Cape Cod Poetry winners, including one poem portraying homelessness
An anonymous poet uses the words of God as a call to action for people to "love thy neighbor" and help battle homelessness, simply wishing "Merry Christmas" at the end of their charged lines.
Others try to provide lightness, writing of how wonder, awe and new life mend hearts broken by the realities of the world and how music and love can help us heal, even if they remind us of our dark memories.
Of course, some revel at nature's wonders, like the falling of rain or the curious nature of pelicans, but each has a unique message to it.
This month's poetry contest winners present a mixed bag of subjects and emotions yet all display eloquent form and writing. If you find yourself inspired after reading December's selections, guidelines for how to enter your work are outlined below.
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"No Money and No Place to Live" by an anonymous poet.
No Money and No Place to Live
Anonymous
you'd think the billionaires would do something about it
you'd think other people would do something about it
you'd think the government would do something about it
Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal;
You do that by giving to the poor, for one thing. By loving thy neighbor as thyself. By sacrificing earthly delights and doing what the Father would have you do. Serve the Father and you will find yourself blessed.
Merry Christmas
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Rob Martin, author of "Cape Cod Gale" writes that he is "a 10-year resident of Cape Cod, who lives with his wife in West Yarmouth. A father of two and grandfather of five, he is retired from a career in the writing field that included copywriting, news, public relations and business proposals. He is enjoying working on poetry as his latest writing experience.
"The poem is about a subject all Cape Codders are familiar with – the wind. It’s seemingly always present – for better or worse – and affects so many aspects of our lives here, some of which I describe in the poem."
Cape Cod Gale
By Rob Martin
Soggy breezes lash wooden fences faded gray from brown,
they buckle and curl, stagger inexorably to ground.
Wind chimes warn of the whistling air,
like blinking buoys that hint landfall is near.
On a gusty August day, beach sand peppers faces,
and sweeps onto roads, docks, and parking spaces.
Welcomed in summer on a stroll 'round the bog,
in winter the bitter draft makes for a miserable slog.
Tailwinds on the rail trail thrust a cyclist ahead,
but change direction and pedals seem frozen instead.
But on days of calm, when hydrangeas rest free,
and kayaks glide smoothly at the edge of the sea
These are moments to savor -- how still things can be,
but always, always, a new gale rushes in from the sea.
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Keith Moore, author of "Jack o' The Green" writes: "Keith Moore is a native of southeastern Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Oklahoma. A draft of “Jack o’ the Green” was written for a college poetry class … in 1987. It took 35 years to finish, but the completed version appears here. Jack o’ the Green is an 18th-century English folk custom associated with the arrival of spring."
Jack o' The Green
By Keith Moore
Hidden by leaves
Wrapped in wood
It’s Jack o’ the Green
The wicker man stood
Crowned with floral
Buried in brush
Praise and glory
For he they trust
Covered in green
Adorned with gold
The seasons are changing
The townsfolk told
Hailed by all
This spirit of spring
Winter’s retreat
Reveals its king
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Walter Ralston was raised in Quincy and now lives in Hyannis with the "love of his life." He is the author of "Wander into Wonder" and "Live, Love, Write."
As for his inspiration, he writes: "This poem arose from within as my muse and I talked about our experience in college on that sad, sad day when our president was killed. Feelings ran deep. Fodder for the pen!"
Across Six Decades
By Walter Ralston
Katie bar the door!
Can't hold it back much longer!
Floodgates are bursting open
Given that our bodies are about 60% water,
why is it notable when we express water from our eyes?
Our nose runs? Our voice becomes unsteady?
We may call it being moved. Yet we don’t move.
How our emotions stirred? How is the spoon moved? What is it that is in the pot?
On this JFK memorial morning*, my muse and I listened to The Band on their album The Last Waltz, as they performed “Such a Night” with the composer, Dr. John. Bingo!
She played Barber’s Adagio for Strings, performed at JFK’s funeral. Bingo! The piece was also played to honor the COVID dead, those murdered on 9/11.
We heard Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. Bingo. Joe Cocker’s “You are so Beautiful.” Bingo. For me other music from other times affects me in a similar manner.
I can't account for this powerful emotional experience. It’s akin to pain, joy and beauty all rolled up into a single feeling. It is truly futile to put it into words. I may be able to write about this experience. I cannot write the experience. Can't recreate it!
Now, while I may be able to say ‘I love you,’ those words don’t come anywhere close to how I feel about my muse.
*Written on the sixtieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy
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Helen Matusow-Ayres: "HM Ayres is a retired college administrator living in South Dennis. She is an outdoor enthusiast and is happiest on a hike in the woods or paddling on one of the many Cape waterways. Her interest in poetry started in high school and she wrote throughout her twenties. She started writing poetry again when she retired in 2021. Writing this poem helped me to find joy amidst the plethora of troubling news. I wrote about all of the things that feed my soul."
Antidote to the News
By Helen Matusow-Ayres
Wonder and awe heal my broken heart
my spirits rise as the ascending sun paints
the sky with golden hues.
Wonder and awe awaken my senses
deep in the woods the scent of pine fills
me with calm and comfort.
Wonder and awe in the eyes of a child fill the empty spaces
the delighted laughter of discovery provides
hope for the future.
Life beginning reminds me that all is not lost
a newborn baby’s soft warm skin
gently rocks my fears to sleep.
Life beginning soothes my raging anger at its loss
budding flowers in the snow bring
me hope that anything is possible.
Life beginning anew fuels passion and commitment
energy crackles through a community
acting together to bring change.
***
Peter Reilly, author of "Pelican/How Well They Know You" writes that he "is a retired English teacher now living in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He grew up on Long Island and had the opportunity to visit the Cape back in the 80s. He fondly remembers the sandy beaches, charming towns and exquisite seafood."
He was inspired to write this poem after reading his friend Margaret Dunn’s poem about the kingfisher in the October issue of the CCT.
Pelican/How Well They Know You
Each morning, a flock of pelicans cruises by in V-formation
Lumbering along parallel to the coast--yet they seem hurried
Perhaps late for an appointment, breakfast on the bay.
Later, two or three draw their favorite shape
Circling around, lifting themselves higher, helped by a thermal
Before gliding downward toward the waves.
Most intriguing, however, is the lone bird, seldom flapping
Statue-like, skimming less than a wing-span from the surface
Suddenly, pulling up, landing, scooping. Yum-yum.
How well they know you, Mother Pacific, how well.
***
Ronald H. Fenn is a local poet and college educator from Dennis. His work has been published in several publications, like The Cape Cod Times and the Dennis Conservation Land Trust. Some of his recent appearances include an interview with the DaVinci Pursuit Public Radio in May for their 'Poetry in Nature' show and being the special guest poet for the Nature Walk Journaling program sponsored by the Dennis Conservation Land Trust in November.
In regards to his muse and works, Fenn writes: "My muse for recent five volumes of short poems: W.S. Merwin U.S. Poet Laureate 2010-11. (I have written) 16 volumes of journal and various other writings and poem collections spanning over more than a half-century."
November Rain
By Ronald H. Fenn
I read the rain in verse
descending from gray rooked canopy
what is wet glimmers wings in faint light
from a world surrounding my senses
showered stanzas repeat night into day
awakening these falling words gone to paper
this concert of contemplation
content in mixing fresh scented air
raindrop meter trickles into deciphered lines
moist and measured outside of human time
suspended as the natural world joyously weeps
where a plagued world of conceit need not enter
there is more than reason, more than passion
in whetted appetite for these showers
softening dead lying lymph leaves
in brilliant lacquered leathery colors
even bare tree limbs stretch in approval
drawing down to earth their sap before winter
muddled as I step in poetic puddles
embodied into this sumptuous sea
***
Julie Hauswirth writes that she "grew up in New England and now lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and two sons. A former educator, Julie writes picture books in addition to poetry. Her family has owned a small cottage in Yarmouth for four generations and she visits every summer with her boys. While she doesn't live on the Cape year-round, it has always felt like home."
Julie's inspiration for the poem "Moon and Sea" comes from her children's love of exploring the flats at low tide.
Moon and Sea
By Julie Hauswirth
High tide hugs the shoreline tight
The sun beats down at noon
Something shifts beneath the waves
A force pulled by the moon.
Tidal pools start to appear
As water flows away
Now hermit crabs and moon snails
Can crawl along the bay.
Low tide beckons, “come and see!”
The beach grows by a mile
Revealing hidden habitats
For just a little while.
Moon would never leave behind
Her dear old friend, the sea
Invisible, she pulls the waves
To where high tide should be.
Moon and sea go back and forth
All through each night and day
A bond that lasts forever in
The tides of Cape Cod Bay.
How to enter the Cape Cod Times Poetry Contest
Cape Cod Times monthly poetry contest needs your poems to stay vital. We thank our volunteer judges and coordinator.
Here’s how to send us your work:
Submit one poem single-spaced, of 35 lines or fewer per month.
Poems cannot be previously published (in print or online).
Deadline for the next submission is Jan. 1, 2024.
Submit by email to cctpoetry12@gmail.com.
Poems should be free of hate speech and expletives (profanity, vulgarity, obscenity).
In the body of the e-mail, send your contact information: name, address, phone number and title of poem; then, in a Word Doc attachment, include poem without your name or any other personal info, so that the poem can be judged anonymously.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod's poets share isolation of homelessness, joy of sharing
