Mates
Nita Countryman
Seven mergansers drift in the calm—
one swims to the side, apart.
Black crowns bob on the trailing foam.
Seven mergansers drift in the calm.
Six birds move like swans in tandem,
paired for a season in limerent heart.
Seven mergansers drift in the calm.
One swims to the side, apart.
Poet’s Bio
Nita Countryman writes from her home in the foothills of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest. She holds an M.A.L.S. degree from Reed College and a B.A. in Humanities from Washington State University. However, she says that she has learned nearly as much from her students at Umpqua Community College, where she works part-time as an online writing instructor. Nita feels grateful in having published two chapbooks of poetry through Finishing Line Press.
Judge’s Comments – Marc Janssen
The top poems had a lyric element that effortlessly pulled me into the poem. In “Mates” shorter lines broke the rhythm for extra emphasis on the second and last line, I found that very appealing, plus it uses the word “mergansers.”
I was inspired to look up both “mergansers” and “limerent” and now feel very much educated. Lovely poem.