Cat. 1 – FSPA Free Verse Award
Subject: Any / Form: Free Verse – 83 Entries
JUDGE: JILL ANGEL LANGLOIS, IL
1st PL – BJ Alligood, FL “My Mother’s Purse”
2nd PL – Catherine Moran, AR “Taking a Look at Our Humanity”
3rd PL – Barbara Blanks, TX “His Daughter Called This Morning”
1st HM – Bruce Woodworth, FL “Baroque Visions”
2nd HM – Robert E. Blenheim, FL “The Cornflower Girl”
3rd HM – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Family Plot”
Cat. 2 – FSPA Formal Verse Award
Subject: Any / Form: Formal Verse – 55 Entries
JUDGE: JANET QUALLY, TN
1st PL – Joyce Shiver, FL “The Weeping Willow”
2nd PL – Gail Denham, OR “Irma Speaks”
3rd PL – Dr. Emory D. Jones, MS “The Spirit Moves You”
1st HM – Gail Denham, OR “Fractured”
2nd HM – Janet Watson, FL “When They Go Through My Things”
3rd HM – Jerri Hardesty, AL “Lesson From Childhood”
Cat. 3 – Listening Award
Subject: Listening / Form: Any – 54 Entries
JUDGE: RAFAEL LANTIGUA MEDINA, IL
1st PL – Barbara Blanks, TX “The Sounds of Summer”
2nd PL – Tanya R. Whitney, LA “Listen to Me”
3rd PL – BettyAnn Whitney, FL “A Day to Remember”
1st HM – Janet Watson, FL “Healing Voices”
2nd HM – Judi Gerard-Houghton, FL “Autumn’s Child”
3rd HM – Gordon L. Magill, FL “A Symphony of Birds”
Cat. 4 – Tomoka Poets Award
Subject: At the Beach / Form: Any – 46 Entries
JUDGE: TIEL AISHA ANSARI, OR
1st PL – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Sheltie”
2nd PL – Gail Denham, OR “Spouting Horn”
3rd PL – Mary Ellen Orvis, FL “At the Beach in Northern Ireland”
1st HM – Carlton Johnson, FL “This beach,”
2nd HM – Jan Godown Annino, FL “Surfing”
3rd HM – Jonathan Bennett, TN “Ocean”
Cat. 5 – Willard B. Foster Memorial Award
Subject: Threat to the Environment / Form: Any – 36 Entries
JUDGE: BARBARA BLANKS, TX
1st PL – B. Alexander, ON “Let the Trees Breathe”
2nd PL – Mark Andrew James Terry, FL “New Age of the Sloth”
3rd PL – Judith Krum, FL “All that Remains”
1st HM – Suzanne S. Austin-Hill, FL “A Clerihew to the Environment”
2nd HM – Clarice Hare, FL “Secrets of Dis-ease”
3rd HM – Cheryl A. Van Beek, FL “Abstract Art”
Cat. 6 – Orlando Area Poets Award
Subject: Theme Parks and Attractions / Form: Any – 21 Entries
JUDGE: JENENE RAVESLOOT, IL
1st PL – Janet Watson, FL “Your Disney World Credit Card”
2nd PL – Robert E. Blenheim, FL
“Who Wants to Go Back to Disney World Anyway?”
3rd PL – Barbara Blanks, TX “Just Another Attraction”
1st HM – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Hulk”
2nd HM – Mark Andrew James Terry, FL “March 20, 2020”
3rd HM – Mary Ellen Orvis, FL “Thrill”
Cat. 7 – June Owens Memorial Award
Subject: Secret Languages / Form: Any – 38 Entries
JUDGE: DEBORAH PETERSEN, IN
1st PL – Amy Wray Irish, CO “Speaking Serpent”
2nd PL – Janet Watson, FL “Blood Moon”
3rd PL – Diane Neff, FL “Know”
1st HM – Nancy Simmonds, IN “Gossip”
2nd HM – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Secret Names”
3rd HM – Catherine Moran, AR “The Secret Language of Lovers”
Cat. 8 – The Poet’s Vision Award
Subject: Any / Form: Any – 56 Entries
JUDGE: IDA KOTYUK, IL
1st PL – Llewellyn McKernan, FL “To the Carver from the Wood”
2nd PL – Robert E. Blenheim, FL “Hysteria Incorporated”
3rd PL – Judi Gerard-Houghton, FL “Matching Tears”
1st HM – Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Stately Homes”
2nd HM – Jerri Hardesty, AL “Drum Circle 4”
3rd HM – Nancy Simmonds, IN “Memories of Memorial Day”
Cat. 9 – New River Poets Award (In Honor of Our Deceased Members)
Subject: Any / Form: Any – 49 Entries
JUDGE: LENNART LUNDH, IL
1st PL – Nancy Simmonds, IN “Songs of the Celestial Voyager”
2nd PL – BJ Alligood, FL “Celestial Soul”
3rd PL – Trina Lee, OK “Pursued”
1st HM – Cheryl A. Van Beek, FL “Prayer”
2nd HM – Janet Watson, FL “Hummingbird”
3rd HM – Andrea McBride, FL “Hidden”
Cat. 10 – Villanelle Award
Subject: Any / Form: Villanelle – 30 Entries
JUDGE: DAVID RUTIEZER, OR
1st PL – Von S. Bourland, TX “I Dream of an Eternal Garden”
2nd PL – LaVern Spencer McCarthy, OK “Crossword Consternation”
3rd PL – Barbara Blanks, TX “Rhinoplasty Is Not an Option”
1st HM – Joyce Shiver, FL “We’ll Never Know”
2nd HM – Sara Gipson, AR “Is Spring Here?”
3rd HM – Mary Ellen Orvis, FL “Don’t Bother Me”
Cat. 11 – Humor Award
Subject: Humor / Form: Rhymed and Metered – 35 Entries
JUDGE: BUDD POWELL MAHAN, TX
1st PL – Tim Schulz , FL “Bonfire Rendezvous”
2nd PL – Joyce Shiver, FL “A Minimalist?”
3rd PL – Jerri Hardesty, AL “Just A Coincidence”
1st HM – Diane Neff, FL “The Poet”
2nd HM – Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Late”
3rd HM – Angie M. Mayo, FL “Darkness”
Cat. 12 – The Live Poets Society Award
Subject: The Dark Side / Form: Any – 52 Entries
JUDGE: MARY A. COUCH, IN
1st PL – Amy Wray Irish, CO “What She Learned at School”
2nd PL – Ruth Van Alstine, FL “Echo”
3rd PL – Judi Gerard-Houghton, FL “Generous Rapist?”
1st HM – Von S. Bourland, TX “Inhumane Death”
2nd HM – Janet Watson, FL “After Suicide”
3rd HM – Catherine Moran, AR “Taking Time With the Dark”
Cat. 13 – Miami Poets Award
Subject: Trees / Form: Any – 52 Entries
JUDGE: KAREN K. BAILEY, OK
1st PL – BettyAnn Whitney, FL “Life After Death”
2nd PL – Llewellyn McKernan, FL “Facing the Tree”
3rd PL – Frank Yanni, FL “Live Oak”
1st HM – Sandra Spurney, FL “The Mulberry Tree”
2nd HM – Carolynn J. Scully, FL, “The Cottonwood Tree”
3rd HM – Robert E. Blenheim, FL “Beyond the Tree Line”
Cat. 14 – Kate Kennedy Memorial Award
Subject: Any / Form: Any – 55 Entries
JUDGE: LYNDA LA ROCCA, CO
1st PL – LaVern Spencer McCarthy, OK “Algebraic Angst”
2nd PL – Susan Stahr, FL “Recollections of a Porch Banister”
3rd PL – Helen Roselyn Tucker, FL “Company”
1st HM – Diane Neff, FL – Haiku
2nd HM – Jonathan Bennett, TN “Birthday Boy (for Shasta)”
3rd HM – Christian Shute, WY “She Smiles”
Cat. 15 – Weinbaum/Glidden Award
Subject: Issues and Concerns Faced by LGBTQ Community and Those Who Love Them / Form: Any – 14 Entries
JUDGE: JON SEBBA, UT
1st PL – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Dazzler”
2nd PL – Mary Ellen Orvis, FL “Cold Day in June”
3rd PL – Elaine Person, FL Haiku
1st HM – Jerri Hardesty, AL “Chrysanthemum”
2nd HM – Robert E. Blenheim, FL “Ellenroy the Elepotamus”
3rd HM – Lela E. Buis, TN “Mama Has Gone Off the Deep End Again”
Cat. 16 – Henrietta & Mark Kroah Founders Award
Subject: Wedding / Form: Any – 35 Entries
JUDGE: CAROL M. SISKOVIC, TX
1st PL – Diane Neff, FL “Wedded”
2nd PL – Mark Andrew James Terry, FL “To the Bride and the Groom”
3rd PL – Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Let’s Always Be Lovers”
1st HM – BJ Alligood, FL “Vows”
2nd HM – Gail Denham, OR “How Were Those Marriage Years?”
3rd HM – Sonja Jean Craig, FL “Down the Aisle”
Cat. 17 – Past Presidents Award
Subject: Answers / Form: Any – 35 Entries
JUDGE: DORIS STENGEL, MN
1st PL – Judi Gerard–Houghton, FL “The Question”
2nd PL – Elaine Person, FL “Get On With It: Thoughts of a Single Woman”
3rd PL – Sara Gipson, AR “Answers Revealed”
1st HM – Dr. Emory D. Jones, MS “Speaking of Daughters”
2nd HM – Mary Ellen Orvis, FL “Seeking Answers”
3rd HM – BettyAnn Whitney, FL “The Woodcarver’s Reply”
Cat. 18 – Frank Yanni Award
Subject: Books / Form: Any – 36 Entries
JUDGE: SARA GIPSON, AR
1st PL – Tim Schulz, FL “The Lean-To circa 1969”
2nd PL – Peter M. Gordon, FL “Inscriptions”
3rd PL – Catherine Moran, AR “Reading in the Fullness of Time”
1st HM – Lorraine Jeffery, UT “Used People”
2nd HM – Gail Denham, OR “Library Riches”
3rd HM – Joyce Shiver, FL “Hooked on Reading”
Cat. 19 – Janet Binkley Erwin Memorial Award
Subject: Any / Form: Any – 51 Entries
JUDGE: GAIL DENHAM, OR
1st PL – Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Coming!”
2nd PL – Judi Gerard-Houghton, FL “Aging Rage”
3rd PL – Helen Roselyn Tucker, FL “The Old Screen Door”
1st HM – BettyAnn Whitney, FL “Woman Writing a Letter”
2nd HM – Robert E. Blenheim, FL “My Secret Little Pet”
3rd HM – Marcy Clark, FL “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”