2025 Poetry Contest Winners

 

On May 17th, the New Milford Public Library hosted a public reading and ceremony for the winners of New Milford’s third annual Poetry Contest. The contest, co-sponsored by New Milford Commission on the Arts, Town of New Milford, and New Milford Public Library, recognized winners from four different categories: youth, young adult, adult, and seniors.

The event featured readings by the contest winners and New Milford Poet Laureate Deborah Rose. Canterbury School English Department Chair, Madelaine Lord offered a blind read of poems, along with New Milford Public Library’s Public Services Librarian Amy Berkun. The winning poems will be displayed at New Milford Public Library for two weeks after the ceremony.

The winners of each category are as follows:

Youth 

Looking Above the Wall – Claire Benson (first)

Don’t Chop Me Down! Tree – Ariella Di Laura (second)

Honorable Mentions: What is black? – Fulton Cole / Oh, in such a dark hour – Cooper Wollenhaupt

Young Adult

Running on Empty – Riley Tierney (first)

Celestial – Sabatino Di Laura (second)

Honorable Mentions: The Next Step – Kyra Chandler / After a Night’s Rain – Alyssa Amorando / Not Just A Phase – Teenage Love – Riley Tierney

Adult

Christmas in February – Melissa Hanrahan (first)

Clay – Denise Trach (second)

Honorable Mentions: Bloodletting – Melissa Hanrahan / Three Trees – Daniel August

Senior

Aqqua Doce – Rocco Russo (first)

Lobsters on Arthur Avenue (second)

Honorable Mentions: 9/11 Aftermath: Suburban September – Mary Vallo / The Roof – Anita Fabian