Congratulations to Our Contest Winners!


Dear Coming Home Poets,


What an amazing, soulful, and talented group of writers you are. A few notes about our 2024 Coming Home Contest:
• Each and every entry had a life of its own, and we struggled to
narrow our list. Know that being part of this contest was highly competitive and that your writing deserves much respect…even if you are not on our finalist list. (The dividing lines were so close!)
• We received many amazing entries that went above the 20-line rule. Many were downright competitive, but we could not keep because parameters were not met.
• Our team was thrilled to see so many familiar names revealed upon completion of this contest. You are all like old friends. Without further ado, we are proud to announce the Winners of our 2024
Coming Home Poetry Contest:



Winners


- 1st –

"Lilac Days"
- Francis Flavin


Poem

- 2nd –

"‘[A Home] of One’s Own’"
- Shoshanna Rockman


Poem

- 3rd

“Home Scar”
- Lauren Colley


Poem

- Honorable Mention

ode on the abandoned house I once explored (upon seeing it demolished)
- Molly Kelash


Poem

Shortlist

Roger Craik, SOMERSET ROAD
Pat McCulloch, Borrowed Bicycle
Ian Hall, "Sleeping Through Storms"
Dana Kinsey, This Is a Lot to Ask, June Jordan
Dean Engel, Cradle of Regret
Bob Bradshaw, The Winning Run was Racing towards Home and the Air Bursting with Fireworks
Diane Moser, Continuum Of Life


Finalists

Jeffrey Kingman, House Sold
Phyllis Schwartz, ON THE WAY TO GALENA WITH PAUL 
Jennifer Harve, The Dark
Richard Toth, Archways
Jennie Pollard, Cedar Chest Stew
Sandra Phoenix, Five Minutes on the Back Porch
Mary Brown, Blessing
Erin Conway, Broken Summer
Blume Boyd, Mudslide
Lynda McKinney Lambert, Nightfall
Lynda McKinney Lambert, A Summer Story
Michaela Brady, The Burnout
Marlene Mesot, Rowing Through

Ann Chiappetta, What They Should Know
Ann Chiappetta, Dog Days of Summer
Karen Kerekes, Scents of Home
Margaret Gish Miller, Books Dreaming On Shelves
James Higgins, Home at Last
Beth Morris, EPIDEMIC— Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
Barbara Simons, Untitled
Shakiba Hashemi, There is Nothing Left but the Bruised Sky
Barbara Tylla, Going Home
Laura Albritton, Swing Station
Olivia Brine, Homesick
Beth Cash, When I Can No Longer Live Here
Sandra Gault, Sitting in Clover
Jeff Burt, Here
Tara Zafft, Wolf
Catherine Lagae, Home
Krystyna Fedosejevs, Sharing of ‘Home’
Jules Williams, Arcturus Aspecting off of Orions Belt
Diane Moser, Morning Muse
Tita Nasol, Remembering Home
Peter Hurst, This House.
Barbara Tylla, Going Home