmetalpress.net is to engage in a conversation that informs and enriches our cultural legacy, displays the myriad colors of our voices, sounds the rhyme and rhythm of inner city music, coastal artistry, campus noises of young dreamers, and illustrates the depth and breadth of our American experience. We invite you to ride with us through the diverse landscape, attend the lyrics that waken the self to woe and wonder that defines this twenty-first century lifespace." —Lois I. Greenberg, Editor



Last Call!
CUTTHROAT's $1,250 Joy Harjo Poetry/Rick DeMarinis Short Fiction Awards
Postmark Deadline: October 1
First Prize in each genre: $1,250 and publication in CUTTHROAT. Second Prize in each genre: $250 and publication in CUTTHROAT. All subjects and styles welcome. Send three unpublished poems (100 line limit for each) or one unpublished short story (5,000 word limit), a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), and a cover sheet with the titles of your submission, author name, address, phone and email address. Author name must not appear on any manuscript page. Include a $15 reading fee payable to Raven's Word Writers Center.

Mail your entry to:
Raven's Word Writers Center
CUTTHROAT Literary Awards
Genre: [Poetry or Short Story]
P.O. Box 2414
Durango, CO 81302

Judges: Naomi Shihab Nye and Robert Olen Butler. Enter as often as you wish. For more information, please go to www.cutthroatmag.com, email cutthroat@gmail.com or call 970-903-7914. Pamela Uschuk, Editor In Chief. 2005 Winners: Tehila Lieberman, Rick DeMarinis Short Fiction Award and B.J. Buckley, Joy Harjo Poetry Award. Our contributors include Richard Jackson, Rebecca Seiferle, Dorianne Laux, Marvin Bell, Fred Chappell, Kelly Cherry, Naomi Shihab Nye, Rick DeMarinis, Elizabeth Gordon, Doug Frelke, Howard Faerstein, Maj Ragain and Joy Harjo.


Closing Next Month
2007 Kore Press Short Fiction Award
Postmark Deadline: October 15
A prize of $1,000 plus chapbook publication by Kore Press will be given for a short story written in English. Judge: Margot Livesey. This competition is open to any woman writing in English, regardless of nationality. For full guidelines, please visit www.korepress.org.


Closing Next Month
The Litchfield Review Winter Contest
Postmark Deadline: October 31
The Litchfield Review seeks original, unpublished poems, essays and short stories for its current contest. We provide a forum to both emerging and established writers; our only criterion for acceptance is excellence. We look for good stories beautifully told, quality poetry of substance, and creative nonfiction that lingers long in the minds of readers. The overall winner will receive $250. Other prizes of $100 may also be awarded. The reading fee is $10 per essay, short story, or set of 1-3 poems; or $15 to submit an unlimited number of prose and poetry entries. Make checks payable to The Litchfield Review. All prizewinners will be published in The Litchfield Review. Runners-up may also be published. All writers we publish will receive a free copy of the issue in which they appear.

Please submit two copies of your manuscript and make your reading fee payable to The Litchfield Review. Essays and short stories may be up to 3,000 words long. Poems may have up to 45 lines. Your entry should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of letter-size sheets of paper. Staple multiple pages together. Include a cover page with your name, address, phone number, email address (if available) and title for each submission. Indicate the word count (prose) or line count (poetry) on the cover page.

Mail your submission to: The Litchfield Review, 7 Bonna Street, Beacon Falls, CT 06403.

You may submit the same work simultaneously to this contest and to others. Please notify The Litchfield Review if the work you submit is accepted elsewhere. Questions? Please email Theresa C. Vara-Dannen.

Connecticut writers, please see our website for details on our upcoming Writers' Conference being held on October 14th at Chase Collegiate School, Waterbury, CT.


Perigee 2006 Poetry Contest - Now Open
Postmark Deadline: December 31
This year renowned poet Marvin Bell serves as Finalist Judge. He carries on the generous legacy of our past guest judges Judy Jordan and Steve Kowit. A faculty member of Pacific University's MFA Program, the author of sixteen books of poetry, and Iowa's first Poet Laureate, Bell is a virtuoso of verse indeed. So submit your very best work to this contest!

Cash prizes totaling $650 await the winners. All four winning entries will be published in our 2007 anniversary issue. The top placing poem will be nominated by Perigee for the 2007 Pushcart Prize! Winning poems are likely to be those which demonstrate exhaustive revision, linguistic precision, creative execution, and careful form. All styles and subject matters are welcome. Reading fee: $7 for every three poems, without limit. Results will be announced on February 15. To read the guidelines and submit online or by mail, please visit www.perigee-art.com.



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SELECTED FREE PROSE CONTESTS

These free prose contests with deadlines between September 16 and October 31 are included as a bonus in The Best Free Poetry Contests.

Click the contest names below to go straight to their profiles, or login to The Best Free Poetry Contests here. After you login, please click the Find Free Contests link, then search by Prose Contest Type to find prose contests.

9/22: Chapter One Fiction Competition +
Neutral free contest for novel excerpts by New York City residents aged 18+ offers up to four prizes of $1,000 and a public reading. Send the first chapter of your unpublished novel or work-in-progress, maximum 20 double-spaced pages, plus 250-word synopsis.

9/30: Iowa Short Fiction Prize ++
Recommended contest from the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop seeks a manuscript of short fiction (150 pages minimum) by an author who has not previously published a book of prose fiction in English. (Books in other genres or languages, and self-published books, do not disqualify you.) Prize is publication under a standard royalty contract.

9/30: Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest +
Entries must be received by this date
Thrice-yearly free neutral contest offers $200 and web publication for short fiction. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-20th century America. Entries should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. Submit stories of 1,000-5,000 words by email to jm@jerryjazz.com as an MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachment. Please be sure to include your name, address and phone number with your submission. Please include "Short Fiction Contest Submission" in the subject heading of the email.

9/30: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest ++
Recommended free contest for emerging writers of short science fiction, fantasy and horror offers quarterly prizes of $1,000 plus an annual $4,000 grand prize for one of the four winners. Send only one story per quarter, maximum 17,000 words. See website for eligibility rules.

9/30: LILITH Magazine Fiction Competition +
Neutral free contest offers $250 for unpublished stories touching on the experience of Jewish women. Send one story, maximum 3,000 words (shorter stories preferred). Sponsored by LILITH, a Jewish feminist magazine.

9/30: Metcalfe-Rooke Award ++
Recommended free contest offers C$1,500 and publication for the best unpublished novel or short story collection by a Canadian writer. No length limit specified (200-400 pages is typical). Biblioasis is a small independent press in Ontario that publishes literary prose and poetry, and the critical journal CNQ: Canadian Notes & Queries.

9/30: Penknife Press Short Story Writing Contest +
Entries must be received by this date
Neutral free contest for authors aged 21+ offers prizes up to $1,000 for short stories of 1,000-10,000 words, with a social and/or political theme that reflects current events. Past titles published by this press are mainly genre fiction (horror, sci-fi) and a book of anti-Christian essays.

9/30: Vanity Fair Essay Contest +++
Entries must be received by this date
Highly recommended free contest offers top prize of $15,000 and a one-week stay at the Santa Maddalena writers' colony in Donnini, Italy, for the best essay on an annual theme concerning the contemporary American character. The contest is open to US residents aged 18+. Vanity Fair is a well-known glossy magazine focusing on celebrities, cultural trends and politics. Send one essay, 1,500 words maximum, by email only. 2006 theme is: "What is reality to Americans today? And did we ever have a grasp of it?"

10/1: Enlisted Essay Contest ++
Recommended free contest from the U.S. Naval Institute offers top prize of $1,500 for essays on any subject relevant to military service. Maximum 2,500 words. One entry per person; no simultaneous submissions. Contest is open to active, reserve, retired, and former enlisted personnel of all service branches and countries.

10/15: Wild Blue Yonder Short Fiction Contest ++
Recommended free bimonthly contest for stories on selected themes includes $250, publication in Frontier Airlines' in-flight magazine, and free online or in-person writing workshop from Lighthouse Writers, a Denver-based literary group. Stories should be 2,500 words maximum. See website for other thematic restrictions. Enter by mail or email.

10/16: Brenda L. Smart Fiction Prizes +
Formerly October 17
Neutral free contest for North Carolina authors with no published books offers $500 for short fiction (up to 5,000 words), $250 for flash fiction (up to 1,200 words).

10/30: RTE Radio 1 Short Story Competition ++
Entries must be received by this date; formerly October 7
Recommended free contest for authors born or normally resident in Ireland offers top prize of 3,000 euros for unpublished short fiction of 1,800-2,000 words that is suitable for radio performance.

10/31: FundsforWriters Essay Contest +
Entries must be received by this date
Neutral free contest for short essays (750 words maximum) on topics of interest to the professional writer offers $150 in fee-charging category, $50 in free category. FFW is an excellent resource for both literary and commercial freelance writers, offering useful e-books and newsletters that list paying markets for different types of writing. Fee is $5 per essay. Themes change annually. Email entries preferred (no attachments). The 2006 contest offers a choice of four themes:

1. Someone has a $5,000 grant open to writers. Only one writer can be selected. Write a narrative explaining why your writing is worth funding.


2. Most grants for writers are small. If you won a $1,000 grant designed to further a writer's career, how would you use it and why?


3. Where will you be as a writer five years from now? How will you get there?


4. If you were a mentor to a new writer, describe the who, what, when, where, why and how lessons of becoming successful. 'Successful' is your own definition.

10/31: A Lion's Tale +
Entries must be received by this date
Neutral free contest offers 1,000 pounds and possible publication for a story, 300-800 words, that would be appropriate for a children's picture book. Sponsor Lion Hudson is the children's-book division of Lion Publishing, a Christian publishing house in the UK. Entry is open only to previously unpublished authors of children's fiction over the age of 18. Enter by mail or email. No simultaneous submissions.

10/31: National Short Story Prize +++
Entries must be received by this date; formerly November 30
Highly recommended free contest for UK citizens/residents with "a prior record of publication" offers 15,000 pounds for the best short story up to 8,000 words, plus other large prizes. Stories must either be unpublished or have been published during the current calendar year. See website for detailed eligibility rules.

10/31: PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction +++
Entries must be received by this date
Highly recommended free contest for published books of fiction by US citizens offers top prize of $15,000, four runners-up of $5,000. Send 4 copies of book to the Foundation office. Recent winners have been well-established writers such as Ha Jin and John Updike.


Login to The Best Free Poetry Contests now to view these and all our profiles of free contests.

Key to Ratings
Highly Recommended: +++
Recommended: ++
Neutral: +

All deadlines are postmark deadlines unless otherwise specified.


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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Sarabande Books Open Reading Period
Postmark Deadline: September 30
This well-regarded literary press from Kentucky is accepting queries from poetry and prose authors with a manuscript to sell. Send a sample of 10 poems, a single story, or a section of a novella or short novel, with SASE. Response time is under 3 months, at which point they may invite you to submit the entire manuscript. Sarabande Books publishes full-length poetry collections (48+ pages), and shorter books of literary prose (150-250 pages): collections of short stories, novellas, short novels, literary nonfiction or essay collections. They do not consider longer novels, mysteries, westerns, children's books, adventure, or science fiction. Sarabande also sponsors two prestigious contests, the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry and the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, with a reading period of January 1- February 15.


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NEW LITERARY RESOURCES

American Life in Poetry
Weekly column by former US poet laureate Ted Kooser presents contemporary American poems and a short discussion of the techniques that make them effective. This series is designed to be reprinted for free by newspapers and online periodicals (with attribution), in order to create a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. You may also sign up for free weekly emails. Sponsored by The Poetry Foundation and the Library of Congress.

Children's Online Rhyming Poetry by Josie Whitehead
Ditties by Yorkshire poet teach children about rhyme and rhythm, through subjects such as animals, fairy tales, resisting peer pressure, and making time to hear God's voice.

Gather.com Short-Form Writing Competition with Amazon Shorts
Members of Gather.com, an online content-sharing and discussion forum, can enter this monthly free contest and vote for the winners. Writers post their short-form work and compete to sell their writing on Amazon.com. Monthly winners will be the 3 entries with the highest number of votes and average rating, along with 1 editors' pick.

Holy Tango of Literature
Francis Heaney's brilliant poetic parodies with a twist: the subject of the poem is an anagram of the famous writer's name. Hence T.S. Eliot opines on "Toilets" ("Let us go then, to the john..."), Coleridge's ancient mariner goes on an acid trip in "Multicolored Argyle Sea", Blake lauds Fred Flintstone's wife in "Likeable Wilma", and Ogden Nash wonders why his chickens aren't breeding in "Hen Gonads".

MicroHorror.com
Bite-sized chillers (under 666 words) are the specialty of this webzine. The traditional cast of ghosts, vampires and serial killers are well-represented, along with some more surreal and genre-bending prose. Previously published work accepted. Submit by email.

Military Writers Society of America
Association of writers and artists who honor the military through their creative works. Most of the 500+ members are active-duty or veterans, but civilians may also join. The MWSA offers annual awards for published books in a variety of genres including nonfiction (scholarly and popular), children's literature, poetry, fiction, memoirs, spiritual/religious, and science fiction. The site also features many book reviews.

Poetry Chaikhana: Sacred Poetry from Around the World
Comprehensive archive of mystical poetry from many eras and spiritual traditions, with brief biographies of the authors. Both Eastern and Western cultures are well-represented. Site is indexed by author's name, religious affiliation, and time period. A great way to learn about other cultures. Editor Ivan Granger explains, "A chaikhana is a teahouse along the legendary Silk Road pilgrimage and trading route linking China to the Middle East and Europe. It is a place of rest along the journey, a place to shake off the dust of the road, to sip tea, and to gather together to sing songs of the Divine...."

Ruminate Magazine
New quarterly journal of literature and visual art that "resonates with the complexity and truth of the Christian faith." The handsome photography and inventive mingling of typefaces add to the sense that this magazine is wide open to new perspectives and the free play of the imagination. Ruminate's poetry and prose often address serious subjects, but with a note of hope that is never merely sentimental. Emerging writers welcome.

Writers' Alliance
Contribute your poetry, prose, songs, short films and artwork to this site whose goal is to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur (Sudan). Poet Sankar Roy is the editor.


See all our resources now at http://www.winningwriters.com/resources/ur_web.php. This is also the gateway to our recommended books, magazines, service providers, advice for writers (with manuscript tips) and poetry critiques.


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NEW RECOMMENDED BOOKS

The Imaginary Poets
Edited by Alan Michael Parker. The brilliant idea behind this Tupelo Press anthology: ask 22 leading poets to invent an alter ego, "translate" one of his or her poems, and write a short bio and critical essay about the "author". From David Kirby inventing a lost Scandinavian language for his fisherman-poet "Kevnor", to Victoria Redel discussing the feminist implications of the poems "Tzadie Rackel" sewed into her dishrags, these deadpan critical essays play with the conventions of academic poetry and criticism, in the same way that Cindy Sherman's imaginary film stills trick us into "recognizing" characters and poses that are so archetypical that we think we've really seen the movie. If you've ever found the museum placards more interesting than the modern art they describe, this book will make you laugh and think.

Scattered Risks
By Pamela Uschuk. Like a modern St. Francis, this poet is a sister to all the beasts and plants that grace her southwestern landscape, and unfailingly finds the perfectly textured and surprising words to bring them to life for the reader. Uschuk is a prophet of the wilderness that we are fast destroying; few poems pass without a reminder of the human warfare and greed that lurk at Eden's edge. She invites us to feel the "velvet shoulders" of the bat rays in the aquarium's touch pool, then to question our right to have "these benign inmates confined to concrete/ entertaining us with their lives." Totemic illustrations by James G. Davis enhance this volume from Wings Press, Texas' oldest small press.

Textbook Illustrations of the Human Body
By George Estreich. This poet's voice is eminently likeable, humble and wise. Whether he is finding spiritual wonder in nature's complexity, or working his way to reconciliation with aging parents, Estreich's gift for elegant and original phrases never seems like showing off. This book won the 2003 Rhea & Seymour Gorsline Poetry Competition from Cloudbank Books.


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Last Call!
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest
Postmark Deadline: September 30
Now in its fourth year, this contest seeks poems in any style, theme or genre. 30 cash prizes totaling $3,500 will be awarded, including a top prize of $1,000. All winners of cash prizes will be published in an anthology. The entry fee is $6 for every 25 lines you submit. Enter online or by mail. Early submission encouraged. You may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. Unpublished work is also welcome. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this contest. Judges: John H. Reid and Dee C. Konrad. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry


Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest
Postmark Deadline: March 31, 2007
Now in its 15th year. Prizes of $1,200, $800 and $400 will be awarded, plus four High Distinction awards of $200 each. Submit any type of short story, essay or other work of prose, up to 5,000 words. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. $12 entry fee. Submit online or by mail. Early submission encouraged. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this contest. Judges: John H. Reid and Dee C. Konrad. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/tomstory


Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest - No Fee
Online Submission Deadline: April 1, 2007
Winning Writers invites you to enter the sixth annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. The prize pool has doubled to $3,336.40 in cash, with a top prize of $1,359. There is no fee to enter. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Submit online at www.winningwriters.com/wergle


Start a Great-Looking Blog in Minutes with GoDaddy
Blogs are a great way to publicize literary work and timely information, but you may have been intimidated by the cost or technical considerations. We have had good results using the Quick Blog service at www.GoDaddy.com . You'll pay $2.99/month or less. If you need a new domain name as a home for your blog, it's just $1.99 to reserve one for a year. Upload text, images and audio recordings. Multiple authors can add to the same blog, so you can share the work. GoDaddy has several handsome templates to choose from. No technical or design expertise needed, nor will GoDaddy place ads on your blog. Learn more at www.GoDaddy.com .


LEARN TO WRITE FOR MAGAZINES!
Want to freelance for magazines but don't know how? Need a little motivation to get started? Learn how to develop ideas, research markets, write your query letter, and make your pitch to editors! In only eight lessons, veteran freelancer Linda Formicelli will show you the ropes. She's written for more than 120 publications, including USA Weekend, Family Circle, Men's Fitness, and Women's Day. Let Linda show you how you can, too!
http://www.absoluteclasses.com/Formicelli/writing_for_magazines.htm


2007 Poet's Market - NEW
The 2007 edition of Poet's Market has just arrived. It's on sale at Amazon. Published each August by Writer's Digest, this is the best annual guide to 1,800 journals, magazines, book publishers, chapbook publishers, websites, grants, conferences, workshops and contests. Helps you find publishers who are looking for your kind of work. Also updated are Novel & Short Story Writer's Market and Writer's Market for works of prose. Writer's Market is "the most valuable of tools for the writer new to the marketplace," says Stephen King in On Writing.


Office Depot - September Coupon
Save on paper, toner, binders and all your writing supplies at Office Depot. Free delivery in select areas when you order $50 or more. Coupon:
Save $30 off any $150 purchase from Office Depot in September!


SAVE ON TEXTBOOKS AT ALIBRIS
Slash your textbook costs in literature, poetry, philosophy, art and all academic subjects. Free shipping when you order $49 or more of eligible books.
Search over 60 million new and used books at Alibris!


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FEATURED POEM FROM A SUBSCRIBER

Earliest Remembered Sound
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

All the sound in the world sucked
to a wavering, wailing note.
I perch on my father’s knee,
afraid, look through our window
Utah’s lights snuff, quickly, quickly,
silver sequins turn dark
until the skyline disappears
against deep velvet. There,
among our overstuffed chairs
doilies protect fat rolled arms.
The siren whines to silence.

What could that have been?

Oh, nothing, an air raid
my mother answers
as if her words were lyrics
she wanted to forget.
Would the lights return
charged with that sound that split
my father’s hand from mine.
Father wears a khaki cap, grosgrain ribbons
across his heart; smells of gabardine
and good-byes. His eyelids twitch
Mother, once again, says

Oh, probably nothing at all.


Copyright 2006 by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

This poem is reprinted from Ms. Howard-Johnson's chapbook Tracings, which won a Silver Award for Excellence from the Military Writers Society of America.


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