Countless “portraits” of Narcissus have appeared in western art and literature over the centuries, but to my knowledge few, if any, have portrayed the young god as he poses for the ultimate selfie. This poem is also a gracefully constructed Petrarchan sonnet, well-realized both metrically and by virtue of the meticulous word choices. Finally—and rather surprisingly, the poem’s overall tone lands somewhere between formal eloquence and unpretentious clarity.
A winning poem in 3rd Wednesday’s annual poetry contest:
This relatively brief poem is ostensibly about a garden, but one that wastes no time finding its way, quietly and unexpectedly, into a very dark domain. Borrowing from the vivid vocabulary of more predictable poems about gardens, the speaker describes instead an environment in slow decay, while providing a warning that we, the observers, are blithely “deadheading in the clarified air.” I consider it a jarring but undeniably memorable poem, infused with the grim inevitability of mortality. – Marilyn L. Taylor, Contest judge.
Another honorable mention poem selected by contest judge, Marilyn L. Taylor, in the 2026 3rd Wednesday Poetry Contest.
An honorable mention selected by contest judge, Marilyn Taylor, from our annual poetry contest.
The Spring issue will include the winners and honorable mentions from our annual poetry contest. Here is one of the three H.M. poems, as selected by contest judge Marilyn L. Taylor.
