The Poem

Thursday, Dec 3, I had the pleasure of attending the Writers' Collective 2009 Poetry Contest awards ceremony at the Millenium Library.

My poem, Goramedes, was selected as the first-place winner.

The event also honoured the winners of the Winnipeg Free Press/Writers' Collective 2009 Non-Fiction Contest. It was an interesting experience. Some very good writing all around. I particularly liked John Barsby's reading of his short story, Beloved Aunt.

Judges Ariel Gordon and Jennifer Still (A Creative Communications grad) had some extremely kind words for me. "Jason's delight in language's knots and strong sense of form shines with charm, wit, and an eclectic linguistic edge."

I've never had two complete strangers say something so complimentary about my writing. Taking into account that just a couple of years ago I didn't consider myself a writer at all, I'm humbled.

During my reading I channeled my best George Elliot Clarke, and brought as much energy to my words as I could muster.

The poem:

“Goramedes”

Frank Goramedes ___ graceless and ghastly

A man incongruitous ___ with goodliness and right

Once a delicate blastula ___ innocence irrevocable

froiling in the foamy-buttersauce ___ of mother’s womb

His crenelated mug ___ bespoke of never-glory

Paper-burned flat cap ___ perched on bleaken-pate head

Jowls pinched and puckered ___ in parody of golden mean

A Pear-man if you ever saw one ___ humanoid-carbuncle in a suit

Sandwiched betwixt taxi-stands ___ and dirty-show kiosks

Where palewaivens beckon ___ to dream-thirsty bentlings

Stood Firm of Hrimbolde ___ Carsephalope and Tung

Fixture of the blackentoil city ___ where Goramedes made his mark

Mister Arthur Aebelasker ___ Eldest of Ethel and Albert

Philluminist of ill repute ___ and litigator of men

Partner of Goramedes ___ his better in all aspects

Cast lingrances across his file-stand ___ plotting dire-denouement

Aebelasker had aquired ___ a liking for Lorna.

A Hellenistic honey ___ who was bride to Goramedes

Nee Torquemada ___ tangled in turbid-betrothal.

to a weevil-headed devil ___ while yearning for dove-handed squire

The twosome contrived ___ to make-mortal their foil

By cold prosciutto canapés ___ and arsenic in Cabernet Franc

Goramedes arrived after eight ___ inhaling his aperitif

Then Frank met floor ___ gingerly the glight left his eyes

The gleeful sin-smiths ___ grinning in their coarse collusion

At wake were offered ___ coffee, sprats and cruellers

In the fashion of his kindred ___ the failed-people of old

The surviving were unpresent ___ his widow a no-show

Lorna lounged in citrus-lands ___ Arthur at her side

The spades-and-shovels smoked ___ by the wayside worm-field.

The Heavenly-bag-man uttered ___ murmuring the honoured-mythology

Over our fiend interred ___ a pine-shrouded unperson

Grudgingly excepted by earth ___ earnest until eternity exhumed

I hope it lived up to the hype.

Thanks to Perry Grosshans and his wife Tanya, who canceled a prior commitment in order to attend; and Karen Press, my creative writing instructor who gave me advice when I composed the poem for her class. And a big thank you to everyone who's been supportive of my Cre Comm endeavor and my writing.

I dedicate the award to Veronica, who continues to astound me daily - usually at the exact moment that I need some astoundingness.

I hope it's the first of many dedications to come.

Cheers,

-Jay