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From children’s poems to narrative-style storytelling, the poetry category of the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts saw many submissions from all types of poets, each with their unique style and themes.

There were no restrictions on the genre of poetry, and poets did not disappoint with their creativity. The 124 entries were judged by Wendy R. Kaplan, poet laureate of the City of Alexandria, Va., who selected the following first, second and third place winners, as well as 12 honorable mentions.

First Place
Liliana Dossola, McLean, Va.

Since she was a little girl, Liliana Dossola has loved poetry. She gives credit to her mom, who often read to her poems by her favorite writers Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Federico García Lorca and Gabriela Mistral. She also recalls her Aunt Ophelia reciting poetry in theaters.

The presence of poetry in her home inspired a deep love and respect for the art form — so much so that she often writes them in her head while doing daily tasks, like driving or walking. In fact, her first place winning poem, “The Nest,” was composed recently based on her experience with a bird in her garage.

The anecdotal poem follows her initial annoyance at finding a bird and her nest in the garage — it flies inside, making her duck for cover, and is noisy — and her eventual sadness when it is accidentally killed by her cat.

As in “The Nest,” Dossola usually writes her poems directly from experience. “I lived it. I had feelings for it [the bird]. I was so sad that I wrote the poem,” she said. She makes particular use of imagery to evoke the range of feelings she experienced, and chose this one to submit based on the good reaction she’s received from friends and family.

“It brings emotion, so I thought it would be a good one to send,” she explained.

Though she’s had her poems published on several occasions, and even regularly performs at a poetry open mic every month, this is her first time to enter a poem in a competition.

Interestingly, Dossola, now 76, who was born in Argentina, said that she prefers to write poetry in English, rather than her native Spanish, because English has the “exact words to say what I need to say.” She finds it’s especially helpful to have those words to evoke certain emotions and convey sounds.

Over the years, she estimates she’s written over 150 poems, both in English and in Spanish, and she has no intention of stopping. “There are some days I’m completely inspired; I just want to sit down and things flow so easily. Other days, no,” she laughed.

Her favorite poets are Edna Vincent Millay and Pablo Naruda, who have influenced her own poetry on nature and love. For early drafts, she insists on handwriting her work. She only types them into a computer when she’s satisfied with the finished product.

Second Place
Kathleen F. Powers, Springfield, Va.

Kathleen Powers grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., during the collapse of the U.S steel industry as it faced increasing pressure from foreign competition. She noticed how the spouses at home suffered so much as the steel mills closed and their husbands could no longer find work.

Their quiet strength and solidarity inspired her so much that she wrote a poem called “The Women Were Alone: A Poem About Pittsburgh,” which placed second in the competition. When notified of her selection, she could hardly believe it.

“I’m so excited!” she exclaimed. “Honestly, I don’t even consider myself a writer, so I’m just so stunned.”

The demise of the steel mills plunged western Pennsylvania into “deep depression,” Powers said. “I really wrote it out of memory of my mothers and aunts, growing up handling this situation.” After the mills closed, other businesses began to fail as well, and the community felt the harsh economic effects.

Though the poem’s tone is somber, Powers hopes readers find a sense of “hope” at the end. The women may have felt like they were alone through it all, silently taking it all in and doing their best.

But they really had each other to lean on. “We women should stick together. Our strength can get us through very dark days,” she said.

Powers’ career working as a school librarian fed her love for “all forms of literature and reading.” She retired in 2016.

She especially enjoys reading works by naturalist author and poet Diane Ackerman. “I like how she deals with the natural world — a blend of literature, science and nature.” This intertwining of nature and writing has inspired her own work.

Shortly after retiring, Powers joined a writing group, where she gained the courage to read from her own poems — and to enter this competition.

“I belong to a poetry appreciation group at the Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia,” she explained. “I read the poem to them, and they encouraged me to submit it.”

Now 62, Powers lives in Springfield, Va. with her husband and German shepherds, and enjoys reading voraciously. She wants to tell others that having no experience shouldn’t keep you from writing, seeing as she’s never written before and just won second place.

“When I worked, I had a long commute and would think about things and write them down later,” she said. “You should just start writing down things. See where it goes.”

Third Place
Thomas Stephens Corbit, Olney, Md.

Thomas Stephens Corbit may have worked on a ballistic missile submarine in the past, but he showcases his sensitive side by writing poetry. He placed third for his children’s poem “Roarus Sing Saurus.”

Corbit cites Dr. Seuss as an inspiration for this particular work, which he hopes appeals to both children and adults — with a “whimsical message to it.”

Corbit, who is one-third Cherokee, grew up in Oklahoma and Wisconsin before joining the Navy. He served for six years before being honorably discharged in 1976. Eventually, he moved to Montgomery County and has since settled in Olney, Md., where he draws, paints, makes jewelry and writes poetry.

He credits his mother’s position as a teacher with his early instruction to poetry, but thinks it was always inside him, “an inherent feeling,” he added. “I’ve always done it amateur, off and on when it strikes me, from an early age,” he said.

Though Corbit has never entered a competition before, he regularly shares his work with others. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of [sharing my poems]. It really motivates me,” he said.

As with most of his poetry, “Roarus Sing Saurus” is a rhyming poem, similar to that of Dr. Seuss or the rhyming works of Shel Silverstein. Corbit also appreciates classic works, such as “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and the lyric poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

He said he chose to enter the Beacon’s competition after finding out it was aimed at older adults. “I liked the fact that it was appealing to seniors, for their ability and their capabilities, wanting to showcase what seniors can do.”

Now 66, he encourages other older adults to try writing poetry. “Just sit down and start writing. Write how you feel — what strikes your mood,” he suggested.

Corbit also submitted some of his other artworks in the Sculpture/jewelry/pottery/mixed media category of the competition, including handmade sterling silver jewelry with gemstones. “I take a lot of inspiration from the Southwest — what the Navajo and plains Indians used to do. My goal is to fabricate and do that type of jewelry, using the same tools they used to use.”

In the meantime, he’s very pleased he placed third in poetry, especially since he only has about nine completed poems to his name. He has no plans yet on dabbling with other writing genres, but he’s keeping his options open.

“They say everybody has a book [in mind], but I haven’t written it yet,” he said.

Honorable mentions

Poems from the following artists were awarded honorable mention:

Rita Alston, Washington, D.C.
Sidney Louise Brown, Alexandria, Va.
Jack Calman, Silver Spring, Md.
Henry E. Crawford, Silver Spring, Md.
Karen Whitney Curry, Washington, D.C.
Margarita Magdalena Dilone, Washington, D.C.
Eugene C. Harter, Salisbury, Va.
Addison Newton Likin, La Plata, Md.
Kathleen Loverde, Baltimore, Md.
Stephen G. Smith, Odenton, Md.
Martha Wessells Steger, Midlothian, Va.
Douglas C. Taylor, Silver Spring, Md.