Arts Festival Poetry Contest

The Arts Council of Mercer County
Presents
Arts Festival Poetry Contest


Three Categories
1. Adult
2. High School Students
3. Middle School Students
(This includes ALL Home School Students)

Entrants may submit up to 4 poems

Any length is ok but the subject must be “Art”
Entry fees are:
$1.00 for one poem
$3.00 for four poems

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
October 12th, 2009

Winner will receive 5 copies of a chapbook of their poetry up to 20 pages. Entrants will be able to read some of their work at The Writer’s Café booth at the festival.


Entries and fees should be sent to The Arts Council of Mercer County, 235 Ashley Camp Rd. Harrodsburg, KY. 40330. Any questions should be sent to Tony Sexton at contentedme@hotmail.com

ArtVenture

Come join us for our 2nd ArtVenture at Eagles Nest Nature Preserve in Mercer County. Saturday, October 10th from 9 - 12 noon members of The Arts Council of Mercer County will meet at Eagles Nest on 700 Calvary Lane to enjoy a morning full of art inspiration. Eagles Nest is a 1,000 acre nature preserve in Mercer County with lakes, trails, wildlife and lots of other natural offerings. Bring your easels, paint brushes, sketch pads, notebooks, yarn, clay, musical instrument - whatever it takes to produce your art - and join us for a full-filled morning. Also, bring a dish for a potluck meal.

Pieceful Hands Studio

Check out the wonderful fiber artwork of local artist, Mary Alexander.

Mary is a member of The Gathering Artists, the Wilderness Trace Art League, the Studio Art Quilters Association, and the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program. She is also a charter member of KaBoom, a women writers’ group. The studio is located in her home onBeaumont Avenue in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

A Kentucky Morning on Terrapin Hill

A Kentucky Morning on Terrapin Hill
By Bobbi Rightmyer

Awakened before dawn to the gentle tap of rainfall on the window panes,
the morning is cool with a hint of humidity touching the air.
As the day kisses the horizon and the dark clouds prevail,
my muse begins whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
Inspiration comes easy on these overcast days,
tho’ many will complain at the lack of sunbeams.
Fingers of thought gently caress my brain –
emotions are awaking from their sharp repose.
To Terrapin Hill I’ll make my escape,
the green rolling hills and the call of the calm.
Woodland groves with hardy young saplings grow in harmony with ancient woods –
Oaks, Walnuts, Cedars and Ash,
Hickory nut, Sycamore, Sweet Gum and Pine –
symbols of the frontier life, now gracing a modern time.
Native wildflowers still offer display,
surviving the dog days, tired from their summer work,
now preparing the offspring for next season’s life.
Goldenrod nods its head with the breeze and Joe-Pye weed follows suit;
Ironweed maintains its purple appeal, as asters wait to burst forth.
Cicadas are singing their sweet, blistering song,
as the cadence rises and falls like the crashing of waves.
Birds are trilling an opera as the morning marches on,
a call to a mate or the sharp chirp of warning.
More insects join the cicada chorus
and the occasional toad can be heard with his deep, throaty croak.
Muddy paths with slippery rocks, lead to moss lined trails at the wooded edge,
beckoning an entrance for all the wonders that wait –
peaceful solitude envelopes the soul.
Gentle breezes swaying the trees,
inviting fat droplets of rain to pepper down in tiny bursts.
Acorns are dropping and littering the ground,
along with walnuts and hickories, nature’s feast abounds.
Spiders are scurrying to build their webs, as squirrels begin to gather the nuts.
A rabbit is munching the remains of crown vetch,

his nose twitching, his ears alert.
My body is relaxed in this calming place,
just a brief moment away from the worries of life.
If ever you need a break from your stressful day, or a moment of peaceful solitude,
Terrapin Hill awaits with a soothing embrace
to help you wash the troubles away.