As of September 2009, the Ohio Poetry Association's Poet of the month has once again become a peer nomination process.

If you would like to nominate a member in good standing of the OPA as poet of the month please submit 1 or 2 poems
of your favorite members work to David Francis Smith - David@ohiopoetryassn.org

  Thank you,

The OPA Team 

The Ohio Poetry Association Congratulates Mr. Francis L. Richardson
November 2009 Poet of the Month!

We proudly bring you Francis' selected Poem

Autumn 
 

Francis L. Richardson
415 Clinton Heights Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43202

                                    Autumn

 Listen, it has something to tell you
in voices that sing to more than one sense,
autumn.

 Not like what went before,
the voice of the cicada's legs
and the sun's brass gong
-- a long, nervous, big song
acrid all the day long. 

Autumn and later autumn, in other voices'
darker and older tone:
the scutter of the crisp leaves
the wind
the deep earth hardening
the grey, wind-ribbed water
the colors moving toward brown
speaking in fugue
of the immense order
of forgetfulness.

In order to be again, you must forget what you were.

                                                                           Please find the link to audio of Francis' reading on the right.

                                                                               *Note - This poem in written and audio form are protected by US copywrite laws
                                                                                 and as such may not be reproduced in any form without express written consent
                                                                                 of the author.

            
                                                                           Thank You - The OPA Team

Featured Members Work 2008
Click each month to listen.*

May 2008 - Howl Buddy Howl by Jeanni Ray - Read by Jeanni Ray

June 2008 - Lizard by Jill Coleman - Read by David Francis Smith

July 2008 - Goldfish by Deborah Strozier - Read by Deborah Strozier

August 2008 - Flame by Charles Salmons - Read by Charles Salmons

September 2008 - Canning Jar by Mark Hersman - Read by Mark Hersman

October 2008 - Poem For The Arabian Gulf At AbuDhabi by Elizabeth Ann James-Read by Elizabeth Ann James

November 2008 - Moundbuilders in the Museum by Rikki Santer

December 2008 - Write me a Poem,Seasons for Kathleen & Hannah by David Francis Smith

*You must have FREE Apple Quick Time Player on your pc to listen to these. If you do not have it, get free Quick Time here.

Featured member audio is permanently stored in the Internet Archive Project.