POETRY TO GO 2009 CONTEST INFORMATION

 Have your words travel on RTD Metro buses.

Your poetry will be seen by thousands of people in our community!

Deadline:  March 12, 2009       

Eligibility:  Open to all teens (13-19) in the seven-county Denver Metro area.

Theme:  Write about friends, community, nature - -anything that makes you happy.

Length:  Maximum of 10 lines.  Please provide a title (not counted in 10 lines).

Style:  Poems may be in any style, rhyming or unrhymed.

Fees:  There are no fees to enter and no cash prizes awarded to winners.

Entries:  Enter one poem only.  Put your name, home address (with city and zip code), phone number, e-mail address, name of school, and your age on the top left-hand side of the page.  Entries may be typewritten or legibly handwritten.

Originality:  Below your poem, write the following statement:  “The poem above is my own, original, creative work.”  Sign in ink if you are submitting by US Mail.

Deadline:  Entries are being accepted now.  Entries must be postmarked or submitted online by Thursday, March 12,  2009.

Judging:  The entries will be judged by members of The Poetry Society of Colorado (See below) and other judges chosen for their skill in critiquing poetry. Judges will choose the most skilled and creative poems, while considering their appeal for viewing on buses. 

 Winners:  At least 20 poems will be selected to display inside RTD buses during 2009.  Rights remain with the individual authors.  Winners will be notified no later than April 30, 2009.

Buy Our Book:  POETRY TO GO features winners from our contest, 2003-2005.  It is available at Full Moon Books, 6th & Garrison, Lakewood, 303-233-6666; The Tattered Cover (three locations); Clear Creek Books, 12th St. & Washington Ave., Golden, 303-278-4593; or ask at poetrytogodenver@aol.com.

For Contest Results:  Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your entry, or after May 15th, see Denver Contests at www.nlapwcolorado.org. 

Mail your entry to:  Ann Camy, 4742 S. Swadley St., Morrison, CO 80465, or e-mail your entry to annlcamy@msn.com.

 The Poetry Society of Colorado promotes interest in the study and writing of poetry, provides outlets for creative expression by people of all ages, and encourages poets who are writing at all levels of poetic development.  PSC members have many different vocations, interests, and lifestyles. Poetry to Go, founded in 2000 by the NLAPW Denver Branch, is now a project of the Poetry Society of Colorado; The NLAPW Denver Branch will continue as a sponsor. For more information about the PSC and their meeting schedule, write them at poetrytogodenver@aol.com or contact PSC Membship Chair Ann Camy at 303-986-9666. 

2009 Poetry to Go Winners

The Denver Branch of The National League of American Pen Women is pleased to post the winners of the 2009 Poetry to Go contest, presented by the Poetry Society of Colorado.  A panel of eight judges from PSC chose 32 winning poems from over 350 entries. 

The winning poems will be displayed inside RTD buses starting July 7th and continuing for three months.  Please direct any questions to poetrytogodenver@aol.com.

Thank you for entering our contest! Whether you have won or not, we hope you will keep writing and enter again in 2010.

Complete text of the winning poems, as they appear on 11X28" RTD placards, follows the listing, below.

The 2009 Poetry to Go winners are

Jump to your favorite poet!

Garden of the Gods by Desa Beslic, Denver School of the Arts

T by Brooklyn Batey-Jarmon, Colorado Academy

Breakfast by Kristen Indergand, Chaparral High School

Cottonwood Tree by Kaitlyn Kraybill-Voth, Denver School of the Arts

On the Value of Copper by Julie Rhodes, Denver School of the Arts

Ski Run Silence by Kyle Krawczak, Lakewood High School

Cancer by Jordan Jones, Denver School of the Arts

My Cats Pounce and Buster by Ryan Jones, North Arvada Middle School

Road Trip in the Dark by Kristian Cowden, Denver School of the Arts

Choices by Linda Welch, Chaparral High School

The Bus Stop in Autumn by Chante Thomas, Denver School of the Arts

Thought of Lack Thereof by Nathan Alexander, North Arvada Middle School

Artistic Precipitation by Filipp Dedogryuk, Denver School of the Arts

This Swing by McKenzie Humann, Lakewood High School

The Late Bus by Tom Simmons, Denver School of the Arts

@ by Jared Jolton, Colorado Academy

Mosquito by Rachel Benton, Chaparral High School

The Best Things to Remember by Sarah Kaplan Gould, Denver School of the Arts

At the peak of summer by Grace Ledbetter, Denver School of the Arts

Leaf by Hunter Downing, Good Shepherd Catholic School

Spring by Madeleine Kresin, Denver School of the Arts

Pitcher vs. Batter by Stephen Schiermeyer, Yeshiva Toras Chaim

Winning the Game by Mark Dean, Good Shepherd Catholic School

Sprinklers and Bicycles by Erik Brockbank, Denver School of the Arts

The Dollar Sign by Frank Traylor, Colorado Academy

Champion by Lucy Koshewa, Cherry Creek High School

She Is by Sarah McCarthy, Good Shepherd Catholic School

Time by Lauren Dungan, Colorado Academy

^ by Sara Ozawa, Colorado Academy

Rallentando by Susan Xu, Lakewood High School

Winter Day by David Weinberger, Yeshiva Toras Chaim

Sunset by Alice Golter, Colorado Virtual Academy