By the Chapter & Verse Team » John B. Lee has won first place in the 2nd Annual Love Poem Contest, organized by Toronto poet Oneal Walters.

In his winning poem, In the Heat of the Sun and the Cool of the Moon, I Love, Lee describes a sexual moment with layered details that are soft and calm. 

Sheila B. Roark took second spot with I Have You and Gabriel Arntt was third with Maelstrom of Love.

The contest challenged writers to pay tribute in verse to a special person in their lives. It was aimed at discovering talented poets;  appreciating their skill and announcing them to the literary world. According to the brief provided to poets, the purpose of the contest was not to define, but to write beyond the perceived definition and show all aspects of love.

Lee's winning piece clearly hit the mark.

"His word choice demonstrates his depth and commitment to using the right words to maintain the mood and atmosphere of the poem," said Walters. "John is a driven poet, who grew up in a house full of books; he had his first book published at twenty one."

Lee has several books due to be released next year: The Burning Sweater, In The Muddy Shoes of Morning, Tough Times and Sweet Cuba. 

His winning entry earned him a prize of US$110, and an interview to be published on this site next week.

In Roark's second-place entry, she repeats an important theme in her three stanzas. The use of rhyme makes her point solid, effective, and emphasizes a theme of how empowerment blossoms from a secure and close relationship. 

Roark, a passionate poet, says: “Entering contests is how I make most of my writing salary.” Her entry earned her US$60.

Roark's poems have been published in Northern Stars Magazine, Conceit Magazine and the Storyteller. Her book of love lost poems, Shattered Hearts will be coming out soon. 

Third prize winner Arntt's poem, Maelstrom of Love, has the ability to pull the reader in. His poem is a quickly moving narrative that feels like a fast beating heart, perfectly describing the nervousness a couple feels when they meet. 

"As the reader flows through the verses, Arntt’s words transfer the emotions of the couple onto you, allowing you to experience the poem in great depth," says Walters.

Arntt is currently working on a collection of poetry. 

He defines the skill needed to write a winning poem by saying, “It takes a certain air of detachment to be able to look at your own work and sculpt it and edit it. 

"Like any great work of literature, you must take in to account the fact that you are writing not only for yourself but for an audience.” 

Follow the links below to read the winning poems: 

I Have You, by Sheila B. Roark

Maelstrom of Love, by Gabriel Arntt