The wind picks up leaves

swirls them around

teens commit pranks

while adults act like clowns

You make chicken chili

heat up spiced cider

put beer in the fridge

stock up on candy

Carve pumpkins to

look like a fright

bring in the cat

turn on the porch light

Get in your car

Dirt roads wind you around

Take you far out of town

Where haystacks seem bleak

Until scarecrows peek

from around them!

Witches on horned owls

screech high overhead

Demons pop up from

under the hood

Clouds cover the moon

You hear a loud thud

You have a flat tire

in three feet of mud

You arrive back at home

It's time to disrobe

You sneeze once or twice

You've caught a damn cold!

Have one last beer

with your favorite candy

Pull on warm socks

Put your feet up.

Oops, turn out the light

Blow out the candle

Put out the cat

Spirits creep in, see you're asleep

Let themselves out with

hardly a peep.

Your snoring is loud

you're all tuckered out

Your dog jumps into bed

howling in fright!

Realization sinks in

it's gonna ba a long frekin night

On Halloween night in your neighborhood

(10-28-2007 - Ronda Miller)

Writers throughout the state of Kansas converged in Salina this past weekend for the yearly Kansas Authors Club convention and presentation of awards.

The convention was hosted by District Four under the leadership of President William Karnowski.

Key note speaker was Caryn Mirriam Goldberg. Goldberg is state of Kansas Poet Laureate.

Winners for the state poetry contest (open to the general public and members), are as follows:

Haiku: Judge Irma Hudson First - Box Turtle- Yvonne Green, D1 Second - Snow Drifts from the Sky - Barbara Brady,  D1 Third - Moonlit Cottonwoods , Roy Beckemeyer,  D5 First honorable mention- Flurry of Feathers - Diane Palka,  D2 Second honorable mention - Coolness in the Fall -Annabelle Corrick Beach,  D1

Theme: Judge Timothy Pettet First - Brushing Away my Fears -  Judy Hatteberg, D5 Second, Such Power, Yvonne Green, D1 Third - It Takes Two To Tango, Jane Bandy, D7 First honorable, Hope, Roy Beckemeyer, D5 Second honorable, Encouraging Words, Barbara Brady, D1 Tied for second honorable mention, As a River Runs, Laura Patterson,

Lyrics: Judge Barry Barnes First - Shipwrecked Love - Roy Beckemeyer, D5 Second - Saturday Night Dreams - Audrey Collins, D6 Third - Editor's Lament, Annabelle Corrick Beach, D1 First Honorable Mention - Courtin' Country - Kay Towle,  D6 Second honorable mention, Tall-grass Spring, Theodore Farmer, D5   Classic Forms : Judge Timothy Pettet First - Roy Beckemeyer - Winter's Weft, D5 Second - Prairie Fire Pantoum - Roy Beckemeyer,  D5 Third - Half Joy Wing, Kristine Polansky, D4 First honorable - Molds - Dennis  Etzel Second Honorable He Drinks Again - Pat Bonine, D1

Poets Choice: Judge Timothy Pettet TORNADO WARNINGS - Roy Beckemeyer,  D5 Second Place, Wedding Picture, Diane  Wahto,  D5 Third place - May Morning - Diane Wahto,  D5 First Honorable Mention - Sharing a Drink - Sarah Langley Second honorable mention - Grease - Dennis Etzel

Free Verse: Judge Paul Goldman First - East off Highway 77, Dusk - Kevin Rabas, D2  Second - Somewhere in the Water - Duane Johnson,  D1  Third - City People - Judy Hatteberg,  D5  First honorable mention - The Yellow Cat Naps - Roy Beckemeyer,  D5 Second honorable - Curry's " Prelude to Tragedy": John Brown - Marilyn Page

Narrative: Judge Carolyn Hall First - Sweat For Sale - Diane Palka, D2  Second - Second Year Blues - Ronda Miller,  D2 Third - Where the High Plains Meet Heaven - Ronda Miller,  D2  First honorable mention - If Not for Tears - Ronda Miller,  D2 Second honorable mention - That Time Again - Jean Jackson, D2 

Whimsy: Judge Carolyn Hall First - For Women Only - Audrey Collins,  D6 Second - DFTT - Kristine Polansky, D4 Third - The Handyman - Paulette Mattingly, D5  First honorable mention - Evaporating Issues - Annabelle Corrick Beach,  D1 Second honorable mention - The Awful Truth - Yvonne Green, D1 

Additional information about the club and how to become a Kansas Authors Ckub member may be found on-line. Kansasauthorsclub.com. (D stands for one of the seven districts that the club is divided in throughout the state)

Poet Timothy Pettet, Kansas City, Missouri, is drawn to the prairie, small towns (think Cottonwood Falls and Linwood, Ks),  their cemeteries and their history.

Pettet, who is in the process of finalizing an Opera entitled Mona and Zero, made his way to a cemetery  outside Linwood today to research the Chance family.  By a differing means of chance, Pettet met Stuart Sweeney (Union Pacific car inspector), who has information about the approximately 30 members of the Chance family Pettet is interested in. 

Pettet, who made his way into Linwood with the intent to research the lone cemetery, that sits atop a cottonwood treed shaded hilltop, at The Linwood Library, was directed to one of the town's yearly fund raising events hosted by The Lion's Club when he asked a member from the Sheriff's department to direct him to a restaurant.  

Wes Knight (stonemason) invited Pettet  towards a cooker of pulled pork, homemade potato salad and a selection of desserts even though the fundraiser doesn't  start for several hours (it is open from 3 -7 pm Saturday evening - donations accepted).

Knight, Sweeney (sons Jacob and Andrew) and fellow BBQer Phil Rosewicz (Civil Engineer Amy Core), all of Linwood, spoke about a shelter, prescription eye wear and other uses the money from the Lion's Club fundraiser has provided the Linwood community since the mid 1950's when now deceased charter member Casey Jones helped set up tents along the road in which chickens were smoked..   

These days, the smokers are filled with pork and chicken and club members remain downtown with their specialty smokers. 

Pettet left Linwood with an affirmation of why he is attracted to the prairie and small town comraderie.

Pettet will be reading poem 'Switching Way Back' and discussing additional projects on KLWN live from The  Runaway Pony Sunday, July 29th, between 8:30 and 9:30 am.