[Kate Benedict]

Um Portugues
Navy Housing
Women's Work

[Terese Coe]

I'm not voting yet, but must add my thanks to Cathy for her sterling work in commentary. Fantastic job, Cathy! You've made so many astute points and it's been a pleasure to read them.

[Maryann Corbett]

1. Into His Hand
2. A Visit on All Saints' Day
3. Cardio and Bedtime Story tie.

As Janice said, on another day it might be different. I feel pretty sure, though, about "Into His Hand."

[Janet Kenny]

Hey, if ties are allowed I'm going back to add one. It's terrible only being allowed three poems.

And I rearrange my choices and add others every time I think about them.

[Mary Meriam]

1. Um Português
2. After She Left
3. Cardio

[Chris Childers]

This was really hard voting. I could have picked six, with no ranking between them.

1. Um Português
2. Navy Housing
3. Women's Work

Honorable mentions to Winter Wheat, Bed-time Story & Waialeale Crater.

& I join in the chorus sending gratitude Cathy's way. She has done a remarkable job, producing unfailingly interesting, intelligent & insightful commentary. We often get a little lazy around here, or at least I do, trusting in our unstudied reactions as valuable in themselves, like we're some sort of couch potato focus group with a sensor on our pulse and the poet is Jerry Bruckheimer, measuring which explosions get our hearts pounding hardest. Catherine's commentary, though, reminds me of what I should already know, that good poems should provoke us to learn and work to appreciate them better, and that there is always another layer worth looking into beneath the one on which we lazily feel that we have understood. There *is* always another layer, and Cathy has shown me many that I wouldn't have otherwise discovered, and for that I am grateful.

Chris

[Kevin J MacLellan]

1. A Visit on All Saints day
2. Cardio
3. Wede Away

There is lots of excellent poetry in all of the selections. These are my favorites. But thanks and congratulations to all for making the decision a tough one! And a special thanks to Catherine and to our guest, Mr. Cassity, for the work done to bring the bake-off this far. Well done!
Kevin

[Catherine Chandler]

Dear Members:

I have to get up early for a medical appointment tomorrow, so I'm giving you an update on the points so far.

Points are assigned as follows:
Three points for each first place vote
Two points for each second place vote
One point for each third place vote

Up to an including Kevin's vote, here's how it stands so far:

Um Português = 29 points
Into His Hand and A visit on All Saints Day = 26 points each
Navy Housing = 15 points
Wede Away = 10 points
Cardio and Bed-time Story = 9 points each

followed by After She Left (7), Winter Wheat (6), Café Noir (3), Women's Work (3), Waialeale Crater (0), The Switches (0).

Thank you for reading, commenting, and voting. For those of you who have not yet voted, please note that you still have tomorrow and up until noon on Wednesday.

Cathy

[Janet Kenny]

There's not one of the poems I don't feel I have betrayed if I didn't vote for it.
Thanks Cathy. You really did a fine job.
Janet

[Carol Trese]

Cathy,
I want to say how much I have learned from your astute readings of these sonnets. I was almost looking forward to your response more eagerly than for the next poem. Thank you for the huge amount of time and consideration you put into this. I appreciate your work immensely. You have a fine ear and an articulate voice. Now, I want to read more and all of your poetry. Really, you did a fantastic job. Thank you.

++ Carol