Bay Leaves

number thirty-one 2005

President: Janice L. Sullivan

Editor: Ed Cockrell

Proofreader: David T. Manning

Cover Illustration: Jane-Chilton Adams

Prize-Winning Poems Sponsored by

The Poetry Council of North Carolina Incorporated

Copyright 2005 by The Poetry Council of North Carolina Incorporated

Janice L. Sullivan, President Greensboro, NC

Permission to use any of these poems must be obtained from the poet.

The Poetry Council of North Carolina, Inc., holds first rights only. Other rights revert to the authors, who are asked to give credit to Bay Leaves when using the poems elsewhere.

The Poetry Council, founded in 1949, promotes annual contests and secures notable writers and teachers as judges. Until 1997, meetings of the Council were held in Asheville. In that year, the Council estab- lished an official relationship with Catawba College in Salisbury as a permanent repository for PCNC materials and as a regular meeting place each fall to celebrate Poetry Day, which is sponsored by the Council. The Council does not have a general membership.

2 DEDICATION

ally Buckner is a teacher, journalist, playwright, a S writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, a workshop leader and editor. If Sally Buckner’s only contribution to poetry in North Carolina was being the editor of Word and Witness: 100 Years of North Carolina Poetry that would be reason enough to honor her. Sponsored by the North Caro- lina Poetry Society and with a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, Word and Witness is a celebration of North Carolina poetry. It outlines the ascendancy of our literary reputation, highlights the best poetry and poets in North Carolina during the 20th century and serves as a literary and educational resource for readers. In her introduction to each section, Sally places the poems of that period in historical and economic perspective, adding to our appreciation of the poetry by enabling us to understand the demands of the time. Word and Witness should inspire the poets of the next cen- tury.

Another significant contribution and valuable resource is Our Words, Our Ways: Reading and Writing in North Carolina, an anthology combining poetry, fiction, and folk- lore which Sally edited in 1991.

Sally Beaver Buckner has lived in North Carolina all her life. She was born in Statesville and grew up in Albemarle. Ruth Moose, who attended the same church, said, “Sally Beaver was always our shining star. Everybody looked up to her. We knew she would do something special with her life. She would make a contribution.”

Sally and her husband, Bob, have three children and two grandchildren. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, received a M.A. in English from N.C. State University and her Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is an active member of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh.

3

Sally began her teaching career at a junior high school in Gastonia, but it wasn’t until she and her family moved to Raleigh in 1965 that she discovered her calling. A poetry workshop with Sam Ragan led her to return to college for her master’s and later her doctoral degree. She was Alumnae Distinguished Professor of English at Peace College from 1970 until her recent retirement. For thirteen years she was co-director of the Capital Area Writing project at N.C. State University.

An award-winning poet, Sally’s collection of poetry, Straw- berry Harvest, was published by St. Andrews Press in 1986. Sam Ragan said, “…I marvel at the precision and the flow of her language, her insights, her ear for human speech, and her eye for the human condition.” Her poems range from the highly personal to the political, propelled by her strong sense of justice. She has published fiction, reviews, essays, and plays in such periodicals as Christian Century, Pembroke Magazine, Southern Poetry Review, and Crucible. The Ra- leigh News & Observer has published her opinion pieces and letters to the editor.

Among her honors and awards is the 1999 R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award, presented by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association for significant lifetime contribu- tions to the literary heritage of North Carolina. In 1998, Sally was cited by the Wake County Academy of Women for her contributions as an educator, writer and mentor to col- leagues and young women in the arts. She received the Ragan-Rubin award from the North Carolina English Teacher’s Association in 1993.

Dr. Sally Buckner has volunteered her time for many inter- ests and causes, including The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame, Weymouth Center in Southern Pines, The Carolina Literacy Center, The North Carolina Writers’ Network and the North Carolina Writers Conference that honored her in 2004.

In the title poem from Strawberry Harvest, Sally writes, “Picking berries/ requires an agile eye and multiple angles.” Sally’s eyes are sharp. She’s picked a large basket of berries.

4

We hope this dedication will add to the sweetness of her har- vest.

To our friend and colleague, we dedicate the 2005 edition of Bay Leaves.

Sally Logan

On behalf of the Board of Directors & President, Janice L. Sullivan

September 24, 2005

5 JUDGES

Oscar Arnold Young Contest for Book: Eloise Bruce has worked as artistic director for Creative Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Idaho Theatre for Youth and as education director for the Asolo Touring Theatre. Having missed being in the classroom, she currently works in the Writers in the Schools Program/ Playwrights Theater, with Young Audiences of New Jersey and teaches at the Middlesex Middle School for the Arts. She is a Dodge Poet and a member of the poetry group Cool Women and her first book of poetry Rattle is out from CavenKerry Press. She is a recipient of a 1998 Fellowship in poetry from the New Jersey Council for the Arts and is a staff member at the Frost Place Poetry Festival.

Charles Shull Contest for Traditional Poetry: Born in Se- neca, South Carolina, Jane Hill received her B.A. and her M.A. in English from Clemson University and her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Her publications include the books Gail Godwin (1992) and Cobb County: At the Heart of Change (1991). She is also the editor of four anthologies of contempo- rary literature. Her poems and short fiction have appeared in journals such as Kansas Quarterly, Quarterly West, SLANT, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Cream City Review. From 1986- 1992 she worked as an editor, first at Peachtree Publishers and later at Longstreet Press. Since 1992 she has taught contempo- rary American literature and film at the University of West Georgia, where she is professor of English and chair of the De- partment of English and Philosophy.

James Larkin Pearson Contest for Free Verse: Susan Meyers was the winner of the 2005 SC Poetry Book Prize for Keep and Give Away, forthcoming from the University of South Carolina Press. She earned an M.F.A. at Queens Univer- sity of Charlotte and has recently served as poet-in-residence at the Gibbes Museum of Charleston, SC. Her work has appeared in The Southern Review, Tar River Poetry, Crazyhorse, and other journals.

Archibald Rutledge Contest for the Sonnet: Carolyn Elkins is the author of Daedalus Rising (Emrys Press) and the chap- book Coriolis Forces (Palanquin Press). She teaches at Delta

State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

6 Gladys Owings Hughes Heritage Contest for Free Verse: Gilbert Allen has been a professor of English at Furman Uni- versity since 1977. He received his B.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University where he was a Ford Foun- dation Fellow. His poetry and fiction have won many awards and his fourth book, Driving to Distraction (Orchises, 2003), was featured on Garrison Keillor’s The Writer‘s Almanac. His work has appeared in numerous publications including The Southern Poetry Review, The Georgia Review, and Crazyhorse. During 2004-05, on a sabbatical leave funded by the Mellon Foundation and Furman University, he is editing a new anthology of contemporary South Carolina poetry and working on a new collection of his own poems.

Charlotte Young Contest for Elementary and Middle School Students: Richard Allen Taylor, after attending high school in rural North Carolina, worked summers on tobacco and peach farms, served a hitch in the Navy Reserves, at- tended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Ironically, having no idea he might someday want to be a poet, he passed up an opportunity to double-major in psy- chology and English because he did not care to enroll in the required poetry courses. In 2001, Taylor “got serious” about poetry, attended workshops and became a fixture on Char- lotte’s “open mic” poetry scene. His first poems were pub- lished in 2002, and since then his work has appeared in nu- merous publications and anthologies. His first collection, Something to Read on the Plane, is part of the Main Street

Rag Editor’s Choice Chapbook Series for 2004.

Sam Ragan Carolina Connection Contest for High School and College Students: Claire Bateman is the author of four collections of poetry: the fifth, LEAP, is due out from New Issues Press in September 2005. She teaches at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC.

7 CONTENTS

Dedication ……………………………………………………...…….. 3

Judges …….…………………………………………………...….… . 6

Oscar Arnold Young Contest for Book First Place: The Woman Who Has Eaten The Moon Lucinda Grey ……………..……...………10 Biographical Note ………………...…... .. 11 Second Place: Sex Education Janice Moore Fuller ………….…...….. .. 12 Biographical Note …………………….. ...13

Charles Shull Contest for Traditional Poetry [Exit Pettigrew], David T. Manning ………………………….…... 14 The Family Farm Along Pine Swamp Rd., Christopher Moore …... 15 O, Sanitary!, Bill Griffin …………………..…………..………...... 16

James Larkin Pearson Contest for Free Verse Circadian, Bill Griffin …..…………...…………...…..…………... 17 Children of the Sun, Rudy Wallace …………..……….………….. 18 The Hours, Mary Golding ………..……………………...………. 19 Eight, Alexis Gines ……………………………...……..……….... 20 Mallards in Winter, David T. Manning …………………………….. 21 On The Other Side Of The Ocean, Maureen A. Sherbondy …….…. 22

Archibald Rutledge Contest for the Sonnet Bell Sounds, Virginia Fleming …………………………………….. 23 Two Sevenths, Eric A. Weil …………….…..………..…………….. 24 Vocation, Bill Griffin ………………………..………………....….. 25 Loving that Old Dragonfly of Mine, Lynn Veach Sadler …...…….. 26

8

Gladys Owings Hughes Heritage Contest for Free Verse Mortality’s Carnation, Eric A. Weil ……..………………....……… 27 Fifteen, Karol A. Neufeld ……………………………………….… 28 Singing, Bill Griffin ………………………....…..….………..……. 29 The Barred Owl Is Almost Kin, Blynn Field ……...…….………….. 30 Christmas Treasures, Virginia Fleming …...…………….….………31 Timothy’s Stone, Ruth Winchester Ware ……………………..….… 32

Charlotte Young Contest for Elementary and Middle School Students Freedom, Joshua Wiley ……………..………………..…………..… 33 Life, Allison Staten ………….…………..…………………..……… 34 The Baby Garden, Katy Van Antwerp …………...……..….……… 35 My Cat, Megan Conley ……………………………….………….… 36 Nantahala Nightmare, Ben Smith ……..…………………………… 37 Small Bugs, Celisha Summers ……………...……....…..………….. 38

Sam Ragan Carolina Connection Contest for High School and College Students Southbound on 74, Christopher Moore ……………..…….....….… 39 The Jazz Player, Meagan Newman ………..………...…………… 40 Heritage, Sarah Andrew ………...………..…..………………….... 41 His Hand, Alyssa Griffith ……….………………………………… 42 Kill Yourself and Live, Bryceton Proctor ………………..……….… 43 Hog Mountain, Kristen Wrenn ………..……...……………..…..… 44

 

9 OSCAR ARNOLD YOUNG First Place

from The Woman Who Has Eaten The Moon (Wind Publications, Nicholasville, KY, 2004)

Excerpts

Selections from part I, El Duende Flamenco

“Luna of My Desire” — Teach me, bruja. Bite me / with the silver tooth of your lust.

“Shadow” — This is the true religion, / the matador fixed in the eyes / of the bull.

“Girl of the Beautiful Breasts” — You would be a white ca- mellia, / I, the chaste bee’s wing.

“The Gypsy Zambra of María, La Canastera” —They con- tinue this way— / one juggling the luminous plume in air, / the other trying to subdue the geyser’s thrust, …

“Oh Lovely Granada” — How many shackled years / before you’ll open your gates to song?

Lucinda Grey Charlotte, NC

Note: Because of the copyright held by Wind Publications, none of the poems published in The Woman Who Has Eaten The Moon can be reproduced here, except for brief excerpts.

10 OSCAR ARNOLD YOUNG First Place

Selections from part II, Ribbon Around a Bomb

“Seizure” — It could come in the dark / when she lies stiff in bed, / her whole body an ear.

“Polio” — She tries to call / but her voice treads water.

“Seduction” — I had never seen a man’s tongue / hover at his lips / like a hummingbird above a flower, ...

“Wedding Photo, 1929” — Who could predict / the wooden leg in a red boot / hidden under the long skirt?

“Live Still Life” — Your fingers, / nimble as jungle birds, / fly to my breasts.

Biographical Note

Lucinda Grey is published in Shenandoah, Tar River Po- etry, Negative Capability, Southern Poetry Review, Poet and Critic, Southern Humanities Review, Willow Springs and other journals. She teaches writing at UNC Charlotte, where she edited Southern Poetry Review for several years.

11 OSCAR ARNOLD YOUNG Second Place

from Sex Education (Iris Press, Oak Ridge, TN, 2004)

Excerpts

Selections from part I:

“Breaking the Thermometer” — Spread your palm wide, he said. / Let the mercury roll / wherever it will.

“The Best Brood Mares” — The best brood mares have / have well-sprung ribs, / my pregnant friend tells me.

Selections from part II:

“My Mother’s Seventieth Birthday” — I offer her a blue flannel robe, / sleeves wide enough for oxygen tubes.

“White Linen” — Alive, she practiced herself / into a widow, / tried to dream my father / into dying first.

Janice Moore Fuller Salisbury, NC

Note: Because of the copyright held by Iris Press, none of the poems published in Sex Education can be reproduced here, except for brief excerpts.

12 OSCAR ARNOLD YOUNG Second Place

Selections from part III:

“For William Who Lived Twelve Hours” — She offered him lungs. / He would not take them.

“Childhood Sestina” — It takes my breath / when she stings my legs, growls my name.

Selections from part IV:

“You Ask Me Why, After I Come, I Cry” — Because someone tattooed an angel on my bone.

“Sex on a Plane” — I have a different dream— / the South- ern Crescent, / grounded but shifting, / you and me alone in a Pullman, / clattering toward New Orleans.

Biographical Note

Janice Moore Fuller has published a poetry book Archeol- ogy Is a Destructive Science (Scots Plaid Press, 1998) and poems and essays in numerous journals and anthologies, including New Welsh Review, Asheville Poetry Review, Tar River Poetry, Sow’s Ear, Pembroke Magazine, and Missis- sippi Quarterly. Her plays have been produced at Catawba’s Florence Busby Corriher Theater, Charlotte’s BareBones Theather, and the Minneapolis Fringe Festival.

13