Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Poetry Contest

Here is the winning entry in our 6th annual poetry contest.



WINTER OF CONTENT
Mary Barnard

An Auschwitz thin child, skin a redhead’s pale
most arms shoved against mine a healthy brown
next to weak-tea freckles and see-through hair.

My skin burned through lotion when anyone
remembered to put it on.  After the redness, blisters,
fire, my skin back to pale, milkier than ever.

Geesch,, get some sun strangers called out,
then laughed about how white my legs, so
I took to long skirts, long pants, knee socks or tights.

The six months of Wisconsin winter neutralized
the spectrum of skin shades, the low sun stripped
of potent Coppertone tan don’t burn rays.

I learned to love winter, when most of me
covered by bundles of clothing.  My cheeks,
just like everyone else’s, reddened by  cold.

Waking up to first snowfall, the rush
to the closet, a jumble of hooded snowsuits,
buckled boots, hats, mittens on a string.

The fingers got cold first, no matter how dense
the wool, then the toes, buried under layers
of sock, shoe, rubber boot with furry cuff.

That first step into virgin snow, falling into it,
licking it, rolling it into tight balls to stack
behind the wall of a mighty snow fort.

We took turns on sled, toboggan, flying saucer,
the big ones helping little ones with the ropes
to get us all back up the hill to go down all over again.

Even snowball fights, generally harmless,
slinging white spheres, that lucky
smatter on a cushioned back,

the tromped down whiteness
that made every yard a playground. 
The nuns told us in heaven we could have

whatever we want and I prayed, good I want
a tan.  But I want something else now, snowfall,
the kind that makes for equal footing.


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Writerrs' Morning Out



Pittsboro Writers’ Morning Out will meet Saturday, November 8, 2014, 1:00 PM at Pittsboro Roadhouse. 

All writers, any genre are invited.

North Carolina Writers' Network Fall Conference.
November 21-23 at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel.

Great writing workshops led by a professional faculty who will challenge you to be the best writer you can.

Workshops include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, marketing, critiques  and publicity.

You do not have to be a NCWN member to attend. See the NCWN website at ncwriters.org  for details.

Are you looking for free contests to enter?  Try this site:
www.freelancewriting.com/creative-writing-contests.php
to see lots of opportunities.