The 2020 MTD Poem is:
be the difference
on any street, on any day
we are only ever
one random act of kindness away
from making the kind of difference
that pivots a lifetime
that pushes our timeline
towards a brighter future,
a grander design.
there is more power in
an offered hand
than any pen or sword.
a kind word
kindly offered
keeps the soul warm.
by Liana Alcantara
Look for this poster on select MTD buses April through June 2020!
April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, the CU Poetry Group, in conjunction with the Champaign-Urbana MTD and Martin One Source, is holding a free Poetry Contest open to all Champaign County students and residents. The winning poem will be prominently displayed during the months of April, May, and June, on 90 CU MTD community buses running throughout Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy. The CU MTD averages over one million rides per month, which will offer great exposure to the winning poem. There is no fee to enter this contest.
Poetry Contest Guidelines
· All poems must be original work of the poet and previously unpublished
· Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming in any format
· Poems will be evaluated on originality and creativity
· Due to space limitations, poems must fit on an 11X17 poster. There is no line length limit but readability on the poster will be a factor.
· Content must be suitable for public display
· English language only
· Poets of any age can enter
· Only one poem per entry, one entry per person
How to Enter
· Submit your entry in an email sent to cupoetry@gmail.com with the subject line MTD Poems
· If your poem is in a form that requires specific formatting, please attach it as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Otherwise, please include it in the body of the email
· Include your name, age, hometown or school, email address and phone number in the body and in the attachment, if using one
· Entry deadline is 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 15, 2020
Notification
· Winner will be contacted within 5 days of entry deadline
· Winner’s name and school or hometown may be used in promotional announcements
· Winner will receive one copy of finished poster
· Poets retain all copyrights to the submitted poems
The 2019 MTD Poem is:
In a Crowded Bus
Be yourself, somehow: with book, homework, or music;
Talk with people from the other side of any dividing line.
Be visible inside the bus and out: smile, wear yellow.
Be aware: tune in to the people; study the street;
Stand, if you can, for the old or overwhelmed;
Offer your seat—keep the one in the front empty
To honor all those who fought for it, once.
by Jim Kotowski, Champaign IL
Champaign Urbana MTD Poem 2018 Winner
Weekend Dance
On the crowded bus ride home Friday,
a month’s worth of work finished in a week,
I imagine transforming this mass transit
into a dance party: an infectious toe tap starts
the swing of hips, shuffling feet, spins and twists
in the aisle and seats. (No jazz hands, please!)
We’ll dance through the weekend, without
a worry about Monday morning’s commute.
by Jason Lee Brown
CU MTD Poem 2017 Winner
Rainbow Bus
The rush hour bus rumbles
down rain-slicked streets.
Standing room only:
A rainbow of conversations
spans countries, continents.
Language leaps aisles, vaults down steps,
hangs on to every word. Pay attention.
Borders shift at every stop.
by Frank Modica, Urbana IL
CU MTD Poem 2016 Winner
We eight short lines
give you a chance
to look at us
as if you meant to
and smile that smile
(you know the one)
so the person sitting below this poem
will think we’ve shared a secret ;)
by Ann Hart, Mahomet IL