Poetry Society of Tennessee 69th Annual Poetry Contest Results
Thank you to all who submitted poems for the society's 69th Annual Poetry Festival Contests. First place winners and Tennessee Voices contest finalists will appear in Tennessee Voices, 2025-2026. A special thanks to guest judges:
Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2025-2026 will become available for purchase in late summer. Check here for updates.
- For Tennessee Voices contest: Joanna Grisham, Maria Zoccola, and Barry Kitterman
- For "Play it Again, Sam" contest: guest judge Crystal Robbins
Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2025-2026 will become available for purchase in late summer. Check here for updates.
69th ANNUAL POETRY FESTIVAL POETRY CONTEST WINNERS
BEST OF THE FEST
Best of the 69th Festival 1st place poems (contest 2 excluded) PRIZE: $250
Altar of Afternoon by Danita Dodson
1. TENNESSEE VOICES (All winners and finalists will appear in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2024-2025)
Eligibility: Tennessee resident or PST members only. Entry Fee: $2 for a single poem. One entry only. Form: Any / Topic: Any Prizes: 1st $150/ 2nd $100 / 3rd $50
1st Altar of Afternoon by Danita Dodson
2nd Harbor by KB Ballentine
3rd Meditation on Witnessing Loss by Claudia Stanek
Finalists
High July by Connie Jordan Green
The End of Summer by Linda Culp Holmes
Breaking After Sunrise by Laura Gunnells Miller
The Smell of Horses by John C. Mannone
When I Tempt a Vision from My Kitchen Window by Natalie Kimbell
Maples Leaves in Autumns by Sara Gipson
Searching for Yesterday by Jerri Hardesty
2. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
Eligibility: PST members only. Entry Fee: $2 per entry. Up to 5 entries. Form: Any / Topic: Any Special Instructions: Any previously published poem. Note where poem was published on your entry. Do not combine multiple entries into a single file. PRIZES: to be determined by number of entries
1st Silence by Connie Jordan Green
2nd Next Life by Sarah Cummins Small
3rd Let Me Build Myself Instead by Deborah Z. Adams
Honorable Mentions
HM Fire & Water by Natalie Kimbell
HM My Body Remembers You in Fragments by KB Ballentine
HM Stellar Quake by John C. Mannone
HM Savings by Connie Jordan Green
HM The Door Between is Always Open by Deborah Z. Adams
HM A Songbook for Midnight by Jennifer Susan Smith
HM Cumulus by Cynthia Storrs
3. THE LEGACY AWARD
Form: Any / Topic: Any
1st Commitments by Melanie Harless
2nd Family Reunions to the sixth Generation of Grandpa Billy and Grandma Frankie by Laura Gunnells Miller
3rd Temple Israel Cemetery, 2025 by Russell Strauss
Honorable Mentions
1HM To Win a Race by Sara Gipson
2HM Couture Deconstruction by Cynthia Storrs
3HM Unrequited Flames by John C. Mannone
4. PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Form: Any / Topic: Sacred
1st Clearing Clouds by Sara Gipson
2nd (tie) Eternal Gift by V. Kimball Barney
2nd (tie) Farming Poetry by Natalie Kimbell
Honorable Mentions
1HM Consider the Lilies by Connie Jordan Green
2HM Thirteen Ways of Touching Earth by Deborah Z. Adams
5. SUMMER STORMS
Form: Any / Topic: Summer Storms
1st Summer Storm (Quatern) by Sara Gipson
2nd Summer Storm (free verse) by Sherry Poff
3rd Shatter the Blue by KB Ballentine
Honorable Mentions
Lying on My Back by V. Kimball Barney
Summer Thunderstorm by Wesley D. Sims
Summer Storms - Coming and Going by Jerri Hardesty
6. HOWL
Form: Any / Topic: Howl
1st Watching for Meteors From My Backyard Swing by V Sherry Poff
2nd An Act of God by Connie Jordan Green
3rd Resonance by Howard Carman
Honorable Mentions
Goodwill by Julie Herman
The Buzz at Reddit in Tooth and Claw Marilyn Klimcho
Machismo by Natalie Kimbell
7. HAIKU
Form: Haiku sequence / Subject: Any
1st Taos Meditation Beads by Danita Dodson
2nd Owl at Sunset by Christie Cook
3rd Living breezy faith by Marilyn Klimcho
Honorable Mentions
HM To Dance Divine by Cathy Hollister
HM In the November Frost by Russell Strauss
8. APPLES
Form: Any Subject: Apples
1st Apples by John C. Mannone
2nd Hera by Cathy Hollister
3rd The Apples of Chatoogaville by Jennifer Susan Smith
Honorable Mentions
HM Apple Core by Becky Parker
HM Fairmount Orchard: A Haibun by Laura Gunnells Miller
HM Afterthoughts of Identity by Jerry Buchanan
9. FREEDOM (EKPHRASTIC)
Form: Any / Topic: Freedom
1st Folding Freedom by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd To the Moon by Cathy Hollister
3rd Long May It Wave by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mention
HM Bison, bison The American Buffalo by Pat Hope
10. JOAN & SHERON STRAUSS MEMORIAL AWARD
Form: Any / Subject: a "how to" poem instructing the reader on how to do anything the poet chooses
1st How to Read Elizabeth Bishop Outdoors by Christie Cook
2nd How to Meditate after the Flood by Deborah Z. Adams
3rd Making a Garden on an East Tennessee Farm by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mentions
1HM Poem Diving by Marilyn Klimcho
2HM Lovely Latkes by Fred Tudiver
3HM The Teacher's Flight by Danita Dodson
11. BOBBIE DROBECK MEMORIAL AWARD
Form: Narrative poem / Topic: Any
1st The Teacher's Flight by Danita Dodson
2nd The Tale of Willie Jumpett and the Spitless Witness by Christie Cook
3rd: Henrietta's Debut by Grace Diane Jessen
Honorable Mentions
1HM Panther by Pat Hope
2HM U-turn by Howard Carman
3HM Fight Polio ...Kill That Fly by Sarah Small
12. "BRIEFLY"
Form: Any / Subject: Any no more than 12 lines
1st Front Porch by Wesley D. Sims
2nd Not a Nuisance by Grace Diane Jessen
3rd While My Mother Sleeps in Room 705 by Deborah Z. Adams
13. RICHARD TILLINGHAST HONORARY AWARD
Form: Any rhymed form / Subject: A medal or medals
1st Medals Sent Home, 1918 by Russell Strauss
2nd His Name Was Rex by V. Kimball Barney
3rd Hidden Away by Jerri Hardesty
14. THE WIND
In memory of Kristy Wogomon
Subject: The Wind / Form: any
1st Burials at Fletcher by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd Elongated Conversation by Marilyn Klimcho
3rd Acquainted with the Wind by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mentions
1HM Ruach by Russell H. Strauss
2HM (tie) Arguing with the Wind by Grace Diane Jessen
2HM (tie) Evening Breezes by Jerry Buchanan
3HM. Beneath a Pine in the Smokies by Howard S. Carman, Jr.
15. GRANDS
Form: Any / Subject: Grandchildren or grandparents
1st Grandmother's Purse by Connie Jordan Green
2nd Dragons and Chiggers by Howard S. Carman, Jr.
3rd First You by Sarah Cummins Small
Honorable Mentions
1HM Gentleman Teacher by Laura Gunnells Miller
2HM My Grandparents by Crystie Cook
16.TENNESSEE WRITERS
Form: Any / Subject: Any Tennessee poet
1st From Knoxville, With Love by Danita Dodson
2nd Listen to the Wind by John C. Mannone
3rd Sitting in James Agee Park Before a Show at the Laurel Theatre by Sarah Cummins Small
Honorable Mentions
HM A Quiet Man: George Scarbrough 1915-2008 by Connie Jordan Green
17. DORSIMBRA
Form: Dorsimbra / Subject: Any
1st Milk and Bread by Sarah Cummins Small
2nd For Those Who Fear the Force of Gravity by Deborah Z. Adams
3rd The War Comes Home by Sharon Waters
Honorable Mentions
1HM Old Enough by V. Kimball Barney
2HM Rainbow Promises by Grace Diane Jessen
3HM. Garden of Stars by John C. Mannone
JUDGES
Best of Fest: Lisa Coffman
Tennessee Voices: Joanna Grisham, Maria Zoccola, and Barry Kitterman
Play it Again, Sam: Crystal Robbins
Other Categories
Deborah Z. Adams, KB Ballentine, Howard Carman, Ann Carolyn Cates, Dr. Diane Clark, Danita Dodson, Connie Jordan Green, JoAn Howerton, Natalie Kimbell, Janet Qually, Sarah Cummins Small, Jennifer Smith, Russell H. Strauss
BEST OF THE FEST
Best of the 69th Festival 1st place poems (contest 2 excluded) PRIZE: $250
Altar of Afternoon by Danita Dodson
1. TENNESSEE VOICES (All winners and finalists will appear in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2024-2025)
Eligibility: Tennessee resident or PST members only. Entry Fee: $2 for a single poem. One entry only. Form: Any / Topic: Any Prizes: 1st $150/ 2nd $100 / 3rd $50
1st Altar of Afternoon by Danita Dodson
2nd Harbor by KB Ballentine
3rd Meditation on Witnessing Loss by Claudia Stanek
Finalists
High July by Connie Jordan Green
The End of Summer by Linda Culp Holmes
Breaking After Sunrise by Laura Gunnells Miller
The Smell of Horses by John C. Mannone
When I Tempt a Vision from My Kitchen Window by Natalie Kimbell
Maples Leaves in Autumns by Sara Gipson
Searching for Yesterday by Jerri Hardesty
2. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
Eligibility: PST members only. Entry Fee: $2 per entry. Up to 5 entries. Form: Any / Topic: Any Special Instructions: Any previously published poem. Note where poem was published on your entry. Do not combine multiple entries into a single file. PRIZES: to be determined by number of entries
1st Silence by Connie Jordan Green
2nd Next Life by Sarah Cummins Small
3rd Let Me Build Myself Instead by Deborah Z. Adams
Honorable Mentions
HM Fire & Water by Natalie Kimbell
HM My Body Remembers You in Fragments by KB Ballentine
HM Stellar Quake by John C. Mannone
HM Savings by Connie Jordan Green
HM The Door Between is Always Open by Deborah Z. Adams
HM A Songbook for Midnight by Jennifer Susan Smith
HM Cumulus by Cynthia Storrs
3. THE LEGACY AWARD
Form: Any / Topic: Any
1st Commitments by Melanie Harless
2nd Family Reunions to the sixth Generation of Grandpa Billy and Grandma Frankie by Laura Gunnells Miller
3rd Temple Israel Cemetery, 2025 by Russell Strauss
Honorable Mentions
1HM To Win a Race by Sara Gipson
2HM Couture Deconstruction by Cynthia Storrs
3HM Unrequited Flames by John C. Mannone
4. PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Form: Any / Topic: Sacred
1st Clearing Clouds by Sara Gipson
2nd (tie) Eternal Gift by V. Kimball Barney
2nd (tie) Farming Poetry by Natalie Kimbell
Honorable Mentions
1HM Consider the Lilies by Connie Jordan Green
2HM Thirteen Ways of Touching Earth by Deborah Z. Adams
5. SUMMER STORMS
Form: Any / Topic: Summer Storms
1st Summer Storm (Quatern) by Sara Gipson
2nd Summer Storm (free verse) by Sherry Poff
3rd Shatter the Blue by KB Ballentine
Honorable Mentions
Lying on My Back by V. Kimball Barney
Summer Thunderstorm by Wesley D. Sims
Summer Storms - Coming and Going by Jerri Hardesty
6. HOWL
Form: Any / Topic: Howl
1st Watching for Meteors From My Backyard Swing by V Sherry Poff
2nd An Act of God by Connie Jordan Green
3rd Resonance by Howard Carman
Honorable Mentions
Goodwill by Julie Herman
The Buzz at Reddit in Tooth and Claw Marilyn Klimcho
Machismo by Natalie Kimbell
7. HAIKU
Form: Haiku sequence / Subject: Any
1st Taos Meditation Beads by Danita Dodson
2nd Owl at Sunset by Christie Cook
3rd Living breezy faith by Marilyn Klimcho
Honorable Mentions
HM To Dance Divine by Cathy Hollister
HM In the November Frost by Russell Strauss
8. APPLES
Form: Any Subject: Apples
1st Apples by John C. Mannone
2nd Hera by Cathy Hollister
3rd The Apples of Chatoogaville by Jennifer Susan Smith
Honorable Mentions
HM Apple Core by Becky Parker
HM Fairmount Orchard: A Haibun by Laura Gunnells Miller
HM Afterthoughts of Identity by Jerry Buchanan
9. FREEDOM (EKPHRASTIC)
Form: Any / Topic: Freedom
1st Folding Freedom by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd To the Moon by Cathy Hollister
3rd Long May It Wave by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mention
HM Bison, bison The American Buffalo by Pat Hope
10. JOAN & SHERON STRAUSS MEMORIAL AWARD
Form: Any / Subject: a "how to" poem instructing the reader on how to do anything the poet chooses
1st How to Read Elizabeth Bishop Outdoors by Christie Cook
2nd How to Meditate after the Flood by Deborah Z. Adams
3rd Making a Garden on an East Tennessee Farm by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mentions
1HM Poem Diving by Marilyn Klimcho
2HM Lovely Latkes by Fred Tudiver
3HM The Teacher's Flight by Danita Dodson
11. BOBBIE DROBECK MEMORIAL AWARD
Form: Narrative poem / Topic: Any
1st The Teacher's Flight by Danita Dodson
2nd The Tale of Willie Jumpett and the Spitless Witness by Christie Cook
3rd: Henrietta's Debut by Grace Diane Jessen
Honorable Mentions
1HM Panther by Pat Hope
2HM U-turn by Howard Carman
3HM Fight Polio ...Kill That Fly by Sarah Small
12. "BRIEFLY"
Form: Any / Subject: Any no more than 12 lines
1st Front Porch by Wesley D. Sims
2nd Not a Nuisance by Grace Diane Jessen
3rd While My Mother Sleeps in Room 705 by Deborah Z. Adams
13. RICHARD TILLINGHAST HONORARY AWARD
Form: Any rhymed form / Subject: A medal or medals
1st Medals Sent Home, 1918 by Russell Strauss
2nd His Name Was Rex by V. Kimball Barney
3rd Hidden Away by Jerri Hardesty
14. THE WIND
In memory of Kristy Wogomon
Subject: The Wind / Form: any
1st Burials at Fletcher by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd Elongated Conversation by Marilyn Klimcho
3rd Acquainted with the Wind by Connie Jordan Green
Honorable Mentions
1HM Ruach by Russell H. Strauss
2HM (tie) Arguing with the Wind by Grace Diane Jessen
2HM (tie) Evening Breezes by Jerry Buchanan
3HM. Beneath a Pine in the Smokies by Howard S. Carman, Jr.
15. GRANDS
Form: Any / Subject: Grandchildren or grandparents
1st Grandmother's Purse by Connie Jordan Green
2nd Dragons and Chiggers by Howard S. Carman, Jr.
3rd First You by Sarah Cummins Small
Honorable Mentions
1HM Gentleman Teacher by Laura Gunnells Miller
2HM My Grandparents by Crystie Cook
16.TENNESSEE WRITERS
Form: Any / Subject: Any Tennessee poet
1st From Knoxville, With Love by Danita Dodson
2nd Listen to the Wind by John C. Mannone
3rd Sitting in James Agee Park Before a Show at the Laurel Theatre by Sarah Cummins Small
Honorable Mentions
HM A Quiet Man: George Scarbrough 1915-2008 by Connie Jordan Green
17. DORSIMBRA
Form: Dorsimbra / Subject: Any
1st Milk and Bread by Sarah Cummins Small
2nd For Those Who Fear the Force of Gravity by Deborah Z. Adams
3rd The War Comes Home by Sharon Waters
Honorable Mentions
1HM Old Enough by V. Kimball Barney
2HM Rainbow Promises by Grace Diane Jessen
3HM. Garden of Stars by John C. Mannone
JUDGES
Best of Fest: Lisa Coffman
Tennessee Voices: Joanna Grisham, Maria Zoccola, and Barry Kitterman
Play it Again, Sam: Crystal Robbins
Other Categories
Deborah Z. Adams, KB Ballentine, Howard Carman, Ann Carolyn Cates, Dr. Diane Clark, Danita Dodson, Connie Jordan Green, JoAn Howerton, Natalie Kimbell, Janet Qually, Sarah Cummins Small, Jennifer Smith, Russell H. Strauss
Many thanks also to our anonymous donors. (You know who you are.) We appreciate you.