April Contest

Well, the first week of the term is underway and finally there seems to be a hint of warmth and the glimpse that Spring may finally be on its way. It is also almost April, a month which brings to mind iconic images of baby chicks, budding trees, and colorful cascades of spring flowers. It also reminds me of poetry. Why, you might ask. April is National Poetry Month and we in the Library celebrate that ever year. This year, we are going to challenge you a little bit and we hope you respond. For our Spring term contest, we are hosting a poetry writing contest. Now, don't let that discourage you. Everyone can write poetry. Give it a try. We are not looking for William Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot. Rather, we want to see what you come up with. And of course, there are great prizes in store for the winner.
What to do...write about spring. Anything that makes you think of spring be it flowers, rain, homework, or baseball season, write it down. There is no minimum words, but we are asking that it be no longer than 36 lines. We've recruited a couple of esteemed judges from the English Department faculty to help us decide on the winner. There was such a great response to our last contest, let's see if we can't get even more this term. Give it a try. We know you can do it! All entries should be emailed to the library@tvcc.cc account.
To help you get in the mood, each week I'll be posting a poem or excerpt from one about spring to help inspire you. This week's poem is from Oregon poet Eleanor Berry. Enjoy.

excerpt from From Here to There by Eleanor Berry

Winters there, bare branches
scribe the characteristic
calligraphies of their species
against a solid overcast, smooth gray
promising snow,
or against flawless blue
with a brilliant sun that does not warm the land but reveals its form.

Here, below billowy cloudforms
continually building and dispersing,
celery-pale strands of hanging lichens dangle
and grass-green pelts
of mosses and leaf lichens swathe
the leafless oak branches, blurring
and thickening the lines.

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