Book Spine Poetry January 2014 Judge's Review

• Last month, I posted Bebang Siy's choices of winners in our Book Spine Poetry Contest. Here is Ronald "Poy" Verzo's choice poems from the January batch of entries.
   
• The Hours
• After the Storm
• And the Mountains Echoed
• Someday this Pain Will Be Useful To You
  
  
• I like this. Why? In only four book spines it was able to dramatize a catastrophe and how we learn from it. Let’s say, the Yolanda aftermath and how the pain it caused can help people become better. It can also say something about how people cope with problems, and how pain can be put into good use.  The imagery is concrete--the aftermath of a storm echoed by an image equally large and adamant as a mountain, giving strength and truth to a didactic closing line.
  
• In the Country of Men
• Seeking the Heart of Wisdom
• Atlas Shrugged
• …and a hard rain fell
  
  
• Atlas, a man carrying the world on his shoulders, shrugging, as a reaction to man’s search for wisdom and greed for power, leads to hard times. A really powerful imagery to a very good commentary.
  
• snow falling on cedars
• unclean
• unholy 
• undead
• in between the sheets
• Of the Dawn of Freedom
  
  
• It paints a dreary picture-- the snow falling on cedars described as unclean, unholy, and undead. And then it paints of something hidden between the sheets, which the words unclean, unholy, and undead could also refer to, something probably asleep, a freedom about to wake up from a dream.
  
• Last Night I Dreamed of Peace
• Looking Back
• The First Escape
• Before We Were Free
• A Hero of Our Time
• Jump
• Fences
• Shaking the Foundation
  
  
• What I like is how the poem could speak of memory as a place of peace, how it could speak about history and the lessons from the struggles for freedom, and how it reflects and tries to define what a hero of today should be--and that is someone who overcomes barriers (jump fences) to shake the very foundation of things that are valued now, and probably help bring to mind what was the very foundation of our freedom.
  
• Dear Bully
• You say more than you think
• Solitude
• When No One Understands
• The idea of evil
• On Truth and Untruth
• This I believe
  
  
• It is refreshing to read something address something parochial, something which is not far from the concerns of an adolescent, and still make it matter.
  
  Wicked
• Radiance
• Piercing the Darkness
• Savor the Word
• Shiver
• Before Ever After
  
  
• I love the oxymoron—why that radiance, which is piercing the darkness, is described as wicked.
  

Book Spine Poetry Winners for January 2014

This month's Book Spine Poetry winners were judged by Beverly Siy and Ronald Verzo, award winning author and poet of the Readers' Choice Awards. Here are their top three choices:

1st Place

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace

Looking Back

The First Escape

Before We Were Free

A Hero of Our Time

Jumped

Fences

Shaking the Foundation

2nd Place

In a Country of Men

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom

Atlas Shrugged

…and a hard rain fell

3rd Place

Dear Bully

You Say More Than You Think

Solitude

When No One Understands

On Truth and Untruth

This I Believe

I will be posting the comments of the judges in the blog in the next few days.

A Very Bookish Wedding

Writers Beverly "Bebang" Wico Siy and Ronald "Poy" Verzo tied the knot yesterday at San Agustin Church. Reception followed at the Ramon Magsaysay Hall along Roxas Blvd. Congratulations Beb and Poy!

The Museo Pambata Book Mobile Van was the bride's bridal car.

This wedding was the most unique I have attended yet. It's a book themed wedding and the reception showcased what Beb and Poy are all about: writers in love! The bridal car was a book mobile courtesy of Museo Pambata; our guest tags were bookmarks from old catalog cards; the center piece on every table were books from the Verzo Family Library. The hall was filled with friends and familiar faces from the writing and publishing industry.

As in any wedding, there were songs and a dance by the couple. Again, Beb and Poy did their own take on this as the singers were poets who sang songs of love and life. Their wedding dance was a Dance Revo of Dirty Dancing's I have the Time of My Life theme. Lakbay Lahi performed their signature world music ensemble and three young poets delivered a Balagtasan on staying single or pursuing the vocation of married life.

Thank you, Beb and Poy for inviting me and allowing me to bring my hubby. It's an honor to be witnesses to your union. We wish you all the best and may you have more books and poems to write in the future!