2016 FSPA Poetry Contest Winners

Cat. 1 FSPA Free Verse Award – Any/Free Verse – 115 Entries
JUDGE: CHRISTINE DELEA, OR
1st PL Kathryn Remini, FL “It Was Raining…”
2nd PL Jane Peterson, FL “Of the Carrion Sky”
3rd PL Doris DiSavino, PA “These Quiet Men”
1st HM Al Rocheleau, FL “Swans Of Tuonela”
2nd HM Mary Marcelle, FL “Shield”
3rd HM Mary Marcelle, FL “I went to the movies with my sister instead of waiting for Steve”

Cat. 2 FSPA Formal Verse Award – Any/Formal Verse – 76 Entries
JUDGE: ERIC H. READ, UT
1st PL Dalene Stull, OH “To Edna St. Vincent Millay”
2nd PL Rose Ann Spaith, OH “Views of Love in Six Flower Still Lifes”
3rd PL Joyce Shiver, FL “Legend of the Glass Slipper’
1st HM Don J. Cosat, FL “American Lit 101”
2nd HM Emory D. Jones, MS “Good God”
3rd HM Janet Watson, FL “Shells”

Cat. 3 Joseph A. Cavanaugh, Sr. Memorial Award – Ireland/Any– 29 Entries
JUDGE: KEVIN MCENEANEY, NY
1st PL Janet Watson, FL “Bloomsday in Howth”
2nd PL Kolette Montague, UT “Found Poem: Bulletin Board─Inch Beach, Ireland”
3rd PL Von S. Bourland, TX “Grandmother Remembers Eire
1st HM Don S. Cosat, FL “Searching for Myself at Slane”
2nd HM NL Cook, MN “Ruairi’s Return”
3rd HM Catherine Moran, AR “All About the Green”

Cat. 4 Edna & Walter Redemann Memorial Award–Patriotism/Any–31 Entries
JUDGE: MARSHA OLDHAM, OK
1st PL Judith Krum, FL “A Quiet Place”
2nd PL B. J. Alligood, FL “The Ceremony”
3rd PL Charles K. Firmage, ID “Desert Sands Are Calling”
1st HM Sylvia Longmire, FL “Thank You For Your Service”
2nd HM Sam Giordano, FL “The Colonel”
3rd HM Jerri Hardesty, AL “Inalienable”

Cat. 5 The Crescendo Award – Music/Any – 46 Entries
JUDGE: KAREN BAILEY, OK
1st PL Meredith R. Cook, MN “An Evening With Classical Public Radio”
2nd PL Caroline Walton, FL “I Still Remember You”
3rd PL Karen McAferty Morris, FL “The Troubadour Stood on the Stage”
1st HM John F. Foster, FL “Wind Chimes”
2nd HM Sylvia S. Medel, TX “A Night to Remember”
3rd HM Lori Anne Goetz, TN “Performing Tonight”

Cat. 6 Sunshine Poets Award – Humor/Rhymed, Metered – 52 Entries
JUDGE: WARREN JONES, IN
1st PL Joe Perrone, FL “Poem Lost – Love Lost?”
2nd PL LaVern Spencer McCarthy, OK “Summer, And The Living Is Crowded”
3rd PL Beverly Stanislawski, IN “Ol’ Blue”
1st HM Emery L. Campbell, GA “Two Jacks’ Knickknacks Get Whacked”
2nd HM Sara Gipson, AR “Taxing Counts”
3rd HM Joyce Shiver, FL “Poetry Teachers Say”

Cat. 7 Listening Award – Listening/Any – 45 Entries
JUDGE: NANCY BREEN, OH
1st PL Crystie Cook, UT “Chopin Op. 9 No 3 in B Major
2nd PL Jeani M. Picklesimer, KY “Truly Hearing and Being Heard”
3rd PL Kolette Montague, UT “Bird Watching, Kiabab Plateau”
1st HM NL Cook, MN “Blood Memory”
2nd HM Robert E. Blenheim, FL “Who Says Redemption is Too Far Away?”
3rd HM B. J. Alligood, FL “Night Echoes”

Cat. 8 O Hapa Days – Mixed Race/Heritage/Culture/Any – 24 Entries
JUDGE: DARLEEN BUTLER, IN
1st PL John F. Foster, FL “Cultural Experience”
2nd PL Leslie C. Halpern, FL “The Chat-N-Nibble”
3rd PL Sara Gipson, AR “Sports Heroes Facing Defeat”
1st HM Janet Watson, FL “Friendship at Cross Creek”
2nd HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, KY “Focusing On the Radiance”
3rd HM Vera Ogden Bakker, UT “Foreign”

Cat. 9 Henrietta & Mark Kroah Founders Award – Coffee or Tea/Any – 43 Entries
JUDGE: JOAN HOWERTON, TN
1st PL Jeani M. Picklesimer, KY “Teapot for Two”
2nd PL Janet Watson, FL “The Maker of Coffee”
3rd PL Betty Ann Whitney, FL “The Tea of Flowers”
1st HM G. Kyra von Brokoph, FL “Shakespeare at Starbucks
2nd HM Judith Krum, FL “High Tea at the Lamorna Cove”
3rd HM Don J. Cosat, FL “Tea Is Served”

Cat. 10 Past Presidents Award – Yesterday/Any – 64 Entries
JUDGE: BUDD MAHAN, TX
1st PL Jeff Santosuosso, FL “Tomorrow”
2nd PL Mary Jo Balistreri, WI “Snapshot, Late Winter, 1997”
3rd PL Dalene Stull, OH “Orphan Photos”
1st HM Von S. Bourland, TX “Heroes Honoring Heroes”
2nd HM Lori Anne Goetz, TN “Lost Focus”
3rd HM Caroline Walton, FL “A Part of Yesterday Serves Today

Cat. 11 Taking a Chance Award – Taking a Chance/Any– 38 Entries
JUDGE: BARRY MARKS, AL
1st PL Mary Jo Balistreri, WI “The Trophy”
2nd PL Charles K. Firmage, ID “Hot Pastrami”
3rd PL Vera Ogden Bakker, UT “Into Shadow”
1st HM NL Cook, MN “Water is the Most Powerful Element”
2nd HM Catherine Moran, AR “The Rain Once More”
3rd HM Troy Cunio, FL “Fulfilling Station”

Cat. 12 A Poet’s Vision – Any/Any– 68 Entries
JUDGE: CAROL LOUISE MOON, CA
1st PL Patsy Asuncion, VA “Sphere of Influence”
2nd PL Caroline Walton, FL “Discovering Childhood Again”
3rd PL Dargan Ware, AL “Laredo”
1st HM Trina Lee, OK “War of Words”
2nd HM Janice L. Freytag, PA “Riding Commuter Rails During Flower Show Week”
3rd HM Emory D. Jones, MS “Rattling Around the Universe”

Cat. 13 Randall Cadman Memorial Award – Any/Sonnet (Humorous) – 27 Entries
JUDGE: DAVID RUTIEZER, OR
1st PL Emery L. Campbell, GA “Bessie Sees the Wrinkled Dog”
2nd PL Joyce Shiver, FL “Eye of the Beholder”
3rd PL Dalene Stull, OH “Favorites”
1st HM Beverly Stanislawski, IN “Shakespeare’s Challenge”
2nd HM Judith Krum, FL “Real Toads in Imaginary Gardens”
3rd HM Vera Ogden Bakker, UT “Only Nature”

Cat. 14 LaVaughn Hess Memorial Award – Family/Haiku– 34 Entries
JUDGE: SARA GIPSON, AR
1st PL Alice R. Friedman, FL
2nd PL Mary Jo Balistreri, WI
3rd PL Sylvia S. Medel, TX
1st HM Becky Alexander, OC
2nd HM Mary A. Couch, IN
3rd HM Caroline Walton, FL

Cat. 15 The Petrarchan Sonnet Award – Any/Petrarchan Sonnet– 26 Entries
JUDGE: EMERY CAMPBELL, GA
1st PL Joyce Shiver, FL “Magic Moon”
2nd PL Lee Pelham Cotton, VA “Lost and Found”
3rd PL Vera Ogden Bakker, UT “Seeking Wisdom”
1st HM Don J. Cosat, FL “Reunion”
2nd HM Beverly Stanislawski, IN “My Own True Love”
3rd HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, KY Impromptu Performance”

Cat. 16 Adrienne Rich Memorial Award –Lover/Ghazal– 21 Entries
JUDGE: CHARLOTTE RENK, TX
1st PL Troy Cunio, FL “Darlin”
2nd PL Jerri Hardesty, AL “The Length of Love”
3rd PL Barbara Blanks, TX “You Are Here”
1st HM Irvin D. Milowe, FL “Apple Daze”
2nd HM Janet Watson, FL “Unraveling”
3rd HM Karen McAferty Morris, FL “The Arc”

Cat. 17 Willard B. Foster Memorial Award–Any/Higgledy-piggledy–17 Entries
JUDGE: TIEL AISHA ANSARI, OR
1st PL Robert E. Blenheim, FL “Mistah Coppola, He Nuts”
2nd PL Troy Cunio, FL “Tennyson”
3rd PL Elaine Person, FL “Frankly Speaking”
1st HM Janet Watson, FL “The Biltmore Estate”
2nd HM Meredith R. Cook, MN “Monumental Pain”
3rd HM Joyce Shiver, FL “Showoff”

Cat. 18 The Peace Award – Peace/Any– 39 Entries
JUDGE: SHARON BURRIS, OK
1st PL Judith Krum, FL ‘You’re standing in my Kumquats’ (The Fantastiks)
2nd PL Christine Cock, FL “Manana”
3rd PL B. J. Alligood, FL “Aftermath”
1st HM Robert E. Blenheim, FL “The Cornflower Girl”
2nd HM Jane Peterson, FL “Buddha in the Garden”
3rd HM Mitzi J. Coats, FL “Refugees”

Cat. 19 The Live Poets Award – The Dark Side/Any– 61 Entries
JUDGE: MARY COUCH, IN
1st PL Barbara Blanks, TX “From the Foster Home”
2nd PL Becky Alexander, ON “In the Fog”
3rd PL Jeff Santosuosso, FL “Hanging”
1st HM Tanya R. Whitney, LA “The Darkness”
2nd HM Jerri Hardesty, AL “Here and There”
3rd HM Jeani Picklesimer, KY “Gathering Wildflowers”

Cat. 20 June Owens Memorial Award–Somehow/Any–26 Entries
JUDGE: KOLETTE MONTAGUE, UT
1st PL Gail Denham, OR “Every Day”
2nd PL B.J. Alligood, FL “The Phoenix”
3rd PL Betty Ann Whitney, FL “The Gift”
1st HM Barbara Blanks, TX “Shifting Gears”
2nd HM John F. Foster, FL “Wings”
3rd HM Mary Jo Balistreri, WI “One Morning in July”

Cat. 21 Miami Poets Award – Choices/Any – 51 Entries
JUDGE: SANDRA NANTAIS, IN
1st PL Janet Watson, FL “In Today’s Mail”
2nd PL Nick Sweet, TX “Decent/Descent”
3rd PL Lee Pelham Cotton, VA “Don’t Save That Hat For Sunday!”
1st HM Judith Krum, FL “Sippy Cups”
2nd HM Frank Yanni, FL “Even Here”
3rd HM Vera Ogden Bakker, UT “Shopping for One”

Cat. 22 Tomoka Poets Award – Nature/Any– 67 Entries
JUDGE: BILL REYER, OH
1st PL Holly Mandelkern, FL “Dawn Rising”
2nd PL Emory D. Jones, MS “The Hill”
3rd PL Kathryn Remini, FL “Foxes In Fog”
1st HM Karen McAferty Morris, FL “The Middle of the Bay”
2nd HM Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Jackdaws Nesting in a Cathedral”
3rd HM LaVern Spencer McCarthy, OK “Down Autumn’s Way”

Cat. 23 Jane Opel Memorial Award – Any/Any– 61 Entries
JUDGE: LISA SALINAS, TX
1st PL Lee Pelham Cotton, VA “This Is the Way We Wash the Clothes”
2nd PL Michael Escoubas, IL “Contemplation on Emptiness”
3rd PL Barbara Blanks, TX Silence of the Sham”
1st HM Linda Eve Diamond, FL “Reflections”
2nd HM Lynn Schiffhorst, FL “Revising the Poem”
3rd HM Dalene Stull, OH “Woodside Glen”

Cat. 24 Kate Kennedy Memorial Award – Color of Emotion/Any– 42 Entries
JUDGE: LORETTA WALKER, TX
1st PL NL Cook, MN “brutage”
2nd PL Charles K. Firmage, ID “Black and Blue”
3rd PL Meg Roman, FL “More Than Cloth”
1st HM Janice Freytag, PA “In the Paint Department of Home Depot”
2nd HM Leslie C. Halpern, FL “The Color of Emotion”
3rd HM Barbara Blanks, TX “Lifeboat”