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Crystalline Whispers Writing Contest
For all snowflakes in silence and all bards of bonfire,
I feel truly honored to have read the works of each and every one of you. They were all amazing literary pieces of art and it was an absolute delight to have been afforded the opportunity to review your pieces. I was blown away by the sheer creativity, hardwork and innovation displayed in the contest. As such, it is an honor to be a part of this wonderful expedition to redefine winter poetry
Winter, for me, is truly the most mystical season of all. It creates a quiet, soothing, yet cold and dark atmosphere that creates an innate need to seek warmth. This need to seek warmth manifests in many ways, from wrapping yourself like a blanket of presents, to sipping on hot beverages like the cold empty sea where all rivers come to home. Poetry is yet another one of these transformative experiences, and writing your heart out warms you as well as others around you when they get to absorb your words of emotion, feelings and memories.
With the season of stillness and the weather of wanderers going back to homes, we sought to invite talented and aspiring poets from across the world to go beyond the ordinary, the mundane and to create works that shine brighter than the stars of the winter sky. It was quite a prolonged and challenging series of heated discussions, back and forth, to craft this anthology of frost and snow for our beloved readers and blossoming writers.
As we rub our hands together and gather our wits together to brace the cold winds of winter, your poems provide a warm solace to our hearts, in one way or another. From melancholy to mania, from angst to apricity, from somber to surreal, your work managed to touch our souls in a spiritual catharsis that truly made us appreciate the subliminal beauty of winter.
Thank you so much for opening yourselves, whether your hearts, your minds or your souls, to Wingless Dreamer; and for sharing a platform together where even the sky is not the limit of creativity, in what it means to write winter poetry.
With warmest regards, Jai Soni
Snowflakes, and Masterpieces: Announcing the Cold-Crowned Princess of our Winter Poetry Contest!
The Crown of the ‘Crystalline Whispers’ contest belongs to :
Abigail Leigh – ‘A Winter Affair’
Abigail Leigh is a 28-year-old harpist and poet from Oregon. As a self-proclaimed paradox, both a creative and analytical being, she draws inspiration from life’s dichotomies: the belief that light and darkness, growth and decay, joy and sorrow–travel in tandem. Every season has a story to tell, and she writes because she is committed to unveiling the truth from learned experiences. Her poetry has been published in Darling Magazine, Black Fox Literary Magazine, Equinox Biannual Journal, Clayjar Review, Foreshadow Magazine, Kosmeo Magazine, and Yours Poetically.
Light up the town for our runner-ups:
Crystal E. Barker – ‘Free Fall’
Crystal E. Barker grew up on a farm in the hills of Kentucky. She earned a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Berea College and went on to earn her Master’s in Nursing at California State University, Los Angeles. She serves Veterans as a Registered Nurse in the VA Medical Center. Her poetry is published in state, national and international works. Recently she published her collection of poems entitled: “Homelessness Through the Eyes of a Nurse In the City” with Poet’s Choice.
Emma Wells – ‘Stripped’
Emma is a mother and English teacher. She has poetry published in various literary journals and magazines. She enjoys writing flash fiction and short stories also. Her debut novel, Shelley’s Sisterhood, is due to be published in 2023.
Blow the trumpet and beat the drums for our finalists:
Brett Salter – ‘8 Winters Strong’
His background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration he found as a kid when he read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. In his formative years, he joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) he took on a dare and wrote the first book in hisTalisman Series. Brett loved the feeling it gave him and the idea of inspiring others so much that he kept writing until he had an entire series. @Talismanbrett
Adele Evershed – ‘Marking the New Year’
Adele Evershed was born in Wales and has lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before settling in Connecticut. Her prose and poetry have been published in over a hundred journals and anthologies such as Every Day Fiction, Grey Sparrow Journal, High Shelf, Tofu Ink Arts Press, Shot Glass Journal, and Hole in the Head Review. Adele has recently been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net for poetry, the Staunch Prize for flash fiction, and her first poetry chapbook, Turbulence in Small Places will be published next year by Finishing Line Press.
Kersten Christianson – ‘Tsuga of the Pine Family’
Alaskan Poet, Moon Gazer, Raven Watcher, Northern Trekker, Teacher. Kersten Christianson derives inspiration from wild, wanderings, and road trips. Kersten is the poetry editor of Alaska Women Speak. She has authored Curating the House of Nostalgia (Sheila-Na-Gig, 2020), What Caught Raven’s Eye (Petroglyph Press, 2018), and Something Yet to Be Named (Kelsay Books, 2017). Kersten lives with her daughter in Sitka, Alaska and enjoys road trips, bookstores, and smooth ink pens.
Andy Betz – ‘From my POV, it is always Winter’
Andy Betz has tutored and taught in excess of 40 years. He lives in 1974 and has been married for 30 years. His works are found everywhere a search engine operates.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the participants who made it to our shortlist. Your submissions were a monumental achievement to commemorate the incredible talent and creativity of the writing community, and we were honored to read your work. Thank you for sharing your visions of the winter season with us and reminding us of the power of words to transport us to the season of fireplaces and frosted flora.
As the winter season draws to a close, we are grateful for the warmth and inspiration that all of the poem submissions brought into our lives. We are truly delighted to have read the stories of every one of you! We cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible community of writers and poets, and we hope that you will continue to share your voices and your visions with the world!
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