Honorable mentions:
1st Honorable Mention: “Against Neighborhood Noise” by Cecelia Hagen, Eugene, OR
2nd Honorable Mention: “The Turning Year” by Linda Barnes, Medford, OR
3rd Honorable Mention: “Rondeau for the Millennial Whoop” by Jen Karetnick, Miami Shores, FL
Judge’s comments
Big cheers to all the OPA poets who wrote and submitted rondeaus. The catchy, musical form is not always easy to write, and with so many strong submissions, it was a tough category to judge. The winning poems both stuck to and bent the rondeau rules in different ways. I chose poems that surprised me, that used the repetition and refrain to enhance the story and musicality of the work. The finalists were all standouts, with lively images, a keen sense of sound, and an obvious joy in the form.
—Angela Decker