Poetry contest - took third place! STAFF MEETING

 September 16, 2020 – Poetry – took third place!

 

         For the last several years, every Spring I enter the Isothermal Community College poetry contest that is open to inhabitants of Rutherford County, North Carolina.  I sent in my poem in February and I was expecting to see a notice of the winners in May around graduation time in the local newspaper.

          I assumed I must have missed it and, didn’t think about it again.

          Yesterday I received a large envelope from the college  in the mail and at first blush I almost tossed it in the junk mail recycling, but then I hesitated and thought, maybe since I’d enrolled in previous writing classes, maybe they were drumming up students for a writing class and someone sent me a catalog.

          I opened it up and out spilled two Anuran 2020 literary magazines and a letter indicating that I had won third place in the poetry contest, along with a W-9  enclosed for me to sign and return in order to receive the prize money.

          Wow – Published and Paid!

          Without further ado – below is the poem – a personification poem where I assign human attributes to vultures.

 

STAFF MEETING

 

By Teri St. John

 

Vultures congregate in a

dead tree,

in somber suits of black

they settle into

their seats.

The meeting is called

to order.

Discussions open on the

economics of the next

free meal.

Review of profit and loss

statement –

times are tough.

Main livelihood is marginal

from interstate

road kill.

Department of agriculture reports

loss of farmland, acid rain,

feasibility of transfer

again?

Motion tabled for more

review.

Meeting adjourned.

They drop into flight

one by one

to get back to the

business of

picking bones.