A Poetry Award

Jan,

A minor award, but if I don’t brag about my life, who else will? I wrote an ode to Chocolate Ice Cream. I think I haven’t work-shopped it with our group, but I did with Edie’s group. (“Very sensuous,” someone commented.) I have read it at a few open mikes including the Mokelumne Hill Gold Rush Conference, with laughs in all the right places. I had it printed in WritersTalk, last year’s “poetry” (May 2008) edition, and it won 1st (poetry) prize for the WritersTalk Challenge for that six-months. $40 richer for it and I nice little plaque on my wall.

I list it on my recent list of “published” articles on my web-site at http://www.writerichly.blogspot.com/. I presume you’re all curious so I include the poem below. – Rich

[So, below, here on my blogspot.blog, I only include the first 20% of the work. If you want more, you can get it by putting in a comment/response on this blog. In fact, thank you in advance for doing that. It’s a pretty good poem, IMHO. In the contest judges’ opinions , too, apparently.]

Cold Temptation
Richard A. Burns

For months I hardly know you exist, thank God.
One day, I slip up. I get a glimpse of your come-hither package at the store;
I allow it into my cart, a small sin in the scheme of things, I tell myself,
But this is the beginning of my fall.

I hide you in a cold, icy place for a day, maybe, a week.
All the while you bide your time,
Tapping your impatient fingers, waiting for me … for tonight.
You play possum, you naughty thing.

... [etc., etc.]

There is more; just ask. -rb