Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Poems for Poetry at Work Day: The Five Winners

By Glynn Young 8 Comments

Last week, we celebrated Poetry at Work Day, and while the White House didn’t pick up our declaration, a lot of people all over the world celebrated with us, including the Scottish Parliament, ABC News and CBS News, university libraries, schools, office conference rooms, and individuals all over Twitter and Facebook. Not bad for something that launched in 2013.

Here at Tweetspeak Poetry, in addition to our declaration, we had a giveaway—submit a poem for Poetry at Work Day, and you might win one of five copies of my new book, Poetry at Work (notice the consistent theme). Twelve poets submitted their work. A few offered multiple submissions, which was okay since the submission fee was a flat rate of zero (find a poetry contest that can boast that!).

The judging criteria were strictly subjective—and not disclosed. I simply had to figure out which five to pick. It turned out to be more of a problem that I anticipated—liked all the poems. (I am not making this up just to make everyone feel good; these were some really good poems, and they need to be submitted to poetry journals, literary magazines, and major poetry publications like Tweetspeak Poetry.) (But I digress.)

The poems moved across the work landscape—newspapers, police departments, school, an office, a kitchen, music, family, the home. Poetry at Work Day threw down the gauntlet, and these poets accepted the challenge and wrote!

It was difficult to pick five, but five I did pick. In no particular order (it was hard enough to get it down to five), here are the five winners, who get their choice of Poetry at Work in their preferred format—print paperback, Kindle, or Nook. (You five, you happy five, you can email your preference to me at gyoung9751@aol.com, and I will contact you through your blog.)

Philip Boiarski, who blogs at Bloodlines, submitted an untitled poem, but I’ve given it a name: “What drove the first ape.” (Yes, I know it’s the first line of the poem; a lot of poets do that.)

What drove that first ape
to hollow the femur
and drill the finger
holes and blow
breath thru
that remnant of death,
the flute of beauty.
Did she think any breath
might be her last.
Do you suppose a drowning
person pays attention
to her/his breathing?
Is there a note, a scream
from a whack on the ass?
Or is it, like an echo,
one repeated breath
since the first?

Jen Rose writes at Jen Writes (speaking of first lines of poems), and submitted this one about an office, which was immediately recognizable. It was untitled, so I gave it a name: “I once had an office.” Yes, I know, I’m being consistent again.

I once had an office
covered in postcards,
concert posters,
and one acrylic award
for some small role
in a big achievement
reminding me
there are no small things.
Now there’s a pencil scrawl
of Stick-Me and Stick-Niece
and little hearts
like fireworks
and a framed photo
of a new family of two
reminding me
there are no small things.

Darlene at Simply Darlene embedded her poem in an illustration her blog (she has a very enagaging writing style, and I didn’t mind one bit reading and scrolling all the way to the bottom to find it. Speaking of consistency, it was also without a title (we have a real trend going here), so I named it—using the first line, of course—“Oranges roll outta bowls.”

Oranges roll outta bowls,
bananas pile high,
granola bars hide inside
glass, lidded jars –
snacktime fuel for home
educated charges, while
husband sits at his
payday desk, tips his
thermos o’ coffee, tea,
or soup, then later
crunches numbers for
dessert, the teach and
the kids swig sugared
words of robert, henry &
sweet, sweet emily.

I hope Darlene appreciates how many times SpellCheck kept trying to capitalize those three names. It was man versus Microsoft technology, and man won, finally.

Laura Brown, who blogs under her own name, submitted a prose poem—and she had a title!

You Shall Know Them by Their Ringtones

Someone has crickets. Someone has a honky-tonk piano. Someone used to have the theme from “The Magnificent Seven.” Denise, who runs the pet food ministry at her church, has barking dogs. Michael, the TV critic, who does not like change, has the classic telephone. Katie, who has the gift of hospitality, has different sounds for different callers. Paul, the quietest among us, has an ascending chromatic scale on the xylophone, volume low. Randal, a Catholic-raised unbeliever who is quick to grab the religion stories, has the classic telephone. Ellis, the Buddhist, has a single chime that sounds clear across the room. Rachel, who used to be the society section editor and left for a nonprofit and came back to be the business editor, has the classic telephone. Doug, the head page designer, who talks sports on Monday mornings and who is sometimes in charge of his young grandson, used to have the Razorbacks fight song, but now he has the “Dive! Dive!” submarine alarm sound because it’s louder and less easy to tune out. When he was going through his divorce, Jay had “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.”

Chris Yokel, who also blogs under his own name, took up a similar theme to Darlene—school. And he had a title, too!

Teacher

In their neat little rows
ready to be sown,
and I am the intellectual agrarian,
up early to till young minds
scatter seeds of learning,
foster fragile buds of thought
with words wet with encouragement
and careful criticism,
watching with a sense of pride as
my classroom grows green,
til summer scatters them again
to the world.

And there they are, our five winners. Congratulations to everyone who submitted a poem(s). Not to mention titles. It was a great way to celebrate Poetry at Work Day.

And next year, we’ll get that declaration from the White House! (Anyone know a good lobbyist?)

Image by Nanagyei. Sourced via Flickr. Post by Glynn Young, author of the novels Dancing Priest and A Light Shining, and the just-published Poetry at Work (T. S. Poetry Press). 

Enjoy more poetry at work™

_____________________________

Poetry at Work Business and Poetry Books
Poetry at Work,  by Glynn Young, foreword by Scott Edward Anderson

“This book is elemental.”

—Dave Malone

 

Buy Poetry at Work Now

Share this:

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Glynn Young
Editor and Twitter-Party-Cool-Poem-Weaver at Tweetspeak Poetry
Glynn Young lives in St. Louis where he retired as the team leader for Online Strategy & Communications for a Fortune 500 company. Glynn writes poetry, short stories and fiction, and he loves to bike. He is the author of Poetry at Work and the Dancing Priest Series. Find Glynn at Faith, Fiction, Friends.
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Latest posts by Glynn Young (see all)
  • Poetic Voices: Jessica Gigot and the Land - October 3, 2023
  • Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought? - September 26, 2023
  • Poets and Poems: Yvor Winters and “Selected Poems” - September 19, 2023

Filed Under: article, Poems, poetry, poetry and business, Poetry at Work, Poetry at Work Day, Poetry Gifts

Get Every Day Poems...

Comments

  1. Elisabeth says

    January 21, 2014 at 8:06 am

    Thanks for hosting this, Glynn!

    Reply
  2. Maureen Doallas says

    January 21, 2014 at 8:08 am

    Congratulations to all the winners!

    For those who might not know: Floating Bridge Press has issued a call for submissions for poems about work: “Help Wanted: The Poetry of Work”. The deadline is March 31. Go to floatingbridgepress[dot]org and look for Review #7 info. Elizabeth Austen, who is the new Poet Laureate for Washington, is the guest editor of the issue.

    Reply
    • Jody Lee Collins says

      January 22, 2014 at 11:13 am

      Maureen, thank you for this. I just sent something off to them.

      Reply
  3. Maureen Doallas says

    January 21, 2014 at 8:48 am

    Here are particulars from Elizabeth Austen. Note that she says call is open to anyone.
    ——–
    Hello, friends–
    I’m guest editing the next issue of Floating Bridge Review – please consider submitting (and please share this widely — the call is open to all poets, not just those in Washington state).

    Help Wanted: The Poetry of Work
    Work – or the lack of it – shapes our personalities, our days, and our health. For some, it defines our status. Floating Bridge Review #7 seeks poems concerned with the interplay of labor and identity: first jobs, lay-offs, job hunting, unemployment, hard labor, happy hour, housework, sex work, volunteer work, retirement, the multiple and never-ending labors of parenthood.

    Submission guidelines:
    E-mail up to three previously unpublished poems as a single Microsoft Word document or single PDF file.
    Put FBR7 SUBMISSION in the subject line of your e-mail and be sure to include your mailing address.
    Send to floatingbridgepress@yahoo.com. No cover letter needed, but please include a brief bio.
    Deadline: March 31, 2014.

    We accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that you notify us immediately if the work is accepted for publication elsewhere.

    Floating Bridge Review is published by Floating Bridge Press: http://www.floatingbridgepress.org/

    Finally, a bit of Wendell Berry to send you on your way:

    “It may be that when we no longer know what to do
    we have come to our real work” (from “The Real Work”)

    Be well,
    Elizabeth Austen

    Reply
  4. Mary Sayler says

    January 21, 2014 at 9:49 am

    In addition to congratulating the poets for placing their fine work, I congratulate Glynn for consistently being an advocate for poets, writers, and poetry. To encourage fellow members of our Christian Poets & Writers group on Facebook to read this, I highlighted the post on the Christian Poets & Writers blog – http://christianpoetsandwriters.blogspot.com. Thanks, Glynn.

    Reply
  5. SimplyDarlene says

    January 21, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Sir Glynn,

    I do, I really, really do, despise, err, appreciate the SpellCheck. Thank you to the moon and back for enduring the blasted auto-correct box.

    AND thank you for the soon-to-be-in-my-grubby-little-paws book. Yeehaaaw!

    Blessings.

    Reply
  6. Laura Brown says

    April 4, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Somehow I missed my presence on this list until today! Delighted. And what good company. I love every one of these.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Poems for Poetry at Work Day: The Five Winners | ChristianBookBarn.com says:
    January 21, 2014 at 8:28 am

    […] Recommended Article FROM https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2014/01/21/poems-poetry-work-day-five-winners/ […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For the Writer in You

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our October Menu.

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

Your Comments

  • Poet Laura: Goodbye—and Hello! - Tweetspeak Poetry on The Mischief Cafe: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
  • Bethany R. on From A to Z, the Abecedarian Isn’t Just for Chaucer—Poetry Prompt!
  • Lois Perch Villemaire on From A to Z, the Abecedarian Isn’t Just for Chaucer—Poetry Prompt!
  • Lois Perch Villemaire on From A to Z, the Abecedarian Isn’t Just for Chaucer—Poetry Prompt!

Join the Year of the Monarch

How to Write Poetry

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Annual Theme 2022: Perspective
  • • Annual Theme 2021: Generous
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2023 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy

We serve poetry with our cookies. Because that's the way it should be.
We serve poetry with your cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you... accept the cookies with a smile.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
update cookie prefs

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT