October Poetry Writing Contest
We asked the writers of Ithaca College to write a poem that includes the words crunch, raven, beguile, and maroon as concisely as possible.
As concisely as you can, write a poem that includes these words: crunch, raven, beguile, and maroon.
“The Duration of Autumn” by Leilani Adams
Feathers fall from the raven,
Ravens perch on the tree
Trees part with their leaves
Leaves crunch in the dirt
Dirt crumbles into the lake
On this autumn’s wake
The lake beguiles the children
The children surrender their belongings
The belongings fall into the water
The water carries them away
They are lost in many ways
From the stirring autumn
When they maroon on the shore once more
The items no longer belong to anyone
While the weather swirls in the meanwhile
Leilani Adams(she/her) is a junior double major in Mathematics and Writing. She has a passion for fiction and hopes to publish a book of her own one day. She enjoys reading, gaming, and marveling at her collection of bird plushies in her (limited) spare time.
“Feeding” by Maddie Bingley
The stray dog crosses the street, following the crunch
of the old man’s walking stick
on fallen leaves.
It knows the ringing sound of the garbage can
lid against the can; it knows it’s dinner time.
Once the man has gone back inside,
the man it cannot beguile with its lopsided,
scraggled dog face, not even for scraps,
it eats.
An unknown animal looks back from the metal
side of the can.
Mouth full of the ends of a microwave dinner,
frayed collar around its neck—
the dog doesn’t know the fabric is maroon,
but the man, if he came close, could read the name
dangling from the red collar—
the unknown animal paws more garbage
onto the ground.
Tomorrow morning the man will kick
the can with his foot, wavering
unsteadily, and curse
the winds for the trash strewn over his driveway.
Across the street, like the raven in the air following
soldiers onto the battlefields
of his youth,
a wet mouth watches.
Maddie Bingley (she/her) is a junior Writing major.
Stay tuned for upcoming contests, and check out our previous winners below!
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"December Keeps Me” by Sofia Nolfo
I know we’ve seen it end here before
By twilight- wet eyes, starchy sheets, weary heat
Left each other in a nor’easter
An empty cup of tea, a ghosted room below
But now we are here
I hold you so tight while the rain turns crystal
As you see a flurry fall down, I watch how you wince
Don’t you know we’ll be alright this year?
Sofia Nolfo (she/her) is a senior Communication Management and Design major with a Sociology minor. Her previous holiday writing experience includes penning annual painfully lengthy letters to Santa in her youth. (Instagram: @sofianolfo)
“when we parted at twilight” by Colin Nacion
with twilight's hush, our paths diverge
like a nor'easter wind, an emotional surge.
whispers of farewell in shadows stay
through telephone wire, recalling that day.
as twilight fades, love falls like a leaf,
a new beginning, inviting my grief.
in the silent flurry, compassion and bitterness blend,
I miss you now, but silence is better in the end.
Colin Nacion (he/him) is a senior double-major in English Literature and Theatre Studies. Along with an Education Studies minor, he plans to continue at IC and earn his Master's degree in English Education the year following his graduation. While he enjoys writing poetry, he is most passionate about playwriting (which he shares on New Play Exchange) and songwriting (which he shares on Spotify). (Instagram @colin.nacion)
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“The Crib” by Joshua Pantano
Ever since they brought the newborn home, the dog kept her quiet at night, so when they bought her a bigger crib, they let the dog sleep in it too. But one night the dog gnawed through his leg, biting and yowling until, to the shock of the parents, his body laid silent in the red-soaked crib. The vet told them he had developed parasites, just a day before the baby started screaming too.
Joshua Pantano (he/him) is a Senior Journalism major with minors in Spanish and Writing. He loves to eat cheese!
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“One Flesh” by Joey Goodwin
My Love reaches into my chest, pulls skin apart, and separates muscle from bone. They crack ribs with wanting hands and reach inside to pull at my most precious organ until the veins snap. My Love holds my heart in their hands—as they always have, and now, always will—and puts it to their mouth.
Joey Goodwin (they/them) is a Sophomore Writing major with a concentration in Creative Writing. They love writing queer horror in all forms (even cannibalistic ones).
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“In the Corner It Lurks” by Gwenalyn Abrams
Eyes cast away from the shadow-covered corner.
It watches you with its deep black eyes.
If you look, the one you call your lover will turn into a mourner.
Gwenalyn Abrams (she/her) is a Freshman Writing major. She hopes to be able to publish many books and be a well-known fiction author. Halloween is her favorite holiday and she loves to decorate her room with all kinds of skulls and creepy things.
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“Untitled” by Augie Brightman
It walked the midnight streets—
Through my bedroom window, I saw its distance decrease—
I turned over, suddenly not alone.
Augie Brightman (he/him) is a sophomore studying Cinema and Photography, with a concentration in Film. He loves playing the guitar.
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“Calluses” by Z Prince
They held a war in the palm of their hands. I could feel the battle scars whenever we touched—warm and wanting and waiting for the chance to breathe.
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"Cataclysmal" by Rebecca Rivera
I remember how cute our cat looked when we tried to kill it; how hard we threw it from the bedroom window. But when we popped our heads out, all we saw was a mangy tail disappearing into the bushes.
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“Green Gloves” by Marisa Thomas
The boy with green gloves smiled at me in the middle of the street and he ran across. If someone simply showed him how to cross the road, then once more those green clothed hands would have waved to me.