Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest (Laureate's Choice)
 

I was very honored this week to win a Laureate's Choice prize in the annual Maria W. Faust sonnet contest.

Having read my fellow prize winners, I'm truly grateful my poem has been included alongside the work of such talented writers.

I've included below a link to the winning poems, my sonnet and a link to the poem's inspiration.

http://sonnetcontest.org/2019-winners/

A Gynandromorphic Cardinal Spots a Married Couple

“The anomaly is known as a bilateral gynandromorph. In plain language: Half its body is male and the other half is female…[They] are rare but not altogether uncommon.” National Geographic, 1/31/2019

That man is so agreeable and bald.
His scalp, its natural state, is not so red.
He’s crying softly, like he just recalled
a perfect day, which left him here for dead
in autumn’s half-vermillion dawn. Instead
of stoicism and testosterone,
he’s falling towards the ground, a name in stone.

The woman sets her flowers down to help
him to his feet. He’s twice her size! The power
she had gets thrown off like a gown, to help
brush off his sleeves. In town, the half-taupe hour
and leaves get blown awake; the softest shower
begins. She gives the outraged look of spring
to all but shame’s mistake, until I sing.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/a...-pennsylvania/

Congratulations, Jake. Lovely sonnet, and thanks for the link about the bird; it's fascinating.

All the best,
Jayne

Congratulations Jake! Here is a poem of yours which rewards my reaching after fact and reason, as you might put it, or one in which I feel that every line is recuperable into meaning, as I might. Beyond that, i think it's splendid. I'm glad to see you doing this sort of thing so very well. :-)

Cheers,
John

Very nice sonnet, Jeff. Congratulations.

(I am so looking forward to reading the entries to our sonnet contest this year.)

Best,
Vera

Congratulations Jake! This is really good.

Matt

Thank you all for the kind words. Was a huge honor to be included among the winners :)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
Jake

Huge congrats, Jake! It’s a fascinating subject, that bird, and a lovely, very unique poem.

Siham

Thanks, Siham :)

Congrats Jake! That's really good.

Huge congratulations, Jake! Well done.

Cheers,
Erik