1. I got my first COVID vaccine!
2. My Letterkenny-themed welcome mat.
3. That many businesses in Austin are still requiring masks.
4. Free Girl Scout cookies.
5. Finally having the time and space to cook something from Flavors of Aloha tonight.

March is the month of the spring equinox. My favorite equinox memory is when my 9th grade geography teacher brought Double-Stuff Oreos for all of her students, because they had equal parts light and dark. (Apparently the true balance of this particular cookie has been debunked, but it remains a wonderful memory nonetheless.)

For the March contest, create a poem that incorporates the theme of equanimity. You can do this any number of ways:

• Write a poem in which the content is concerned with equanimity;
• Write a concrete poem representing equanimity;
• Use, bend, or break the rules of a poetic form to create a sense of equanimity.

I am so excited to see what you come up with!

Email your poem to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on March 20th. The winner will receive a gift certificate to the independent bookstore of their choice, or I will make a donation in their honor to a nonprofit.

View past contest winners here.

1. I’m scheduled to get my first COVID vaccine tomorrow!
2. Leftover lasagna for breakfast.
3. Living in a place where I can pay my rent online.
4. The egg and chorizo torta at the Mexican food trailer up the street
5. Homemade kimchi in my fridge

1. That you can (usually) light gas stoves even when the power is out.
2. That we had emergency bags filled with water and other supplies.
3. The way the neighborhood came together to help each other out.
4. Being able to charge my phone off of my portable car jump starter.
5. Being able to flush the toilet again.

Another month, another delayed contest result. This time it was the fault of the Texas Snowpocalypse! I’m glad to be on the other side of that and getting things back on track.

This month’s winner is Peter H. Schmidt. His golden shovel, “Rise Up,” draws from John Gillespie Magee’s “High Flight,” as well as “My Shot (Rise Up Part)” from the musical Hamilton. Peter asked me to make a donation to an organization helping homeless people in Austin; I selected Caritas of Austin, an organization dear to my heart, to receive a $25 donation in his honor.

Rise Up
What does it mean to rise up
Is it enough not to give up
Is hope caged the rage the
Phrase of the heart too long
Denied a fair start, delirious
Furious infamous self-injurious burning
Away as respect is due, blue
Notes all through, I’ve
Never stopped, won’t be topped
Won’t take my eyes off the
Sky, gonna do, not die, wind-swept
I will climb clouds to heights
Flights of eagles at my feet with
Stars so close I’ll make it easy
For all eyes to see: my amazing grace

• 

• 

• 

1. Having a dishwasher for the first time in seven years.
2. For the first time in my life, having a space where I don’t have to take into account anyone else’s needs.
3. My neighborhood Buy Nothing group.
4. Much better lighting in the new place.
5. Being in walking distance of Monkey Nest Coffee

I can’t wait to see what y’all write for this month’s poetry contest! There are two prize options: 1) A $25 gift certificate to the independent bookstore of your choice, or 2) A $25 donation to the literacy nonprofit, aid organization, or public library of your choice. Please see the Monthly Contest Page for complete rules (there aren’t many) and past winners. This month’s deadline is Friday, February 20th.

Prompt
The golden shovel is a form invented by poet Terrance Hayes. He created it in homage to Gwendolyn Brooks. In honor of Black history month, the February contest is to write a golden shovel related to environmental or climate issues. Feel free to be creative with the source text. My friend E. Kristin Anderson has a series of golden shovels based on Ke$ha songs.

If you’re unfamiliar with this form, read the poem “Golden Shovel” by Terrance Hayes as a reference point. Notice how the line endings in both parts are made up from Brooks’ “We Real Cool.” Notice how Hayes uses the words in a more straightforward way in the first section, and focuses more on sound in the section section. (Note: you do not need to write a multi-section poem; go with what works for you.)

Email your golden shovel to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on February 20th. Please also send me the title and author of the poem or song you used as your source text. (Include a link if possible.) The winner will receive a gift certificate to the independent bookstore of their choice, or I will make a donation in their honor to a nonprofit.

1. Being in walking distance of BookWoman
2. Being in walking distance of Nervous Charlie’s
3. Being in the delivery radius of Ichiban
4. Being a short drive from La Cocina de Consuelo
5. Being closer to Emma Long Metropolitan Park

1. Jewel, “You Were Meant for Me“
2. The theme song to The Jeffersons
3. The Chicks, “Wide Open Spaces“
4. The Mountain Goats, “Genesis 3:23“
5. The Muppets, “Movin’ Right Along“

After much delay, I’m finally excited to announce the winner of the January poetry contest! I received a record number of entries this month, and on top of that, I had to move unexpectedly after my landlord sold my house! It’s a relief to be getting settled in my new place and back into a routine.

Lisa Janice Cohen wrote the winning haiku. For the prize, she chose a $25 donation to the Central Texas Food Bank.

Frost flowers
A log’s jeweled heart 
Fused in glass

Thank you, Lisa! And thanks to everyone else who participated. I was especially heartened to see several entries from people who don’t consider themselves poets or writers.