A Bowling Green woman who is new to poetry has won the Wood County Committee on Aging’s 17th Annual Poetry Contest.

Submissions were accepted from Wood County residents 50 years of age and over, with a theme of “Loss and Gain.”

A total of 31 poems from 21 authors were submitted, and a Bowling Green State University associate writing professor reviewed the submissions and selected a winner and an honorable mention.

Karen Wood received first place with her poem entitled “Manual for Life” winning a $100 gift card sponsored by the Manor of Perrysburg.

Wood has only written two poems in her life, and has not previously entered the WCCOA poetry contest. The other poem she created was for a contest in Toledo.

Her first poem focused on the importance of community gardens in urban settings. She wrote this poem specifically for the poetry contest, “wishing to convey the loss and gain playbook of our lives.”

“This is only the second poem I have ever written,” Wood said. “The first one is etched in the cement in a park. Who knew this one would be a winner too.”

Her poem is the gift that keeps on giving as she will donate her winnings to the Wood County Humane Society to assist with their garage sale event.

BGSU Associate Writing Professor Chad Van Buskirk stated that the poem “Manual for Life” had many features that focused on the theme of the contest.

“As the title portends, the winning poem reads as lyric instructions for operating one’s life,” Van Buskirk said. “Through cascading indented lines reflecting the outward-to-inward shift in perspective that accompanies aging, the poem imparts much insight to the reader: the wisdom each of us have might benefited from sooner; the revelations that come to those fortunate enough to see their life span beyond middle-age; and the essential directives for navigating the inescapable losses accompanying life’s gains”

Honorable Mention was awarded to Scott Regan with the poem “An Ode to Sacandaga.”

All of the submitted poems can be read on the WCCOA blog at: https://woodcountycommitteeonaging.blogspot.com/

For information on programs and services, contact the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., at 419-353-5661, 800-367-4935 or www.wccoa.net