This Week at Eye On Life Online Magazine: Jason Alan Wilkinson

Jason possesses one of the most eloquent vocabularies of any poet I have encountered.   His word play is esoteric and challenging.  Some might be daunted by his eclectic word choices, but if your command of the far reaches of the English language equals his or you don’t mind referring to a dictionary to expand your understanding of a poem, please stop by and read his exceptional work.

Click here for Jason’s bio and links to his poems at Eye On Life.  

I will be rereading them and looking up those words over which I stumbled again so that I get a good grip on their meanings.  Previously un-encountered words are like finding a fifty-dollar bill in the street.

Humbug Honorable Mentions

Poems selected for honorable mention are now posted at Eye On Life.  Who knows, these slightly askew holiday poems may just help you get into the holiday spirit if you are not there already.  Or they may persuade you to open the spirits, I don’t know.  Did I mention that I posted the contest winners?

I might also mention that the deadline for the Eye On Life Poetry Contest, an annual event, is coming up January 31st.  So far there are very few entries, which means odds of winning the $100 first prize, $50 second prize or one of two third prizes of a book of poetry are still very, very good.

Humbug Poetry Contest Winners Up at Eye On Life

Check out holiday poetry with a twist at Eye On Life this week.  I was surprised at the deep and expressive quality  of the entries.  Scoring among the judges was very tight.  Good stuff!

Click here to read the winning poems.  

Happy holidays and bah humbug to all.

Wild as Flowers

Wildflowers along my path glad and bright –
Blooms both aggressive and delicate
Arrayed in a colorful riot
At my feet. Temporarily yet
Recalled when come less joyful times
My poor ego deprived its rhymes.

Wildflowers filling a sun-washed day
While time seems almost irrelevant
But for the sun’s habitual traversing the sky,
Reminiscent of all routines:
Blood coursing through
Veins from heart to sole and back to heart;
inhaling air, exhaling CO2;
And those imitative dancers: Science, Art.

Yet each heartbeat, each brushstroke and breath
Individuates itself, makes plain
Life’s measurable, finite breadth
Whether spent in pleasure or pain.
Wildflowers’ joyful sojourn swiftly ends
Next year to begin again.

But next year’s flowers are this year’s seeds,
Orphaned progeny cast thoughtlessly
To fulfill their own survival needs.
No mother flower or father bee
Watches over, loves or protects
Yet they proliferate abundantly
When needs of sun, earth and rain are met.
Self sufficiently they grow and thrive
Seeming glad to be alive.

Lend me your wild colors and single-minded growth.
May “Live as free as wildflowers” be my motto and my oath.

HUMBUG Poetry Contest at Eye On Life

Eye On Life Humbug Poetry Contest 

This week only, December 12th though 16th.  Submit a twisted Christmas (or other winter holiday of your choice) poem to The Poetry Locksmith and be entered to win a bag of humbug.  Winner announced on Monday, December 19th.

Contest rules:

• Previously unpublished poems only
• No more than two poems per contestant
• Contest open only to poets in the United States
• Paste your humbug poems into the body of an email.  NO ATTACHMENTS.
• Enter “HUMBUG” in the subject line
• Address the email to me at tomr@rubecom.us
• Include your name and mailing address so we can send you your prize if you win
• Less than 400 words
• Approach Christmas (or your preferred holiday) from an unusual angle

After December 19th, all rights revert to the poets.  The bag of humbug will be shipped concurrent with winner announcement.  In addition to the winner, a number of runners up will be published in The Poetry Locksmith at Eye On Life.

Two Poets at Eye On Life This Week

Today Emily Strauss’ poem, At the edge of the poetry reading, went up.  It’s true that you never really know what might happen at on of those things.  Later this week we welcome back former Poet Laureate of Oklahoma, Carol Hamilton, with more of her fine and thought provoking poetry.  A good week for the Poetry Locksmith at Eye On Life Online Magazine.