So far, the winners of our Relationship Poems contest include a haiku about a troubled relationship, a Valentine to corned beef, and a sonnet comparing a young man's beloved to his favorite cheese.
Today's winner is about two lovers not at all bothered about being snowed in. Our contest judge, Susan Azar Porterfield, selected this poem because of the contrast it sets up with the outside world:
"Here we are, here's our bed," Porterfield says. "The world is out there and it's cold and un-welcoming, and we don't care."
She continues: "Who hasn't felt the burrowing that lovers feel, so attuned to each other that the rest of the world falls away? And good riddance."
Porterfield is a published poet and Rockford University professor. She introduces today's poem in the link below.
The poem, "In Our Valley of Snow," was written by Dan Kenney of DeKalb. If you live in this city, you might be more familiar with Kenney for his role as director of DeKalb County Community Gardens. Kenney is one of more than 100 listeners who responded to WNIJ's call for poems ahead of Valentine's Day. Here is his winning entry:
In Our Valley of Snow cloistered in our cove of down, we shall by touch and whispers weather this longest of winters. Spooned beneath hand-stitched quilts our bodies sing yes! - to frost etched glass, and drifts around our door. Soon, we will be sung to wake by spring's first crocus.
Tomorrow, we'll reveal another winner. Listen during Morning Edition at 6:45 and 8:45. Then come back here for an author reading and comments by our judge, Susan Porterfield. We welcome your comments about our winners below.
