Hail the feast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

happy thanksgiving folks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember , we've got the Young poets reading coming up in St.John fisher college's Basil hall auditorium on December 8Th see last weeks post for info contact. I'm going to post info on my fifth annual poetry contest again this week. primarily because we star accepting submissions December first and if I wait to post you might not know to send in . this weeks poem is entitled A bible belt polonaise by carl stilwel

here's the info Announcing the Fifth Annual Skysaje Enterprises poetry contest.
This year we’re offering a $250.00 first prize and three $25.00 honorable mentions.
This years judges are:
Ellaraine Lockie: Multiple award wining poet, ( including our 2008 contest)
MJ Iuppa: Legendary Rochester, NY based poet and professor at St. John Fisher College.
Rick Petrie: co-host of the long running Pure Kona poetry series.
Guidelines for entry into the 2009 contest:
1. All entries must be typed in 14pts font
2. Submit up to five (5) poems per entry
3. Title of poem and author contact info must appear on each page submitted.
4. A $15.00 non-refundable entry fee must accompany all submissions.
5. All entries must be received in our offices between 12/1/08 and 4/30/09
Make check or money orders payable to L. Berger and mail to us at:
Skysaje Enterprises
50 Amesbury Rd.
Rochester, NY 14623
Due to a publishing conflict we are as yet unable to present the winning poem from the 2008 contest ( Ellaraine Lockie’s She reads Virginia Wolfe) below is one of the three honorable mentions from last year:

A bible belt polonaise

by carl stillwell

I met Richard Brand while we were both Juniors

at Midwest City high.He was playing a Chopin's Polonaise on a Steinway at a church social.

As his bony shoulders pumped, his long fingers flew furiously along the length of the keyboard with a power i wouldn't have believed possible for someone wit such a small frame. It was the first time I had liked anything classical.

The last time I saw Richard, he drove me home in his '40 Plymouth Coupe. I had just returned from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and looked forward to telling him of the white bucked college quarterbacks and high heeled blode beauty queens I had seen testify at Youth for Christ rallies about the unspeakable joy the discovered the moment they bowed their heads,closed their eyes and asked Jesus to come into their hearts and take total control.

I knew Richard was"madly for Adlai" when most of us "liked Ike"and that he might have believed Evolution was true but i still wasn't ready for what he told me. He could no longer bend his knees to the god of our Bible belt fathers... his eyes had been opened and could never be shut again... He recommended that i read JB Philips book" your god is to small... Before i got out of his car he placed a hand on my left wrist and said in an anguished voice please don't pray for me.

I'd like to visit That north Carolina oak grove

where Richard shot himself, kneel before a mound of brown and yellow leaves Piled within a circle of ash white stones and let him know

I never prayed for him...

I read JB Philips ...

I've yet to hear a better polonaise

Copywrite carl stilwel 2008 used by permission.

see you next week