ROD FRANCISCO – THE FADING LIGHT

Rod is a writer from sub-tropical Central Queensland who has an avid collection of folders and journals filled with half-finished works, concepts, and ideas. Writing for personal enjoyment and reflection than anything else, Rod has engaged in a range of different styles in poetry, short stories, and scripts; some of which have been longlisted, shortlisted, and published. Most recently Rod’s poems “Jigsaw” and “Can you imagine?” were published in the 2020 ‘Dark Poetry’ collection; “Darkness of Sunrise” in the 2021 ‘Emily Dickinson Poetry Collection’; “In the cool of the morning” in the 2021 ‘Dawn of the day’ anthology; ‘Emptiness of my soul’ and ‘Descent into darkness’ in the 2021 ‘The Book of Black’. In 2022, two more poems were published: ‘A River Run Dry’ in “Garden of poets” and ‘When it is dark’ in “My Cityline”. His writing spans across a variety of genres with his most recent published works having a darker theme.

Blow the trumpet for our first runner-up:

PAULA RODRIGUES – THE GHOST OF SUMMER

Paula M. Rodriguez is an educator in greater Los Angeles. She started her literary career in Spain, where she won first award on the prestigious poetry prize Francisco Nieva, but focused thereafter on academic publications that deal with different aspects of the literary experience, from Shakespeare to Henry James. Her first poem published in the United States appeared in 2006 in The Blind Man’s Rainbow, under the title “Other Words for Absence.” Since then, she has earned prizes in the Urban Ocean poetry contest, she has published her work in two anthologies, her poems have been published by Scintilla Press and Humble Pie Literary Magazine, and her novella “Angelus” has appeared in The Write Launch.

Cue the confetti for our second runner-up:

JASON CLEMMONS -THE UNIVERSE HAS MAGICKED IN ITS HEART A LOVE (FOR PETER)

Jason Clemmons earned a BA in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he currently works as a program director for Honors Carolina. He has one previously published work in North Carolina Bards Poetry Anthology 2021 by Local Gems Press. He lives in central North Carolina with his husband, Peter.

Beat the drums for our top finalists:

DICK ALTMAN – LIKE NIGHT-BLOOMING ORCHIDS

Dick Altman writes in the high, thin, magical air of Santa Fe, NM, where, at 7,000 feet, reality and imagination often blur. He is published in Santa Fe Literary Review, American Journal of Poetry, riverSedge, Fredericksburg Literary Review, Foliate Oak, Blue Line, THE Magazine, Humana obscura, , The Offbeat, Haunted Waters Press, Split Rock Review, The RavensPerch, Beyond Words, newversenews, Sky Island Journal and others here and abroad. A poetry winner of Santa Fe New Mexican’s annual literary competition, he has in progress two collections of some 100 published poems. His work has been selected for the forthcoming first volume of The New Mexico Anthology of Poetry, to be published by the New Mexico Museum Press.


LOUISE MOISES – APRICOT PICKING

Louise Moises was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she still resides. She has been published by High Shelf Press, California Poetry Society, Wingless Dreamer, the Ina Coolbrith Circle, Unlimited Literature, Pinole Writers among others. During Covid lock-down, she has attended numerous Zoom poetry groups where she enjoys reading her work. She enjoys traveling in her motor home with her cat, exploring back roads, National Parks, and hidden wonders.

A huge round of applause for our contributors.