Listed by Category
No. 1 RELIGIOUS POEM Sponsor and Judge: The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Salvation Army Rosary,” Evanston, IL
2nd Janet Anderson, “Compassion,” Huntsville, AL
3rd Meredith R. Cook, “Prayer Circle,” Blue Earth, MN
1st HM Deborah Rohde, “Some Call It God,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM Peter Halliday, “a moment at mass,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM Henry Newton Goldman, “Omnipresent,” Augusta, GA
No. 2 HUMOROUS POEM Judge: Alan Harris
1st Curt Vevang, “have you ever noticed?” Palatine, IL
2nd Vera Ogden Bakker, “The Bottle,” Bountiful, UT
3rd Susan T. Moss, “Takeoff,” Evanston, IL
1st HM Beth Staas, “Junior High,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, “The Turnaround,” Ashland, KY
3rd HM Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Crash Course,” Roanoke, VA
No. 3 FORMAL VERSE Judge: Kathleen McClung
1st Catherine Moran, “Another look at dreams,” Little Rock, AR
2nd Dalene Stull, “Reasons for Roses,” Danville, OH
3rd Kate Hutchinson, “Bak Yard,” Palatine, IL
1st HM Beth Staas, “Game Boy,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM Larry Turner, “Return to White Horse Hill: for Donna,” Fredricksburg, VA
3rd HM Madelyn Eastlund, “It Was On the Eleven O’clock News,” Beverly Hills, FL
No. 4 FREE VERSE Judge: Becky Alexander
1st Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Puzzles and Pie,” Roanoke, VA
2nd Carole Z. Croll, “Tides,” Royersford, PA
3rd Melissa Huff, “Come to me in April,” Champaign, IL
1st HM Catherine Moran, “Touching the edge of poetry,” Little Rock, AR
2nd HM Joseph Kuhn Carey, “Red and Green Men,” Glencoe, IL
3rd HM Camille A. Balla, “I Will Not Write Poetry Today,” Lisle, IL
No. 5 SOCIAL CONSCIENCE Judge: John Lehman, Sponsor: Linda Wallin
In Memory of Ken and Adelaide Wallin
1st Ellaraine Lockie, “Silent,” Sunnyvale, CA
2nd Dorothy Rogers, “Touching Through Glass,” Lucedale, MS
3rd Dennis Patton, “The Last Minute,” Alexander, AR
1st HM Beth Staas, “Open House,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM David McCovey, “Silent screams drowned,” Gulfport, MS
3rd HM Taney A. Brazeal, “Peace,” Fairhope, AL
No. 6 MINIATURE POEM Judge: Catherine Moran, Sponsor: Marilyn Huntman Giese
In Memory of Ann Nelson
1st Beth Staas, “Cloistered,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd Carol Kanter, “Guide in Namibia,” Evanston, IL
3rd Carole Z. Croll, “Opal,” Royerford, PA
1st HM Wilda Morris, “Yellow-Bellied Slider,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, “Silhouette,” Ashland, KY
3rd HM
No. 7 NATURE Judge: Jared Smith, Sponsors: Susan T. Moss and Jared Smith
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Designs of Decay,” Evanston, IL
2nd Melissa Huff, “Fern Room, Lincoln Park Conservatory,” Champaign, IL
3rd Carol Kanter, “On the Namibian Pans,” Evanston, IL
1st HM Janet Anderson, “Joy For the Natural World,” Huntsville, AL
2nd HM Jessica Jones, “Watching Words Fall,” Orange Beach, AL
3rd HM Donna Pucciani, “Waiting for Crickets,” Wheaton, IL
No. 8 MIDWEST THEME Judge: Dalene Stull, Sponsor: Beth Staas
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Abandoned Farm Houses,” Evanston, IL
2nd Beverly Stanislawski, “Soldiers of the Corn,” Crown Point, IN
3rd William Marr, “At the Frozen Window,” Downers Grove, IL
1st HM Carole Z. Croll, “Vagabond,” Royersford, PA
2nd HM Janet Anderson, “The Flood Zone,” Huntsville, AL
3rd HM Gail Denham, “Burned Beans,” Sunriver, OR
No. 9 CHICAGO ART/ARCHITECTURE Judge: Gail White, Sponsors: Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby
In Memory of Glenna Holloway
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Jan Van Eyck’s Annunciation,” Evanston, IL
2nd Deborah Rohde, “Red,” Northbrook, IL
3rd Carol Kanter, “Architect’s Design,” Evanston, IL
1st HM Mardelle Fortier, “Renoir, Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise,” Lisle, IL
2nd HM Charlotte Digregorio, “What’s All the Roar?” Winnetka, IL
3rd HM Nina Wieda, “Talking to Chicago,” Chicago, IL
No. 10 CHICAGO NEWS, POLITICS, HISTORY Judge: Rebecca Kanan, Sponsor: Charlotte DiGregorio
In Memory of Maria DiGregorio
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Communal Snow in Rogers Park,” Evanston, IL
2nd Beverly Stanislawski, “My Kind of Town,” Crown Point, IN
3rd Judith Tullis, “Paper Fortunes,” Indian Head Park, IL
1st HM Beth Staas, “Division Street,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM Sheila Elliott, “Mark Beaubien’s Violin,” Oak Park, IL
3rd HM David Nekimken, “The Great Chicago Fire,” Chicago, IL
No. 11 OUTDOOR CHICAGO Judge: Larry Turner, Sponsor: Barbara Eaton
1st Wilda Morris, “Windy City,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd Susan T. Moss, “Captive,” Evanston, IL
3rd Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Backyard Real Estate in Chicago,” Evanston, IL
1st HM Deborah Rohde, “Biking the Lakefront,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM William Marr, “Parabolic Curves,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd HM Mardelle Fortier, “Another Look at Gray,” Lisle, IL
No. 12 CHICAGO: A NIGHT OUT Sponsor and Judge: Patricia Eaton
In Memory of Coco and Scout
1st Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Stonewalled,” Evanston, IL
2nd William Marr, “Red Shawl,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd Deborah Rohde, “Jesus Saves,” Northbrook, IL
1st HM Sheila Elliott, “Ramsey Lewis at Ravinia, August 2015,” Oak Park, IL
2nd HM Mark Hudson, “Californians in Chicago,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM Marjorie Rissman, “Elegy to the Alcyon,” Highland Park, IL
Many Thanks to our Honored Sponsors
The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis
Linda Wallin
Marilyn Huntman Giese, author of The Eye of God: A Fisherman’s Tale
Susan T. Moss, author of In from the Dark
Beth Staas, author of Beside the Golden Door
Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby
Charlotte DiGregorio
Patricia Eaton
Wilda Morris, author of Szechwan Shrimp and Fortune Cookies: Poems from a Chinese Restaurant
Jean Sotos
John Bagdonas
Joseph Glaser
A special thank you to Arlyn Miller, of Poetic License, Inc. for her generous gift