Thank You

Dear Poets,


Thank You all for entering the Matter Poetry Contest. We know that all writers and poets are incredibly special people. This year, we had so many impressive applicants. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for the judges to narrow down the candidates to just 74 finalists. We wanted to choose every one of you!
Regardless of whether your name is on the following list, we value each one of you as an integral part of our community of caring people. We all know the transformative power of the written word. So please continue to write, and write, and write. Team Oprelle is sending all of you much love and respect.
 
Without further ado, we are excited to announce the
Winners and Finalists for the 2023 Matter Poetry Contest:



Winners


- 1st –

Juanita Kirton
Something Lost



- 2nd –

Ella Leith
Sonder



- 3rd

Nicole Norris (aka Nicole Lion)
What's the Matter?



- Honorable Mention

Alexis Casner
Elegy for Well-Worn Homes

Mike Panasitti
Comedy In Sheep's Clothes



Shortlist

Susan Anmuth – On the Back of the Kitchen Chair
Ella Leith – Graffiti
Gail Willems – I lose My Yesterday
Melissa Goodwin - Unlock the Door
Jill Literski – The Land
Patrick McCulloch - Borrowed Bicycle
J. J. Galluzzo - The Life--Death of the Poet
Beth SKMorris - No Time to Mourn
Dean Engel - Pain Management
Alix Lowenthal - Emergence
Mary Eastham - Points of Love


Finalists

  • Alan Ormiston - Up Periscope
  • LaCherish Thompson - last night i cried in my dreams
  • Aki Liu – Grapefruit
  • Lawren Coleman - For the Sleeping Sidewalk Birds
  • Pardeep Jindal - To My Distressed Son
  • Catherine Lagae - Wind Monster
  • Julie Hannah Conge - The Break
  • Colleen Cavanaugh - Rapunzel
  • Mark Henderson - "Slowing Down for Vultures"
  • Qi Feng Wu - Human, No Longer
  • Alix Lowenthal - "Jury Selection"
  • Murray Citron - Dark Matter
  • Robert Robeson - Remember Me
  • Cynthia Griffin, The Portrait
  • susan baukhages - laughter is contagious
  • Melissa Goodwin – What If?
  • M.A. Hastings - J. Crow and the Eagle
  • Emily Shaw, - My Summer Lament ( an ubi sunt)
  • Teresa Burleson – Luminous
  • Joseph Ridgway, THE BLOOMING OF THE TREE
  • Jen Oconnor, A Wish at Twilight
  • Veronica Vazquez - 3 LITTLE GIRLS
  • Adrienne Riggs - The Clown
  • Stephan Soloman - Sorbus
  • Sandra Phoenix - Rosemary For Ophelia
  • Emerson Littlefield - Tropical Storm in . . . California?
  • Josephine Baltazar - Killing Time
  • Eveline Rose - The Boots Were Gone, and So Were You
  • Barbara Simmons - My Vitreous Life
  • Miguel Pan - The sky darkens, It will rain
  • Miguel Pan - Untitled
  • Melissa Moore - Hatchie River Lullaby
  • C.V. Miller - a name
  • Louise Bélanger - Petals like hearts
  • Jill Literski – The Land
  • Stuart Chape - Promises on the Royal Mount
  • Stuart Chape - Colours for Lovers
  • Anita Hunt - Sugar Season
  • William Weiss - Lady on a Pedestal
  • Joseph Ridgway - THE BLOOMING OF THE TREE
  • Kimberly Lewis - "Before I Knew"
  • Joy Packard-Higgins - Full Circle
  • Stephen Colley - The Purpose Of Poetry
  • Jen Oconnor - A Wish at Twilight
  • Leanna Litrenta – Streetlights
  • Karen Kerekes – Undiscovered
  • Karen Kerekes - Suspended
  • Lorinda Boyer - Forgive the Rainbows
  • Charlie Brice - Stinky
  • Roger Craik - SHIPPED!
  • susan baukhages - a country divided
  • Gail White, Feeding the Feral Cats
  • Josephine Mitchell, Headphones
  • Christiane Erickson - True Self
  • Qi Feng Wu, Human No Longer
  • Clay Athey, The PolyGraph