We are excited to announce the winner of the July 2024 Chattanooga Writers’ Guild Monthly Contest is Sherry Poff with the submission “Robins.” Second place winner is J. Cohen with the submission “Olivia, my sweet Anthropocene,” and third place is Chris Wood with the submission “Sweet Remembrance.”
Robins
Early morning, and robins rule the yard.
Three of them hop in the damp grass, in shade
of maples, among the exposed roots scarred
by passing years and the mower’s sharp blade.
They cock their heads and listen, dart forward
to claim their sunrise prize. In half an hour,
they will abandon my lawn, move toward
other fields of food, choosing to ignore
the cast iron bath, preferring instead
a leftover mud puddle at the road’s edge
from last night’s shower when the sunset’s red
light revealed their sturdy nest in the hedge.
For my help and solace they have no need;
with their inner strength, it’s my soul they feed.
.
Sherry Poff is an educator and writer living in Ooltewah, Tennessee. She holds an M.A. in writing from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is a member of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild. Sherry’s poems and fiction have appeared recently in The Clayjar Review, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel, and Heart of Flesh.
Olivia, my sweet Anthropocene
I see the color of your hair in the red and brown wings of the sparrow on my windowpane
Your lips in the crepe myrtles across the way
Your voice, that I never heard, clearly through the mourning dove's refrain
Your body, the magnolia flower, smooth and delicate, against the violent heat of day
The blue fabric flowing from you hair like the heron across the pond drifting aimlessly
And when the sunlight glints over the river that flows from your mount, through my trees
Your shimmering light tears the veil of holocene
I can see the all of us that never came to be
From that glorious day when when your presence and grace first reached out and touched me
Olivia, my sweet anthropocene
.
J. Cohen is a 29 year old emerging poet from Murfreesboro, TN who splits his work hours between writing and banking. You will find him on his porch most nights with his wife, enjoying the evening and the neighborhood street cats who come by for food.
Sweet Remembrance
Summertime always signified homemade ice cream.
It was our thing. Every backyard BBQ invitation
required our White Mountain Freezer, Morton’s rock salt,
and the vanilla treat recipe.
.
My first picnic without you meant the process would be a lonely one.
I did your part with reverence —
packed the freezer, added the right amount of rock salt,
so the ice melted to produce perfect consistency.
.
The motor-hum lulled me into memory
of our making ice cream together. I cooked the egg yolks, sugar,
and milk to boiling, pouring the hot mixture into fluffy egg whites,
while you got bags of ice from the convenience store.
.
Today, my love, I did it all. Bought bags of ice,
prepared the mixture, filled the freezer
with ice and rock salt, and carried the frozen treat
all the way to the BBQ, the ice cream a little saltier.
.
Chris Wood is a manager by day, spends evenings cleaning up dog hair from the abundance of love she receives from her furbabies, and in between, she writes to balance her right brain with her left. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and her poetry has appeared in several journals and publications, including Abyss & Apex, American Diversity Report, and Salvation South. In 2022, she won third prize in the Tennessee Magazine’s Poet’s Playground for her poem, “See Rock City.” Learn more at chriswoodwriter.com.
The Monthly Contests rotate through a pattern of Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction throughout the year, with a new theme each month.
Go to the Monthly Contest Series Info page to view the genre and theme for each month.
This contest is free to enter for members of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild. To become a member, click HERE.