This contest was judged in a...what was it again?..."strict, even-handed manner" (thanks for the prompt, Doug, did I get that right?) with not a 'harshly' in sight! Lol
Seriously, the standard was well up on my previous contest. The higher the standard, the more of a mental workout it gives the judge, and I certainly had my work cut out judging this one! Eleven poems went through to the second round, and from there six made it onto the winners' list. The six winning poems are all superb, and it really was a nightmare trying to sort them into numerical placements. They are all very good in very different ways, but the poem in first place was a clear-cut winner: a stunning contemporary sonnet that riveted my attention immediately.
Thank you to all who were brave enough to enter, and my congratulations to the six winners!