2017 Winning Poems

The winning poems in the 2017  Poet's Pause poetry competition were Be by Diana Joy’s and Sword Ferns in Spring by Susan Alexander

Be

Diana Joy’s: Togetherness Theme; 2017 

Sit here,
watch the lake
while I watch you.
Sit here
in this space
of slow and easy.
Sit with your
dreams
and your doubts.
Sit with your
joys
and your sorrows.
Sit with your
accomplishments
and your failures.
Sit with your
satisfactions
and your regrets.
Sit with your
gains
and your losses.
Sit with your
loves
and your heartbreaks.
Sit with yourself,
just be,
with me.
While I watch you
watch the lake,
sit here.

SWORD FERNS IN SPRING

Susan Alexander: Listening Theme; 2017  

If you stop 
(waist high hemmed in on every side)
and the wind stops
and the winter wrens stop
their frantic love trills, you may hear a sound galactic –
how fractals unfurl in Fibonacci spirals,
how each frond learns those intervals,
sings variations on the theme.

Treble and base clefs tip
fresh growth, tremble
along the staffs of winter veterans.
Golden cochleae listen for harmonies.
Tomorrow they will know the tune.

All winter they have endured for this.
The dead and the seasoned circle
new geometry.
Every year you must come
join the chorale, faithful and primordial.
Even you,
with your single grace note.