Benicia Love Poetry Contest Results
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Maybe you were there among the sixty poets and poetry lovers who gathered on Zoom last Sunday, for Benicia’s 18th Love Poetry Celebration. If so—or if not—here is a summary of what transpired.
The words of U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo set the context, “We will all make it through, despite politics and wars, despite failures and misunderstandings. There is only love.”
For two hours there was only love—and love poetry. The winning poems, selected from the 110 original love poems submitted, were announced and read. Love poems by the contest’s judges, by Love Poetry Contest founder Joel Fallon, and by 25 diverse and excellent poets from across the country added to the spirit of celebration.
Our judges this year were noted poets Rosalie Petrouske, Patricia Thrushart, and Amos White. Each judge received a packet of printed poems with no indication of the identity of the author. Working on their own, each judge chose their “top thirteen.” A Zoom call brought the judges together to review and discuss their top choices. Spanning their geographical distances, as well as their diversity of esthetics and cultural backgrounds, they reached consensus on the awards. The prize-winning poems are listed below and may be read at https://benicialibrary.org/poet/lovepoetry The recording of the zoom reading will be posted at that link next week.
Benicia Love Poetry Contest
Winning Poems, 2022
First Prize “Dreaming in the Time of Pandemic” Johanna Ely
Second Prize “Our Love Is a Volcano” Mia Ruiz
Third Prize “Even in Silence” Valerie Sopher
Honorable Mentions:
“A Spotted Dog” Charlie McCauley
“Afterglow” Charlie McCauley
“Even in Silence” Cynthia Patton
“Falling” Valerie Sopher
“Love Song” Allegra Silberstein
“Phoebe: for Scarlett” Mary Eichbauer
“Shaving My Father” Ed Bearden
“Snowy” Cecile Earle
“The Cellist and the Nightingale” Deborah Bachels Schmidt
“The Picture” Ed Bearden
The Love Poetry Contest and Celebration are noteworthy every year. It has been a great joy for me to coordinate this project and to work with Becky Bishop White, redoubtable submissions coordinator; Fran Martinez Coyne, stalwart staff member of the Benicia Public Library; the judges; Benicia Literary Arts; and The Benicia Historical Museum. My thanks to all who made this possible: the poets who produced poetry on love in a time of strife and uncertainty. You reached into your hearts to address the heart of the human condition. “There is only love.”
Mary Susan Gast
Benicia Poet Laureate