Yes, 9 years. And I have poets, far and wide, to thank for making this not just an annual tradition but a successful one as well.
30 for 30 started with a small cadre of poets – 30, to be exact. Over the years, that number has grown, though I don’t have an exact count of just how many have graced this web site with their verse. However, I can say with confidence that, from a local event that started with poets from the Washington DC area, it has grown into a national and, yes, an international happening. Over the years, we’ve had poets from all over the United States and from countries as far and diverse as Pakistan, New Zealand, France and Canada. And each year, the poets have been kind enough to tackle the themes and/or challenges I presented.
This year’s challenge included both a theme and a challenge. The theme: “Love on Imaginary Boulevard.” The challenge: write a poem that is exactly 11 lines in length and in which each line is exactly 11 syllables. And 30 poets took up the challenge.
Could I have asked for more? Well, perhaps a few more days added to April, for I had to turn away a number of poets this year, including some of our alumni, because I had already reached the 30 day limit.
I am fortunate, also, in that Potomac Review has, for the past couple of years, agreed to sponsor 30 for 3o. That has allowed us from going to what was becoming a popularity contest to having a judge and a prize for the winner: a one year subscription to that venerable publication out of Montgomery College. And the judges, including this year’s David Anthony Sam, have donated their time for a paltry reward. So my thanks go out to them and to Potomac Review.
So, on this eve of National Poetry Month, as they say: let the poems begin.
I hope you enjoy this year’s entries. Please acknowledge the poets by leaving a comment on their work.
30 for 30 is sponsored by Potomac Review
