Vs.: A Poetry Competition was held in two parts Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Skidompha Library. The two parts were original poetry and recitation of favorite poems. There were 26 total participants representing eleven local towns. The competition was open for all ages, 4 to 104, and we were happy to enjoy poetry with a wide range of ages. Both children and adults recited original and favorite poetry.

We were lucky to be joined by Julia Bouwsma, Maine’s Poet Laureate, as a reader and the judge for the competition. Julia has been the poet laureate for the state since 2021 and is serving a five year term promoting poetry throughout the state. Julia, in addition to writing poetry, is the library director for Webster Library in Kingfield, and also a homesteader, raising chickens and pigs and growing vegetables. She has two collections of poetry, “Midden,” and “Work by Bloodlight,” both of which received the Maine Literary Award for Poetry Book. She teaches in the creative writing department at UMaine Farmington. 

For the original poetry portion of the competition, four poets were recognized. They were Octavia Aurora for "The Trees of Edgecomb," which she noted for its use of perspective; Bisi Cameron Yee for "Lady Godiva's Last Ride," which Julia called attention to for its use of cadence, rhyme, and sound; "Dragonfly" by Eleanor Frey, which was noted for its nature imagery and for Eleanor's presence and delivery; and Neal Lofgren for "Sequoia," which Julia called out because she believes that poetry should be a vehicle for emotional vulnerability.

Two poets were recognized in the recitation category. Alice Morier received praise from Julia Bouwsma for her delivery of "Variations on a Theme by William Carlos Williams" by Kenneth Koch, and Megan Phillips amazed the audience with her memorized dramatic rendition of "Birches" by Robert Frost.

We were excited to have a community gathering with a focus on poetry, on the joy poems bring to people young and old, and on the connections that words can forge between people. At Center for Teaching and Learning, each day begins with Morning Meeting, a time where the entire school joins together. Morning Meeting includes a shared poem and song every day, a core part of our culture and values. Poetry is an excellent vehicle for connection. Poems serve many purposes and can provide opportunities for genuine conversation, questions, and differences of opinion. CTL’s board was looking for a way to bring something that we love at CTL into the wider community, and poetry was an obvious choice.

It was a joyful evening, with a true sense of respect and camaraderie amongst the poets. Thank you to Skidompha Library for hosting this event, to the Maine Humanities Council for funding it with a generous grant, to Sherman’s and Skidompha for donating prizes, and to the Board of Directors at the Center for Teaching and Learning for planning and helping it come to fruition.

Please join us for Second Stanza: A Poetry Competition on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Skidompha Library.