Contesting Your Limitations Poetry Contest

In August 2010, to celebrate the release of my short story “Mephibosheth” and the blatant fact of human limitation, I hosted a poetry contest.  (I was doing a four-week series on limitations at the time).  Thanks to all the participants!  They’re was some great verse thrown down.

There were two rules:  1) Contestants had to keep poems to 40 lines and 2) had to use 2 of the following words: “Limit”, Horizon”, and “Spine.”

Ten poems were selected and put on a short list of front runners.   Of those ten, six were given to the judges.  The judges  were not informed who wrote the poems they read and made selections based on the poem’s merits, which included fresh images, good word flow, and successful ideas, resonance, and solid beginnings, middles, and ends.

Here are the 10 short-listed poems and among them the overall winners, but first, the people who decided it was so:

The Judges:

Linda Siebenga
Linda Siebenga is a student of skies, translating them into poetry and more recently, images on canvas. She has published three books of poetry: Windcatcher, Waiting for the Play to Begin, and Earth Against Your Cheek. Some of her work can be seen on  www.Inscribe.org and the painters link at www.thegalleryonmain.com.  Her recent choice of poet is Billy Collins. The non-fiction books of Madeleine L’Engle are staples on her bookshelf; Walking on Water being the favorite.

Kenton E. Biffert
Kenton E. Biffert has an eclectic educational background including a Masters in Educational Leadership, B. Ed., and a diploma in Theatre Studies Acting, and Social Work.  He is currently working on his Masters in Theology. He is the author of the urban fantasy Intoxinated and its accompanying study guide.  As a playwright he published My life in Pieces which has been performed across Central Alberta in English and French.
Currently, Kenton is teaching drama at RDC, St. Martin de Porres Fine Arts School.  He is a professional photographer and most of all a father of 3 wonderful children.

Visit Kenton’s website.

The Selected Poems

First Prize – Katy R. Pent, “Orbit”

Second Prize – Naomi Haussmann, “they were incredible”

Third Prizes – Karl von Tettenborn, “Potters Clay” and Elise Corso, “Untitled”

Short list:

Margi Memoli – “Dance With Me”
Pamela Veitch – “To See”
Daniel Kooman – “The Ground”
Timothy C. Dyk – “new crops”
Aryn Werezak – “The Journey”
Courtney von Tettenborn – “the end”

See what the contest’s rules and limitations were.