PERRY COUNTY WRITERS GUILD LOOKING FOR MEMBERS

PERRYVILLE -- The Perry County Writers Guild was founded and based in Perryville. We also have members from Cape, Bollinger and Perry Counties.

Our guild encourages writing that is in good taste, i.e., no off-color language, etc. We also welcome writers from other counties.

The Perry County Writers Guild has had four books of poetry published with works included from all of the members. Most of our members have had their work published all over the United States. The guild recently became a charter member of the Missouri State Poetry Society in Bolivar.

As the president of the Writers Guild, I offer at least one poetry contest every-other-month. The winners receive some sort of prize chosen by myself. Occasionally, other members are asked to judge the contests. These contests usually include some specific styles of poems along with freestyle poems.

In our last contest, held the middle of November, I offered two different contests. The first one was for a style of poem called "Divine." The second was for a fall poem of any style, 24 lines or less, which started with the line "I saw a little wooley worm...."

Marie Lukefahr of Perryville placed first in both contests. She grew up in southern Perry County near the Crossroads area. She taught school for 26 years before retiring. She is also the secretary of the Writers Guild, president of Crossroads United Methodist Women, vice president of Perry County Retired Teachers and a Perry County Health Department board member.

Here are her two winning entries:

The Wooly Worm

I saw a little Wooly worm

So richly furred in brown and black,

It inched its way across the walk

And for a moment time flashed back.

I was a little girl again --

So young and innocent and sweet;

But bugs and worms just made me scream

And curl my toes beneath my feet.

My mother came to offer me

Her comfort -- thoughtful, sure and firm;

But others thought it was a joke

To panic over just a worm.

It took a while to outgrow fear

And many lovely falls have past.

Now I can face that Wooly worm

Respectful of his place at last.

In fact I use him every fall

To see what winter has in store.

If he's all black, then get prepared

For icy blasts from north wind's door.

But if that Wooly worm is brown

A milder winter there will be;

And if he is both black and brown,

We'll have a winter potpourri.

Autumn Gold (Divine form)

A pool of gold lay on my lawn today

Beneath the spreading maple tree.

The sun enhanced the sight

With beauty rare.

How rich am I to watch the autumn play

With colors for the world to see!

I drank in Fall's delight

And breathed a prayer.

The next meeting of the Perry County Writers Guild was Dec. 5. For more information on our next meeting and how to join, contact me at (573) 866-0065.