The Poetry Society of Virginia: 2008 Contest Awards

Mel Edwards (C'es moi) is a WINNER!

POETRY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA
2008 Annual Adult Contest
Awards Program
April 19, 2008

Category 14. Laura Day Boggs Bolling Memorial,, Marguerite Watkins, Judge. First Place: “My New Neighbor”, Dr. M. Lee Alexander, Williamsburg, VA. Second Place: “Hats”, James Garrett, Richmond, VA. Third Place: “Teachers”, Mel Edwards, Simpsonville, SC. 1st HM ”My Secret”, Laura Bobrow, Leesburg, VA. 2nd HM “Colder Light”, S. Nagarajan, Mason, OH. 3rd HM “Upon Visiting the National Zoo in Winter”, David Essex, Alexandria, VA. (55 entries)

Category 20. Come Out Swinging Prize, Henry Hart, Judge. First Place: “Breakfast at Sea”, Lynn Veach Sadler, Sanford, NC. Second Place: ” Song Written for Sophia”, David Essex, Alexandria, VA. Third Place: “Pro Se Blues”, Peter H. Desmond, Cambridge, MA. 1st HM “Apiary Act”, Mel Edwards, Simpsonville, SC. 2nd HM “Simple Simon’s Song”, Richard Raymond, Roanoke, VA. 3rd HM “o daddy long legs”, Trilla Ramage, Hampton, VA. (60 entries)

Mel's winning entries follow:

"Teachers"

by Mel Edwards

There are short ones,
tall ones,
skinny ones, too.

Watchin’ what you’re doin’.
Watchin’ what you do.

Some they crawl out in the night.
Others stand in broad day light.

Who are the easy ones?
Who be the bad?
Who are the worst ones that you’ve ever had?

Their paychecks may be nothin’ but I will tell you true.
Their benefits are somethin’ – maybe one of them was you.

There are round ones,
wide ones,
average ones too.

Showin’ how to do it.
Showin’ what to do.


Who were the great ones?

Who weren’t that bad?

Who was the best one you ever had?

**************************

"Apiary Act"

by Mel. Edwards

You flew right in and snubbed my worker bees
Saying, “Hey Queenie, mama, take a look at me.”
I spun around. I had no fear.
I knew Big Daddy, where you’d be in a year.

I said, “Yeah?”
You said, “Yeah.”

You walked right up and said with a smile,
“Come one Queenie, baby, let’s play for a while.”
I said, “A drone of mine will be put to the test.
If you know what you’re doin’ you’ll get no rest.”

You said, “Yeah?”
I said, “Yeah.”

I should have known then that you knew your scam
You claimed, “I was made for dancin’ the old wham-bam.”
You looked into my eyes, then lightnin’ struck.
In a heartbeat you were my broncin’ buck.

I said, “Yeah!”
You said, “Yeah.”

Well, months have passed. The hive is full.
Your life is done. Honey, that’s not bull.
“Mother Nature said it’s time for me to fly.
It’s been fun, Daddy, and that’s no lie.”

You said, “Yeah?”
I said, “Yeah.”

You took a step back and tripped on the rug.
Lying on the floor you sighed and shrugged.
“If that’s how it goes, I’m not sorry, ma’am.
There are worse ways of livin’, like the ol’ flim flam.”

I said, “Yeah.”
You said, “Yeah.”