|
|
 |
SPARE MULE ONLINE is a publication
of Missouri State Poetry Society, which is
a federation of local chapters of poets as
well as some poet members-at-large who
join the state organization directly. The
state
society is, in turn, part of the National
Federation
of Poetry Societies. The
purposes of the group are to stimulate the
appreciation of poets and poetry, to provide
opportunities for the study of and practice
in writing and reading poetry, and to unite
poets in bonds of fellowship and understanding. |
GRIST SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE NOW:
Submissions are now being
accepted for the 2010 GRIST. Please help spread the word to all in
your Chapter or any Members-at-Large. Submissions must be fewer than
36 lines and no more than 60 characters (including spaces) per line.
Submissions may be sent electronically to inafieldofdaisies@hotmail.com
email address or by standard post to the following address: Dawn
Harmon PO Box 639 Cuba, MO 65453 Deadline is MAY 30 and there will
be NO extension in order to have a timely release date this year.
Thank you for all your help!!
---Dawn Harmon, Editorflowers |
|
|
FROM YOUR PRESIDENT, BILLY
ADAMS--
Writing
About seven years ago, I was surfing the web and ran across a
computer game that I thought my grandkids would enjoy. It was free, so
I downloaded it. The game, Chicken Invaders Christmas Edition,
consists of silly looking chickens invading the world and the player
has a Luke Skywalker fighter plane to shoot them down. I played the
game a few times and ran up what I considered a challenging score.
Justin and Shawn came to visit. Justin was eleven and Shawn seven.
Justin wasn't interested because he thought the game was too easy, but
Shawn spent many hours playing the game.
A few hours later, I checked to see how Shawn was doing. He had
already beaten my score, not by a little, but by a lot! I found out
why when I checked how many times he had played the game, more than
sixty times. I had played six times.
Justin added insult to injury by breezing through level 40, the
highest level. Justin spends a lot of time playing computer games.
I suspect that writing poetry is a lot like the video game. More
effort will result in greater success. If we practice putting words in
a poetic form until it becomes automatic, then we can concentrate on
what we want to say.
Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, by W. A. Brodaus ,
a classic text on sermon preparation, states that sermons are
sharing
rational thoughts in an orderly manner. I
believe that his observation applies to writing poetry as welL
----Billy Adams, President
SPRING MSPS BOARD MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
The MSPS spring board meeting will be May 8 at the First Baptist
church, Rolla, 10:30 a.m. The address of the church is 801 North
Cedar Street. After the meeting, we will have lunch at
Applebee's.
If you have agenda, items please send them to me at bja54@hotmail.com
or bja54@fayeadams.com
SENIOR POETS ANNOUNCEMENT:
Greetings: I am pleased to let you know the March issue of The Dip loemat
is now online. It contains news about how you may enter the 2010
Senior Poets Laureate Poetry Competition electronically. Also, it
reveals the outcome of the 2010 White Buffalo Native American Poet
Laureate Contest. Who won? Read the newsletter! Go to the
"Newsletter--Diploemat (March 2010)" link on our web site by clicking
here: www.amykitchenerfdn.org May the muse be with you.
---Wanda Sue Parrott, Editor
|
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM EDITOR DON DePRIEST
Beginning with the January issue of the SPARE MULE
we will be sending Spare Mule via e-mail. This was discussed
and unanimously approved at the 2009 MSPS Convention by all those
present.
STROPHES, which is normally sent with the
Spare Mule will be available, as always, at www.nfsps.com and
will be referenced in each Spare Mule.
Spare Mule is issued 4 times a year at the
beginning of January, April, August, and October. To be viable and
up to date each chapter is asked to send in Chapter Reports prior
to the deadlines which are the last week before the months listed
above. All members of MSPS are asked to send in poems, notice of
awards won, and any items of interest that might interest the
state organization. These may be sent in at any time before the
deadlines.
One other important note. It is much simpler for each member who
has e-mail capabilities to send an individual e-mail to mopoetry@mchsi.com
with SUBJECT: SPARE MULE and a short request to be added to the
e-mail list. This way all that is needed is to save the address.
This saves me time and assures the correctness of the address.
One additional benefit of going electronic is that we will not
be limited to the number of pages we send. This should be an
opportunity for members to send in more poems for publications and
awards
This
conversion to electronic delivery of the Spare Mule takes effect
with the January issue, but please send in your e-mail addresses
as soon as possible to provide the easiest transition.
E-mail contact with the Spare Mule editor should be via
mopoetry@mchsi.com Subject: Spare Mule
|
|
WINNERS' LIST FOR WINTER CONTEST 2010
Category #1 Rhymed or Blank Verse--Judge: Ken Roller, Bolivar,
MO--55 Entries
|
1st “Tick-Tock, It’s Now O’Clock”
2nd “ An Autumn Artist”
3rd “Mexican Sunflower”
1HM “Oasis of My Pen”
2HM “Elegy for Anne”
3HM "Fictional Reality" |
Tania Gray
Catherine Moran
Jim Barton
Jeani Picklesimer
Kolette Montague
Jerri Hardesty |
Springfield, MO
N. Little Rock, AR
Huttig, AR
Ashland, KY
Centerville, UT
Brierfield, AL |
Poets & Friends
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member |
Category #2 Free Verse—Judge: Mark Tappmeyer, Bolivar, MO --85
Entries
|
1st “Magenta,Metamorphosis,Moon”
2nd “First Morning”
3rd “Night Watchman”
1HM “Knowing the Steps”
2HM “Last Holiday”
3HM “Should Cats Be Changed?” |
Kolette Montague
Nedra Rogers
Jim Barton
Kolette Montague
Nedra Rogers
Susan W. Peters |
Centerville, UT
Lawrence, KS
Hutting, AR
Centerville, UT
Lawrence, KS
Lanexa, KS |
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member
Non-Member |
Category #3 Humorous Verse—Judge: Dan Adkison, Bolivar, MO—42
Entries
|
1st “Limburger Cheese”
2nd “Timing Is Everything”
3rd “Cow Tails”
1HM “Forget-Me-Not”
2HM“Hide and Seek”
3HM “Tom and Jerry” |
Rosemary Goos
Lee Ann Russell
Jerri Hardesty
Jan Kroll
Betty Heidelberger
Rosemary Goos |
Raymore, MO
Springfield, MO
Brierfield, AL
Independence, MO
Lexa, AR
Raymore, MO |
Member-at-Large
Poets & Friends
Non-Member
Write Place
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large |
Category #4 Winter Verse—Judge: David Hacker, Bolivar, MO--48
Entries
|
1st “Winter Giants”
2nd "Winter River”
3rd “Snow”
1HM “Winter Haiku #1”
2HM “Cranky About Winter”
3HM “Oh, To Be Satisfied!” |
Wanda Sue Parrott
Jan Kroll
John McBride
John Jay Han
Tania Gray
Becky Alexander |
Monterey, CA
Independence, MO
Bettendorf, IA
Manchester, MO
Springfield, MO
Cambridge, ON
|
Poets & Friends
Write Place
Non-Member
On the Edge
Poets & Friends
Non-Member |
Category #5 Poet’s Choice Verse—Judge: Tom Padgett, Bolivar, MO—71
Entries
|
1st “Ozark Autumn”
2nd “Magic Marbles”
3rd “Chasing Rabbits”
1HM “Maybe”
2HM “Logic”
3HM “Forks” |
Dewell Byrd
Jan Kroll
Billy J. Adams
Rosemary Goos
Billy J. Adams
Wanda Sue Parrott |
Eureka, CA
Independence
De Soto, MO
Raymore, MO
De Soto, MO
Monterey, CA |
Member-at-Large
Write Place
On the Edge
Member-at-Large
On the Edge
Poets & Friends |
|
MSPS SUMMER 2010 CONTEST
Here are the guidelines for the MSPS Summer 2010
Contest:
Deadline: Postmarked September 1, 2010
Format: Submit two copies of each entry, category
number and name in upper left-hand corner of both copies, poet's name
and address in upper right-hand corner of one copy. If you are a
member, put "Missouri State Poetry Society" below your address. Put
"Non-Member" if you are not.
Limits: Poems may be 40 or fewer lines. They may be unpublished or
previously published if the poet retains the rights to the poem. Poets
may enter each category as many times as they wish. No poems will be
returned.
Categories:
1. Rhymed verse or blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) any
subject, serious or humorous
2. Free verse, any subject, serious or humorous
3. Humorous verse, any subject
4. Any form, summer subject, serious or humorous
5. Members only--Poet's choice: any form, any subject, serious or
humorous
Fees for Categories 1-5: Non-members pay $1.00 per
poem. Members pay $1.00 for two entries. Make money order or check
payable to MSPS and mail to Michelle Martin, PO Box 1776, West
Plains, MO 65775. Include an SASE or your e-mail address on an index
card for a list of the winners.
Prizes: $25, $15, $10, and three honorable mentions in each category.
Membership: If you want to join Missouri State
Poetry Society, see Membership Application on the menu on our webpage
at www.nfsps.com/mo.
REPORTS FROM OUR LOCAL CHAPTERS:
Mountain View Poetry Society
Our beloved, long-time member, Winita Faye Gregory, passed away on
January 25, 2010. We have donated a children's poetry book, written by
Judy Young ,to the Mountain View Library in her honor. One of our
members, Beth Hykes, wrote this poem in her memory:
FAYE
Ate three almonds a day.
Wrote poetry with her father-in-law, Greg.
They both loved end rhyme.
He has been gone for a while now.
Sundays, Faye worshipped God,
Then ate lunch with her family.
Where she goes now
She is likely to meet Greg
In their finest end rhyme.
By Beth Hykes
Here is a poem written by Faye:
SUMMER CANNING
Faye Gregory
Remembering those days of long ago
in summers past, a smile appears.
In my mind I see Mama in apron
peeling peaches in a hot kitchen,
jars scalding on a hot wood stove,
canning juicy peaches for winter days,
some ending up on the floor with squishy
shoes sticking as I sneaked luscious bites
of ripe fruit. Later, pride in pretty,
fruit-filled Mason jars that Mama and
I canned those golden summer days.
Other news about our chapter:
Since Faye was the last member who actually lived in Mountain View,
we've decided to change the location of our meetings. We are working
on meeting in West Plains on the second Saturday of each month at the
public library. We will be changing our name too. We'll keep you
posted.
Dale Ernst's poem "Empty Tricycle" was published in
Third
Wednesday, a poetry journal from Michigan.
ON THE EDGE
Our annual anthology,
On the Edge,
is again open for submissions. There is no theme for 2010, and we will
take fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry. Details are included
in the entry form and guidelines
on the Bulletin Board of this web site at
www.nfsps.com/mo/b-b.htm
_______________________________________________________________________________
POETRY SUBMITTED BY OUR MEMBERS:
LOVE KNOWS NO
BOUNDS
Dennis Neil
Member-at-LargeOne should avoid the heart of
a lost love,
for it can lead to a valley of deep despair,
Even so, thoughts of my love are always near,
and more than a heart should bear;
Try, as I might, my mind drifts back in time
when our love knew no wrong or right,
Late at night I hear her crying as I stare
at the dancing shadows in the moonlight;
To reminiscence about our passion of yesterday
is my only hope, my only salvation,
Like the victim in a sad story, doomed to repeat
their part in perpetual damnation;
Thinking about others is futile for the memories
of our love always returns me there,
For all the years gone by have not erased my
heartache after fate proved so unfair;
While love may come and go for some, for me it is
but to dream about my lost love,
For, in seeking comfort in the arms of another,
I know I will soon be my own fool;
Most every night I am awakened by haunting
dreams of my lost love, softly calling,
Then, in troubled sleep, the nightmares return
only to see my love, forever falling;
It is said you can never go back, change the past,
as history is so often known to say,
Against advice, I climb those same cliffs where
destiny took her on that tragic day;
Staring into the cold and misty void I pray,
once again, for a vision sent from above, Perchance, though only
for a moment,
I will smell the sweet ambrosia of my love;
I still see her falling, screaming out my name,
leaving me alone to face endless pain,
Far below, angry waters crashing over the rocks
cry out that I am the one to blame;
Suddenly, I feel my love's embrace as she
gently whispers to me in my deep slumber,
As I awoke, I then remembered, we both fell
that day which was no one's blunder;
Looking back it seems so strange to return
to the past on a former plane of existence,
With love as my only desire, I came to realize
I was a martyr at my own insistence;
In death, I had to revisit my former life again
to be reminded of being so human then,
A journey in time, over love, I now have no need
to wish for what might have been.
|
FOUND IN THE
MUSEUM GIFT SHOP
Faye Williams Jones
Member-at-LargeI examine each page
of the paper doll books.
Feel the glossy card stock
See vivid hues of designer fashions
by Coco Channel, Worth,
other haute couture
legends.
I select distinctive chic of the 20's--
era of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald
and the "Lost
Generation."
My sister and I sip lemonade
and trim around each luxury outfit
to clothe feminine charmer paper dolls.
We giggle and make up stories
for dolls' adventures
as we did with paper dolls and clothes
cut from black and white flimsy pages
of the Sears Catalog
fifty years ago.
|
===========================================================================
|
|
|
|
|
