FARMINGTON — Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties has named the winners of its 14th annual poetry contest, funded in part by Western Mountain Financial Services and the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. The judge was Laine Kuehn. Contest categories are as follows.
Youth, Age 11 and under First Place: Logan Hartman, Cat, Farmington; Second Place: Daygon Purington, My Heart, Farmington; Third Place: Quinn Allen, The Small Frog, Farmington.
Cat
By Logan Hartman
Oh, cat
Are you grinning?
Curled in the window seat
As sun warms you this December
Morning
Adults First Place: Nancy Merrow, Privy Lockdown, Wilton; Second Place: Nancy Lockwood, On The Death of An Old Friend, Industry; Third Place: Peg Ellis, Good Grief,
Privy Lockdown
By Nancy Merrow
The window still was there, and down below
The splintered planks created rows of light,
Enough to see the lumps and mounds and know
The shit was from his family. Despite
The fact that some were dead, the brown remains
Ignited thought and wonder. Percy; Pete;
Mable; May; Elvina; names his brain’s
Cortex network generated, replete
With stories spanning centuries. The link
To privy holes and rotting excrement
Amused and pleased the child until the stink
Became a permeating punishment.
Privy lockdown for a few foul words-
At least he’d met the ghost of Grammie’s turds.
Temple Students of Literacy Volunteers First Place: Anna Crockett, Sayings and Looks, Jay; Second Place: Matilda Holt, My New Barn, Farmington; Third Place: Lacey Ann Elder, My Lost Things, Strong,
Saying and Looks
By Anna Crockett
Saying And Looks. Brown eyes are looking at me.
Nana, can I go on an airplane. Where would you like to go To Maine to see
you again. Your eyes act like words to me. Yes, Go play with your cars.
Vroom Vroom I hear from the floor. Standing up and looking at that
little face. Nana, you are my best friend. I love you.
Those looks and sayings came from little ones.
The collection of winning poems will be published at westernmaineliteracy.org and in a poetry anthology. Contest prizes are gift certificates from stores in Farmington: First place, $25 at Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers, second place, $15 at Twice Sold Tales bookstore, and third place, $10 at Java Joe’s.
Visit westernmaineliteracy.org or call 207-500-3131 for more information.
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