Our readers proved just how romantic a place Santa Cruz County truly is! Poems entered in the 2013 TPG Valentines Day Poetry Contest were passionate, touching, and (of course) romantic.
We had so many poems submitted from out of the area – places like Cedar Falls Iowa, and Old Bridge New Jersey – that we created a new category – OOTA (Out Of The Area).
Poets from all over took the time to compose and submit their odes of love expressing love and affection for their special valentines. Once again, our staff had the pleasure of selecting the three winners for each of our three newspapers and the Grand Prize Winner, Alice Keys of Capitola whose Grand Prize was a romantic night at the Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley Hilton Hotel.
We want to thank our local businesses that provided the following fabulous prizes. For our TPG Grand Prize, a night’s stay at the Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley Hilton Hotel. First Place Winners; for the Capitola Soquel Times – a $75 gift Certificate from the Shadowbrook Restaurant, for the Aptos Times – dinner for two at the Seascape Resort’s Sanderlings Restaurant, and for the Scotts Valley Times – A $75 Gift Certificate from the Hilton Hotel’s Stonehouse Bar & Grill.
2013 Grand Prize Winner – Alice Keys of Capitola
First Place Winners • Capitola Soquel Times – Dana Orlando • Aptos Times – Jacqi Holmstrom • Scotts Valley Times – Linda Foster • Out of the Area – Michelle Swanson of Cedar Falls, Iowa
Second Place Winners • Aptos Times – Tim Kubrock • Scotts Valley Times – Dayne Sonntag/McMillen • Capitola Soquel Times – Boaz Vilozny • Out of the Area – Krista Lyons of Old Bridge, New Jersey
Third Place Winners • Scotts Valley Times – Tess Ciara • Capitola Soquel Times – George Drazic • Aptos Times – (Tie) Heidi Durbin & Joanna Niland • Out of the Area – Imania Margria of Kearney New Jersey
TPG 2013 Grand Prize Winner
Alice Keys – Capitola
My love.
I wait for you on the beach
as the silver moon lifts and pales
into iridescent dawn.
One diamond glitters
then rises and fades
above dark reaching branches.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten me
here in the mist
wrapped in the last veils of night.
White foam shushes near and kisses my feet.
Cold and away.
The ocean’s whispering touch is your lips on my skin.
Cold and away.
How like your breath, this kelp salt metal air.
I wait for you.
I wrote this poem for my first love. He died 40 years ago last August third. I was 16.
Aptos Times First Place
Jacqi Holmstrom – Aptos
Forever My Sweetheart
It’s Valentine’s Day
A day made for love
You’re gone now my angel
In God’s hands above
I wake up alone now
But I’m not alone
The love that we shared here
Surrounds me at home
The days seem so long
And the future is vast
I live in each moment
But cherish the past
Just 5 months without you
I miss you so much
My nights are too empty
I long for your touch
I’m sad but I’m thankful
Our life was so fine
A man to be honored
I’m proud you were mine
My thoughts for all lovers
The years go by fast
Count each day a blessing
And your love will last.
For Chris
2nd Place Aptos Times
Tim Kubrock – La Selva Beach
I once knew a girl named Nan,
Who said I could be her man,
As our love came together,
We planned on forever,
Our future we started to plan.
We knew, we knew—we said, “I do”
Our little girls, grew to be like you,
Filled with beauty– inside and out,
From your role model—there is no doubt.
Sunrise, sunset, how the years have flown,
Like a house that is built, our relationship grown,
Last summer our oldest, she changed her last name,
And some day for our youngest—most likely the same.
Grow old with me, we’re not young and strong,
But our journey together, continues along,
No matter the future, thru joy or thru pain,
I’ll be here beside you, come sunshine or rain.
With God as my witness, and you by my side,
I’m still yours forever, you’re still my bride,
So grow old with me, here’s all of my heart,
No matter what comes, ’til death do us part.
Dedicated to my wife, Nancy. We have been married 28 years
3rd Place Aptos Times
Heidi Durbin – Aptos
You are Brilliant
Hope, to save a hopeless world
Voice, to sing a song
Magic in the way he moves
Sparkling eyes intimidate the sun
Heart that makes the heartless love
Strength to lead the way
Calming voice to soothe the soul
And a power to give the breathless
Another fighting day
He is Brilliant he is bold
He is the one I love
And the one that makes me whole
I love you, I love you, I love you.
Endlessly.
I wrote this poem for my Husband James.
3rd Place Aptos Times
Joanna Niland – Aptos
Angel of Hope
Although I have known you for just half a year,
I feel as though you have always been here.
Looking into yours eyes, I remember the surprise.
Taking it in, realizing, we’re kin!
My Angel of hope, you are my muse.
I love your funny hats and cute shoes.
You’re learning to sign!
It touches my heart.
You are so little and yet, so smart!
We patiently waited and now you have come.
You are the light from the moon,
Stars and sun!
Your smiles and laughter are so much fun!
And this hope filled life has just begun.
May you live in a country, learning safely in school,
Enrichment, enjoyment, where no one is cruel.
May you live in a world with warm beds and good food,
Healthy and happy, where no one is rude.
May you live on a planet, that we keep Green,
A place where people are kind and not mean.
May you live in a universe that shines back a light,
So lovely, so bright, as you baby granddaughter,
Our great delight!
TO MYRA: MY GRANDDAUGHTER, BORN AUGUST 20, 2012. The first granddaughter of a first granddaughter for five generations (Mommy, Ann) the first child of my only son (Daddy, Dan)
1st Place Capitola Soquel Times
Dana Orlando – Soquel
True Love
Surprised by love so long ago,
Found in a friend- who would have known?
That initial spark of “Could it be?”
Soon grew into our destiny.
Church bells rang, the honeymoon… a delight.
Lively baby cries soon filled our nights.
Blessed beyond our imaginations.
“Gratefulness”… our favorite contemplation.
My partner, my best friend, the love of my life,
This world has thrown punches. We have sadly known strife.
Through chemo and heartache and questions of “Why?”
We have grown as a family with God by our side.
You see, a love that is fleeting is not love at all.
But a love that grows deeper as adversity falls,
Is proof of True Love, the kind with no end,
The kind that we share, my husband, my friend.
Dedicated to: my husband, my best friend
2nd Place-Capitola Soquel Times
Boaz Vilozny – Santa Cruz
Let me tell you how I fell in love three times
on a Tuesday
after ten years of marriage.
And no –
unlike other such confessions, it does not involve
babysitters,
barristas,
or late-night lapses in judgment
with Scotch whiskey.
And yet, as the story goes,
It happened without even trying.
Tuesday morning, before I could slide out of bed
and consider breakfast
I fell in love
when you rolled toward me, eyes still closed
dropped your warm leg over mine
pulled me close
I turned to you and fell
without even trying.
I fell in love
When the morning sun shone over your shoulder
and shone upon the red plate
and lit up the yolk of the egg I fried for you
after I had gotten out of bed
after I fell in love the first time.
What about the third time, then?
Technically, I don’t know if I actually fell in love
as I said, I wasn’t really trying.
But when I passed by the garage
you looked up from the cabinet you were painting
squinting from the sun setting slowly behind me
and your smile came easy
like you had no idea I had already fallen in love
twice that day
and maybe a third time
on my way to the garden.
I wrote this poem for my wife of 10 years, Madeline
3rd Place-Capitola Soquel Times
George Drazic – Capitola
Lilia
A Lily has bloomed and died
I am the one who saw it
The only one who cried
This Lily wasn’t ordinary
Didn’t blend in with the rest
She sparkled and stood out
Even among the best
Just a temporary pleasure
Not something to possess
She responded to love
And a gentle caress
My wife died too soon
1st Place-Scotts Valley Times
Linda Foster-Scotts Valley
33 years ago across the dance floor our eyes met
Little did we know then our future was set.
Engaged and married within a few short years
Adjusting to life together through laughter and tears.
Blessed with the pitter patter of two tiny feet
Two became three, then four in a heartbeat.
Our lives always busy – so much to do
Tough times shared together – thank goodness I had you.
Life moved on – children all grown
You by my side – couldn’t have done it on my own.
Now as we continue on this road we call life.
I am so glad that you chose me to be your wife.
We’ve done so much – we’ve laughed we’ve cried.
You’ve been my support – always there by my side.
You are my husband, friend and soul mate too
On this journey together, I’m so lucky to have picked you!
What more can I say but thank you for all that you do
You love and laughter always shines through.
Thank you for all the time you’ve made me smile
You always know when to go that extra mile.
The future looks bright knowing you’ll be by my side
Thank you so much for choosing me to be your bride.
This Poem is for my husband PAUL FOSTER.
2nd Place-Scotts Valley Times
Dayne Sonntag/McMillen – Felton
My Purpose and reason for Living
“I love you,” seems too simple a sentence to express
all I hold in my heart to impress,
upon the man who has given me such a beautiful life,
each and every time I hear him call me his wife.
I walked on the earth so empty inside until I was forty-two,
I was filled with hopelessness, sadness and loneliness
but then God sent me you.
Although it was late in my life that you came
the twenty years since have healed all sadness and pain.
Now my heart bursts in amazing gratitude,
and I scream out loud with a joyous attitude,
God has our lives fitting secure like a warm winter glove
filling us with a safe and secure feeling of eternal true love.
Thank you my husband who’s so loving and giving,
truly my purpose and reason for living.
This is for my husband of 20 years who I met when I was 42
Third Place-Scotts Valley Times
Tess Ciara (Ciaramello) – Scotts Valley
Missing You
Missing you is like a butterfly without a wing
something like a song without a sing.
Missing you is like ice without any cream
something like sleep without a sweat dream.
Missing you is like a bird without a bee
something like you without a me.
Missing you is not my favorite thing
something like a hornets painful sting.
So now I say that it really is not OK
for you to be so very far away!!
I’m sending you a hug and a kiss
so my love you will not miss!!
Close your eyes and picture me there
soon you will be back with me right here.
Back in my arms squeezing you so tight
holding each other all through the night.
Till then my love keep me in your heart
never forget we are never really apart!!
Written to Bob Benson my Partner in life