Winners: July Poetry contest

We are excited to announce the winners of Chattanooga Writers’ Guild’s July poetry contest are Sherry Poff with “Driving Through the Night While My Mother is Dying” and John C. Mannone with “The Flooding.” Honorable Mention is also given to Patricia Hope for “Drought.” Thanks to all who entered! July’s contest entries on the theme “Showers” were judged by Helga Kidder. Below are the winning works!

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1st Place, Poetry: Sherry Poff

Driving Through the Night While My Mother is Dying

Tall clouds stood up to hide the sun 
beyond the distant hills. Across the plain 
the memories fell like shadows of the rain. 

The car moved north. I sat inside 
outside the reach of time. I tried in vain 
to learn the way of knowledge without pain. 

The night came in like rivers, a flood 
of brown and blue, as on we drove toward 
your rest. And then the sun came through. 

The sun came through in fountains, in lines 
of shining gold. It rose above the mountains 
and settled in my soul. 

Your soft eyes warmed my memory, 
and strength fell from your hands, as sun 
rained down in showers across the warming land.

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2nd Place, Poetry: John C. Mannone

The Flooding

The dogwoods in April can seduce
rainbows in sun-showered waterfalls

and drops of golden dew on tiger lilies.
The platinum waters, rich and sedate
with morning, fade into twilight.

Then the flooding came, drowning
eyes with tears to see the sinking

of the valley-land once chlorophyll-
green but now that dense green turned
to murk, not by a wall of weather,

but a wall of churning water
from the damming of the damned

river swallowing kanasita, the dogwoods,
along with so many Cherokee
                                           graves. 

Note: Inspired by Old Aunt Rachel, a legendary “holdout” whose land was slated for flooding by TVA in the 1930s, who said, I ain’t goin’ to sell, but I ain’t goin’ to give you no trouble. I am just goin’ to set here in my rocking chair and let the waters come up around me and drown me. (Engraved in granite on the “Pathway of History” in the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Nashville, TN.) I speculate that it is very likely that Aunt Rachel was a descendent of the Cherokee.

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Honorable Mention, Poetry: Patricia Hope

Drought

Every drop manna from heaven,
caught on flower tops turned to the 
skies in quiet gratitude, pounding
the mud that used to be the bottom 
of the creek – where cows stand in

memory of cool water and the feel 
of moisture on their tongues.
Buckets and pails catch what comes 
off the roof while parched vegetables 
bask in the velvety feel. Cisterns catch 

pellets hitting the bottom like stones, 
while Grandma rocks on the porch 
trying to string a puny pail of beans. 
Grandpa sits on the porch steps letting 
it baptize him, wiping his bald head 

with his handkerchief, holding out his 
hand as if to memorize it. The dog scatters 
chickens in the yard and shakes, sending 
bullets of water in every direction. I scuff 
the rug with my bare foot, watching as the rain 

makes everyone happy around me. Grandma 
says “Thank God! We sure needed this!” 
Grandpa answers, “Let’s hope it lasts for a while!” 
The dog runs up the steps waiting until he 
reaches me to shake, sharing the gift the rain 
                                             gods gave us today!

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The Monthly Contests rotate through a pattern of Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction throughout the year, with a new theme each month. Go to the 2025 Monthly Contest Series Info page to view the genre and theme for each month.

This contest is free to enter for members of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild. To become a member, click HERE