Blog Comments

Good point Pen. I can't for the life of me understand why people don't vote in these contests. How much effort does it take to read them and register a vote?

Am I "just as vulnerable of writing a crappy poem as the next poet is" Jon1? Certainly. You yourself judged this one as not being of that quality. I don't usually post my crap, but my polished poems. But you know, I was more making the point of how few people actually take the time to vote. As I pointed out, no Forum Santioned Contest usually has 30 total votes out of 100's of members and many who read the entries. The most dedicated often put it off until too late.

I have no complaint if someone finds another poet or author better. It's not "I didn't get a vote because you voted for someone else, wah!" no, no, NO! It's "I didn't get a vote because someone was too sorry to even vote, come on now!" I

I want to make this into a effort to say no entry into a contest should end up without a vote because people should get off their duffs and vote for these entries. Even Ralph Nader gets votes during the Presidential race. He hasn't a chance but he gets votes, because people vote!

If I can stir up the people to where we get more votes, we have more interesting contests! Don't feel sorry for me, that my poem didn't get a single vote, but for others who have been the same.

Pen, I didn't think your poem was the worst in the competition. There were a couple of poems that got votes that were clearly inferior. At least to my perception. But I can only vote for one poem, and in this case I thought Auntshecky's was the better one, even better than my own. On occaision I have voted for my own. I do so only if I truely feel it's significantly better. Usually I vote for someone elses. As far as popularity contest, i have no idea whose poem is whose. I didn't know that was your poem and I didn't know I was voting for AuntShecky's.

Couple of things I would like to highlight here:

1. Our competitions are never a popularity contest as the identities of the entrants are not made public till the very end of the competitions (even then, only if they choose to do so themselves.

2. Unfortunately, there never are enough members voting in such competitions, which is a great source of disappointment for me personally as well.

3. Like Jon says above, when we enter any competition, we agree to accept the worst - as well the best - outcome.

Pen,

I am sorry that this time your poem did not get any votes. Sometimes these things happen. People -usually- do not check to see which one is winning or has got votes before they vote and simply vote for the work that indulge their senses most. At times we all fail to strike that chord with the reader, somehow.

When/if you think your work is better than the others', then, by all means, you should feel free to vote for your own; that should not be something to feel guilty or bad about.

It is, after all, a mere competition on the Forum; please do not read too much into it.

Scher

Well, all I have to say is that I think that if you like your own poem the best then you should vote for it and not feel ashamed.

Let me preface my remarks with the point that I did not read any of the poetry contest entries, but since you've brought it up I'm curious and will read them and come back to tell you who I would have picked. You're obviously competitive, as poets usually are---and I hear what you're saying, I really do. But the fact of the matter is that neither the contest competitor nor the reader owes you anything. And what I'm hearing from you is a sense of entitlement. You say, "But I dang well expect to place." Why must you expect anything, Pen? Aren't you just as vulnerable of writing a crappy poem as the next poet is? By stepping into the contest arena, you make a pact with yourself that you're willing to accept the worst case, being stripped of your dignity from not receiving one vote. You wonder why people like me never take the time to read and vote in litnet contests. The answer is quite simple---there are no winners in poetry, only better poems.

PS Maybe we should have a team competition for poetry. I would pick you as my team captain. Ok, got some work to do and the Doctors want to steal some more of my money. Friggin Doctors are worse than Lawyers. Most Lawyers don't kill you and be condescending at the same time. Wait...screw them both....LOL B

You wanna know something Pendragon of Assissi? I feel the same way, but after a few competitions it sort of feels like a popularity contest. Maybe you and I should make a competition and then the winner should compete against some of the Olympian Lit-Net posters and bloggers. I hope that they could only be so humble as you or me. Its great to read another entry from you. You King amongst men. YOU rascal you! Thanks, Peter Cheers Pendragon for its the Flagon with the Dragon has the Brew that is TRUE! PjB

I was afraid to read this blog, but I don't think I'll have my husband up in the night over this one. Great pictures

Wow, such a house! And in your neighborhood, no less. Kinda creepy, but cool!

You given me the creeps Pen. But actually that's an attractive looking house.

Wow pen what a creepy old building! I love it! Should get ladywentworth in to this entry...I love that dragon skull image! At first i thought you where on about the way some of the twiggy branches by the shed/outhouse were looking like a skelly...

so interesting , as if I'm reading about a legend !

I enjoyed going through all of your blog , Pen .

Truely great and evocative one

What a scary sounding place, Pen .... I'd never stay overnight with that kind of background **shivers**. I enjoyed the manner in which you told the tale (could picture you at a campfire with this one!). Thanks, Kizzo

OMG...I shot Cola out my nose just reading the title to this one....guess what I'm gonna whip out? MORE COWBELL

I love it Pen...Wow...speechless.

......I need more COWBELL!!!!.......

I think that the three lines at the end tie things up perfectly. What a cool poem to get my heart rate up

Cool poem, Pen. I was captivated. I don't think you need the three sentences at the end. I'm not sure if they're part of the poem or not. It was enjoyable. And you know I like wolves.

I personally like the lines....

For all of my philosophy there remains a cold shadow
of doubt; a dread of the unknown.
I stare, Zombie-like, into the unforgiving dark
and wince at some imagined future hurt
that has equal possibility of being false or being real.

I scare myself, or at least I used to. Very nice.

You have given word to some interesting thoughts, you made me think, Pen. My favorite verse was

But is there any substance to what we call “real”,
a line of demarcation between “light” and “dark?”
Unexplored territory is the only true unknown,
and FDR said all we had to fear was fear!
Life itself may be just a passing shadow.
The less you think about it, the less it hurts

What powerful words.