Veterans have given so much to this country and this community, that a local poet wants to give something back.

In fact, published writer Joe Robinsmith is inviting other Lower Mainland poets of all ages and experience to help pay tribute to this country’s veterans in advance of Remembrance Day.

Working in conjunction with The TIMES, Haney Place Mall, Black Bond Books, and WAVES, Robinsmith is launching a poetry contest this week.

Inspiration for the contest came in February, when he entered the Festival of Light poetry contest, and was selected as one of three to read his poem called Light.

“I was excited about sharing the ‘word’ of my heart. It also inspired my son to open up with his own poetry writing,” explained Robinsmith, who published his first book of poetry, Heartsongs from a Cowboy’s Soul, in April and is set to release a second collection next spring.

So moved by the huge number of young people who entered that Festival of Light contest, he was inspired to hold another such event locally.

“However, one cannot just have a poetry contest about nothing. There needs to be a public emotion/event to be centred around,” said the Maple Ridge poet who started writing when he was 17.

“Thus, I thought that Remembrance Day is something that everyone feels very strongly about. Most are thankful, some are upset at the thought of modern day peacekeeping missions. This, I believed would be the perfect opportunity for everyone to share their feelings in the poetic word,” he said.

That’s when plans for the first of what Robinsmith hopes will be annual Honour Our Veterans poetry contests took root.

Various prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in each of two age categories (ages six to 18, and 19 and older).

The poems can be entered online (details above) or print copies can be left at Black Bond Books before the Nov. 4 deadline. All entries will be published through The TIMES online on Nov. 10.

All participants will also be invited to a poetry reading at the Haney Place Mall on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11 at 3 p.m.

Robinsmith’s hoping members of the local Royal Canadian Legion as well as dignitaries will also be present.

Joe Robinsmith elaborates on how and why this contest came to be.

I’ve been writing ever since I can remember.

I was a voracious reader as a kid. By the time I was 10, I had read every kid mystery book in the Lytton Elementary School library as well as all the books my parents could afford to buy from Scholastics. By the time I was 12, I had read Agatha Christie and moved on to westerns.

Then at 13, I discovered the fantasy adventure genre, which I have been hooked on ever since.

I’ve written several novellas and short stories in that same line.

When I was 17, I also started writing poetry. Love songs, heartbreak songs, whatever the emotion of the day was.

My poetry has always been from what I was experiencing at the moment. I didn’t share my poetry because in the late 1970s and early ’80s men were not allowed to show emotions.

Heck, even now, it’s frowned upon by some.

Fast forward to the last six years of my life.

I started writing my poetry again, which had been forgotten what with running a property management company, raising two small children, volunteering on the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society board of directors, sitting on the heritage advisory committee to Maple Ridge council, and also being on the board of directors for the BC Dogwood Society.

There never seemed to be time for me back then.

In 2003, my marriage started to deteriorate and by 2005 we were separated.

My poetry flowed as fast as my tears over the loss of the family life I had known for 20 years.

Some of those made it into the book that was published this spring.

However, that is jumping ahead a bit.

Over the last six years, there have been huge improvements in social networking.

I started blogging in 2005 and it has blossomed and gone through numerous changes in the last six years.

I currently write three blogs, one dedicated to poetry, one about life, and one about recipes and cooking.

Blogging seemed to fade to the back page with the advent of Facebook. Through Facebook I have met some amazing poets from around the world. From Texas, Utah, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia all the way around the world to Nigeria, Ghana, and Bangladesh.

My friend in Pennsylvania, Drew B Frank, published his poetry book in January 2011.

I was awestruck.

With encouragement from him and a long time blog buddy in Texas, Monica, I collected all of my poetry from the last six years and published Heartsongs from a Cowboy’s Soul in April 2011. This was done through an Amazon.com subsidiary called Createspace. This was the spark for the poetry contest.

I had entered in 2010, the Festival of Light poetry contest.

I was one of three who got to read their poem at that first event.

I entered the second annual Festival of Light contest and was again one of three who got to read their poem.

At that reading I was awarded a Black Bond Books gift card.

This happened in February 2011 and the book being published in April 2011 and being so well received (in six months we sold over 40 copies), I was excited about sharing the “word” of my heart.

It also inspired my son to open up with his own poetry writing. He shared his poems, written on his smart-phone and emailed to me.

I included three of his poems in Heartsongs.

Flash forward to September 2011…

I was so inspired by the huge number of young people that entered the second Festival of Light contest and so excited by the fact that I was published, I wanted to share those feelings with other writers both young and my age. I asked as many of the young poets at the Festival of Light reading to sign my copy of the booklet of poems they had published. Their faces and exclamations of excitement at being asked was spirit lifting.

However, one can not just have a poetry contest about nothing, there needs to be a public emotion/event to be centered around.

Thus I thought that Remembrance Day is something that everyone feels very strongly about, most are thankful, some are upset at the thought of modern day “peacekeeping” missions.

This I believed would be the perfect opportunity for everyone to share their feelings in the poetic word.

I knew there was not enough time to try to organize a committee or ask others to come on board, I was simply going to have to run with it.

I have been blessed that Shari at Black Bond Books has been so amazingly supportive of my first published book, Heartsongs as well as jumping on board with the Honouring Our Veterans poetry contest.

As well, Kayvan Rhamati of Waves Coffee was excited about being part of the contest, whom I approached because I like to go to the 207th & Lougheed WAVES for coffee at lunch time when at the office for Mircom Engineered Systems. The manager, Sharisse has also been a big supporter of Heartsongs, selling the book in the 207th WAVES.

I have also approached several other merchants in the Haney Place Mall. Purdy’s Chocolates manager Victoria has jumped on board, as has Phil at the Town Square Cobbler.

I have also approached Grant at Haney Bakery, Louise at Flawless Hair, and Cindy-Lea at T’s all of whom appear to be excited about the contest.

How to win

Two local poets will win a gift certificate to Black Bond Books for writing a powerful Remembrance Day poem

How do you win?

• Visit the TIMES’ website at: www.mrtimes.com, find “More Ways to Connect,” and click on “send us your letters, photos, video.”

• Fill in your name, email, and phone number.

• Then insert a copy of your poem. Please note your community, and include the keyword “Veterans” at the top of the note. Preference is given to Lower Mainland residents.

Entries must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 and winners will be announced at Nov. 11’s reading. Note: submissions could be used in future editions of the newspaper. No staff or family of the TIMES or Postmedia Network Inc. are eligible.This contest is restricted to online participants only.