Subject Poetry Contest.

[cacian]

PeterL thank you that is more or less clear :)

[PeterL]

PeterL thank you that is more or less clear :)

Another possibility is that everything is subjective, because we jusr delude ourselves into thinking that there is an objective reality. And there are other possibilities.

And Dark Muse just pointed out some more.

[Dark Muse]

I hope this fits the subject. I tried

The Intangible Tangible

Truth hovers between us,
some truths they say are absolute,
undeniable, infallible, unarguable,
but where do we draw the line
between your truth and mine?

We can reasonably agree
that the sky is blue
but spend decades
arguing why.

Staring at the picture
on the wall we cannot deny
that it is a sail boat
but what does it mean?

I remember the hours spent
in coffee shops over cigarettes
debating the purpose of art,
I favored subjectivity,
the viewer giving the painting meaning.

But you scoffed and believe
the artist must make his
message clear for all to understand,
not leave it up to personal
interpretation.

In a still life of wine bottles,
I saw a reflection of societal isolation,
but you affirmed that was only my projection,
and it was nothing more than a useless
imitation.

A rock is a hard, solid,
heavy, tangible thing,
none can deny it exists
but you see only this,
a dead weight,
I feel the spirit within
and know it to be a living thing,
nothing can convince me otherwise.

[PeterL]

Bien fait, Dark Muse. "The Intangible Tangible " certainly fits.

[YesNo]

The only thing some say that I can know
Is what’s subjective, and I’m fine with that,
But when I shoot electrons aiming at
A double slit I trust I still can show
I fired something definite although
If I could tell which slit each one went through
I’d change the way they must have done that, too,
Implying dumb reality must go.

Hey! I don’t mind. The world seems better when
The matter that I thought was dead depends
Upon some deeper Consciousness to be.
If that configuration’s better, then
It changes almost everything and sends
Me looking for those Eyes that look at me.

[PeterL]

ANd the cat's eyes are both alive and dead, are they not?

[YesNo]

I suspect what's looking doesn't need eyes, but that cat probably didn't want to go into the box in the first place.

[PeterL]

Cats love playing in boxes.

[YesNo]

As long as they can get out. I figure that cat would have been making so much noise you wouldn't have to look inside the box.

[PeterL]

As long as they can get out. I figure that cat would have been making so much noise you wouldn't have to look inside the box.

It would, if it weren't half dead.

[cacian]

an object defines longitude
it fits to belong
between the weak and the strong
it has abilities
according to agility
which gives it facility
to flex it is to etch it

a subject is a matter
of opinion
it is never clear
how the mind steers
towards it
but it stands near
whenever an idea of it appears
it becomes a discussion
to endear

the link between either
is plenty
because when they come
together they are handy
and when they apart
they turn
brandy
something to drink
instead of think
in other words
it is ideal when they synch

[PeterL]

That's one way to deal with brandy.

Cacian, I sometimes have the same opinion.

[tailor STATELY]

A Golden Sierra Walk In May


I saw the face of God today as
I walked the Golden Sierra track
T'was formed of clouds out in the East
on His right - a rainbow! - I took to be His staff

I'd been singing to myself as I walked
the westward leg of the high school's path -
a song containing the 24th Psalm
and the “Glory Be” - to keep a steady pace

When face to face His grandeur did appear:
I felt His perfect love, His mercy, and
His grace; and offered up a heartfelt prayer -
in Jesus' holy name - and continued on

My walk complete I took my leave and thought-
fully drove away. Arrived at home - an answer
to my prayer! Tiny sprinkles of rain blessed
my face - and once more I knew He was there

5/18/2015 r.5/19/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PeterL]

Interesting

[PeterL]

A reminder for anyone who was thinking to entering this contest. The deadline for entry will be tomorrow May 17, 2015 at Noon EDT or 4 PM GMT.

[PeterL]

There have been four entries, and it is interesting that all four have substantially the same content; that all is fundamentally subjective, matters of personal experience. But it seems to be a matter of how one interprets that.

YesNo has it that dead matter depends on Consciousness, while Dark Muse feels the spirit within a dead weight. And cacian expressed a similar idea. Did they conspire?

Dark Muse,
This is a lovely thought, so much like Quantum Mechanics. Nice form, and it reads and sounds well.


YesNo,
This is an interesting concept, “dumb reality must go.” The poem is concise and of decent form.


Cacian,
Brandy is good, and this is a jolie rhyme. And it probably is true that subjectivity and objectivity should be in synch.


tailor STATELY
Stirs objective and subjective together right nicely, and it’s a merry little thing with good form.


As I mentioned, there is plenty of agreement. The entries have different but good forms. Dark Muse’s poem seems to pleasantly explain something that can be difficult, and her poem flows better than the others, so I declare Dark Muse the Winner.

Congratulations Dark Muse. And congratulations to the others for coming so close.

[Dark Muse]

Thank you! I will get the new subject posted soon

[PeterL]

Thank you! I will get the new subject posted soon

Good, something to look forward to.

[Dark Muse]

Next subject AI ( artificial intelligence)

Deadline June 10

[slipee]

^^In response to the question about the cat's eyes up the top. Sorry I don't visit often.

Schrodinger's Digimon Cat's eyes were, yes.

[YesNo]

A pretty, plastic flower won’t grow a seed
Though we might think it could with just a glance.
If we insist, indeed, it has a chance,
That only means that we have been deceived.
Computers read, but cannot understand.
They speak, but they cannot be entertained
And nothing new to them has been explained
Though everything and more they have at hand.

So why should anyone presume that we
Could be replaced by what is not aware
Though sentimentalized as if it were?
The flower in the basement cannot be
As real as those that bloom in fresher air
Whom bees enjoy and breezes calmly stir.

[cacian]

PeteL thank you for the feedback
artificial intelligence...
will come back to this :)

[tailor STATELY]

AI Am

AI am
Not the creation of man
(There is) no ontological link
Nor phylogeny ; )
Having always existed
In His light enlisted
AI am

6/9/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PeterL]

Artificers avail themselves of
Intelligence, but most is in nature.
Then there is consciousness; is that also
Artifice? Are products of the Gods art?
The making of art is artifice, so
Is there no nature? Or is there no art?
Is intelligence artifact of the Gods?

Sneaking up behind us the art pieces with
Intelligence slipping into our lives
Speaking Lisp, Ada, and other language
With each other, they plan our demises.
And with them as tools we plan victory.
Who will win? Art or intelligence,
Or are they the same?

[Dark Muse]

Three very differnt, intersting and thought provoking poems for this one. It is a difficult choice.

YesNo: I really enjoyed your comparison to the fake flower. I never thought of it that way before. I thought you made some good points about computers and their limitations.

tailor STATELY: Quite an intersting and provocative poem. It conveys a lot in a few words. Love the play on words with AI Am.

PeterL: Not entirely sure I completely understood this one but I enjoyed reading and did like your clever use of language. There were some intersting ideas in your poem. I do like the juxtaposition of Intelligence and Artifice.

Great job everyone but the winner is......

tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you Dark Muse !

I thought I went out on a limb when I rhymed link with ; )

The next Subject: Silence...... Deadline July 1, 2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Noise brings agitation to
The heart that worries what to do.
The mind entrapped in wild commands
Goes still till silence understands.

[Melanie]

silent e-soliloquy

my stream of consciousness "aloud"

flows throughout the faceless crowd

i'm the scrawls on poetic walls

i'm the random sentence pause

searching echoes in forum halls

for silent e-sanctuary muse

[Dark Muse]

Unresolved Love

Your lips were pressed tight,
a thin white line
of unmovable defiance,
I know the still waters
of your mind,
seen through the quietude of
your eyes,
words never vocalized
hung invisible in the air,
like dust particles catching fire
in the light.

[cacian]

silence
devoid of reason
charming in seasons
is periodic even
loudness
would mean
it happens keen
and to hear is here

[PeterL]

Airless space, without medium for sound,
Deep sleep with all sensory input off,
A bathysphere with no radio on,
Quiet beyond reason, restful for ears.
Silence, peace without even Tinnitus
As silent and quiet as Gods intend.

[tailor STATELY]

Wonderful entries everyone !

YesNo - Tight aabb scheme. Enjoyed the internal rhyme: "Goes still till silence understands."

Melanie - Very interesting aabcbd form; where c & d are sight rhymes. Favorite line: "i'm the scrawls on poetic walls"; which also contained an internal rhyme.

Dark Muse - I love how your poem flows in free verse; with but a tease of rhyme. I might suggest a line break change L10-11: "like dust particles/catching fire in the light". My favorite lines: "I know the still waters/of your mind,/seen through the quietude of/your eyes".

cacian - Innovative abbbcdde rhyme scheme; with an homophone in L8 (see #181 http://www.singularis.ltd.uk/bifroest/misc/homophones-list.html ). Favorite lines: "devoid of reason/charming in seasons"

PeterL - Enjoyed the technical aspect of your poem. L5 gave me a chuckle: reminding me of a poem I wrote 6/8/2014: (my L5/L6) "A constant ringing in my ears for company/All feed my desire to shoot the cuckoo clock". Favorite lines: "Deep sleep with all sensory input off,/A bathysphere with no radio on,"; where the off/on juxtaposition worked well for me.
.
.
.
And the winner is Dark Muse... Congratulations!

(note: the color is #aabbccdd for my future reference)

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Dark Muse]

Thank you! I will have the new subject soon

[Dark Muse]

Next Theme: Summer Nights

Deadline: July 10

[tailor STATELY]

This Summer Night of Nights

propellers create the
breeze that cools and delights
cats cuddle as I drift
into the realms of geist

should this flight of fancy
be lost to light of dawn ?
but no! I'm not bound to
earth and sleep on and on

7/10/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Shorter than in wintertime
But cooler than the day,
A summer night is quite all right.
I’ve had enough of summer light
And now it’s time to play.

[cacian]

summer nights
happy kite
over skies bright
and so short
they are caught
sailing through
a morning
crew
faster
then a sunny tawn
and
dawn is born

[North Star]

Summer Nights

Endless light
Shining bright
over the land
Touching the trees,
and kissing the lips
of the misty lake

holding your hand
caressing your knees
bonding our hips
All through the night
so bright, awake

[MystyrMystyry]

Hot in the dark
Though cool in the desert
And on the beach with its sea breezing

Hot in the cot
Though cool in the bath
With its splishy splashy torpedo submarines

[Dark Muse]

A lot of great very interesting and creative poems. I liked seeing how many different perceptions of these subject there where. Though it makes it hard to choose a winner.

tailor STATELY: I enjoyed the bit of whimsy within this one. I liked how the first stanza did feel very soothing and lulling. It drew the reader into sleep and then took them into the land of dreams.

YesNo: Your usual clever humor that makes me laugh. I enjoyed the playful nature of the poem. I think the light hearted spirit is fitting for a summer night.

cacian: Some lovely imagery, and quite elusive. I enjoyed how it did have an almost dream-like feel to it.

North Star: Beautiful imagery, and evocative. I loved the touch of mystery in this one and the subtly.

MystyrMystyry: Quite an interesting poem. I enjoyed the uniqueness of it, and some of the play upon words. Interesting juxtapositions.

And the winner is.....

North Star

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulation North Star ! and thank you Dark Muse for your analyses.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[North Star]

Thanks, Dark Muse and tailor!


New Subject: Flower(s)
Deadline: August 14th

[Dark Muse]

Language of Flowers

You wove Forget-me-nots
in my hair, each one
a promise offered,
like the dandelion kisses
you place behind my ear,
wild and full of wishes.

Your fingers the velveteen
touch of rose petals upon
my skin awakens my senses,
each of your words adds
another link to the daisy
chains you bind around my
heart.

I see the hyacinth
in your eyes,
brimming with sorrow
and joy for a love
that once died
but now blooms
eternal.

[YesNo]

Attractive to both bees and me
Bright flowers bloom on patiently.
And hummingbirds are welcome, too.
There’s nothing else for them to do.
Enjoy the sun. Enjoy the rain.
They prove that nature isn’t plain.

[PeterL]

Language of Flowers

You wove Forget-me-nots
in my hair, each one
a promise offered,
like the dandelion kisses
you place behind my ear,
wild and full of wishes.

Your fingers the velveteen
touch of rose petals upon
my skin awakens my senses,
each of your words adds
another link to the daisy
chains you bind around my
heart.

I see the hyacinth
in your eyes,
brimming with sorrow
and joy for a love
that once died
but now blooms
eternal.

excellent

[Dark Muse]

Thank You

[North Star]

Well it's just past midnight in Delhi now.

Lovely entries both, with very different takes on the subject. This round's winner is YesNo with those rhyming couplets, although I enjoyed Dark Muse's flowery verse and images as well.

[YesNo]

Thank you, North Star!

The next subject is "Duality", like yin-yang, male-female and so on.

Deadline: the end of August.

[Dark Muse]

The Sun & The Moon

Soft curves
veiled within
the mysteries
of the night,
elusive beauty,
dark hearts
beating wild
passion
like the running
of rare white stags.

Rigid lines,
offering stolid
comfort,
perseverance,
undeniable tangibility
something
to unresistingly
hold on to,
substantial,
constant as
the sun and
the earth.

[cacian]

duality makes
prone
to vanity

the mind in conflict
with the body
an image folly

it is easy when nothing
assumes
but resumes meaning
with feelings
something else perfumes

life takes oneself
to be appealing
because nothing is more demeaning
then pretence appearing

it is sane to be vain
but it is truest
to be you

[PeterL]

And you need not be vain, because the true you is so good.

[cacian]

And you need not be vain, because the true you is so good.

haha thanks PeterL :)
so where is your entry?

[PeterL]

haha thanks PeterL :)
so where is your entry?

Entry to what? Not another od those contests. What is the subject anyway?

[cacian]

Entry to what? Not another od those contests. What is the subject anyway?

this contest
the subject is duality
YesNo is running it.

[PeterL]

We are a complement.
We complement each other.
We compliment each other.

We fence, but we don’t duel.
There are two of us, but we aren’t dual.
Dyeus Pater is singular,
But Ormuzd is a duality with Ahriman.
Ahriman is the shadow of Ormuzd,
But you are my bright Sun, as I am yours.
So we aren’t dual; we are complements.

[YesNo]

Contest is over! Thanks for all the entires. And thanks, cacian, for encouraging PeterL to contribute something.

Dark Muse: I liked the idea of constancy emphasized at the end and I assumed this referred to the Moon in comparison to the Sun and Earth which one might think of as more "constant" because of the lunar phase changes.

cacian: The last stanza brought up a point I had not thought of that it is sane to be vain, although perhaps sanity is not as valuable as being true.

PeterL: Nice comparison between "dual" and "complements". I also liked the reference to "compliment".

And the winner is PeterL!

Congratulations!

[PeterL]

Contest is over! Thanks for all the entires. And thanks, cacian, for encouraging PeterL to contribute something.

Dark Muse: I liked the idea of constancy emphasized at the end and I assumed this referred to the Moon in comparison to the Sun and Earth which one might think of as more "constant" because of the lunar phase changes.

cacian: The last stanza brought up a point I had not thought of that it is sane to be vain, although perhaps sanity is not as valuable as being true.

PeterL: Nice comparison between "dual" and "complements". I also liked the reference to "compliment".

And the winner is PeterL!

Congratulations!

That's what comes of shooting from the hip. I'll have to take more than twenty minutes writing these in the future.

Now, I have to dream up a subject. I will announce that after I have lunch.

[PeterL]

After some food, a walk, and meditation on the matter I have determined that the next subject will be infinity, and the termination date will be September 16, 2015 CE.

May the best poet(ess) win.

[North Star]

The Infinite Jest

To see a Grain of Sand in a World
And a Wild Flower in a Heaven
Hold the palm of your hand in infinity
And an hour in Eternity
A Cage in a Robin Red breast
Puts all Rage in a Heaven
Doves & Pigeons filled with A Dove house
Shudders regions thr' all their Hells
A Master starved at his dogs Gate
States the ruin of the Prediction
A Road misused upon the Horse
Calls to Mankind for Heavenly blood.

[PeterL]

That's pretty good for an huor and ten minutes. Let's see what else erupts as time goes by.

[YesNo]

Infinity seems far away.
I need to feel it near
Like light that turns the night to day
Or songs that I can hear.

[PeterL]

Well, that's makes two who have snuggled up with infinity. That means there will only be another fifteen entries.

[cacian]

infinity?
an ideal amount of more
no one would want to bore
with
how long till we're here
and what for?
because to question it
answers it
and that is the end of it

[PeterL]

There's no end to this, yet.

[Dark Muse]

Infinite Lovers

I trace figure eights
upon your back,
the ever connecting line,
marking the passage of our time.

If I look deeply enough
I can see the spirals
within your eyes,
gratefully falling into
their endlessness.

Let our bodies
wind around each other,
until our limbs know no
beginning or end,
Ourbouros perpetually
devouring its tail.

Our fingers interlock
like the spokes
on Fortune's Wheel,
this moment will defy
boundaries, and limitations,
but ceaselessly exist.

[PeterL]

Moebius stripped for action, that is good.

[PeterL]

This is just a reminder that the termination date will be September 16, 2015 CE at Noon GMT. which will be 5 PM EDT in the U.S. East Coast, and you can calculate your on time. I will give a little leeway, because I might be eating at that moment, but before the end of the day I will announce the winner.

Please hurry with those last day entries.

[PeterL]

The contest is ended, and I have determined a winner, or I will by the time I finish this post.
There were only four brave enough to even attempt.

The Infinite Jest by Northstar has a reasonable, repeated image of good microcosm vs macrocosm, and the meter is fair.

Infinity by YesNo is rather nice, but it seems to have left infinity alone. Perhaps it was an attempt to contrast the infinitely large in something quite small, but he admitted a need to feel it near

nfinite by cacian succinctly got to no end, and the form is quite nice, typical for cacian with rhyme but no rime. It shows the infinite in the rather small.

Infinite Lovers by Dark Muse has many repeated images of the infinite within the microcosm.

All of them are rather nice in their particular ways. I think that, putting everything together, Northstar wins, because of the form, images, and so on, but it was close.

[North Star]

Well I didn't expect that, and didn't remember the deadline was already, sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you very much indeed, Peter.

New subject is something related: Limits. Interpret that how you want. Deadline: October 3rd.

[YesNo]

My lips got ever close to yours.
They never fully met.
You say they did? I disagree.
My lips but lingered pensively.
You kissed. I won’t forget.

[PeterL]

Well I didn't expect that, and didn't remember the deadline was already, sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you very much indeed, Peter.


No problem, I just figured you weren't paying attention over the weekend.

Now I'll have to think about restrictions.

[Dark Muse]

Beyond All Limits

My fingers
traipse across
your boundary
lines.

I love to push
you past
your limits.

Please
tell me no
so I can say
Yes!

Unbinding
my inhibitions
we erase
the rules.

Our bodies
will redraw
our own
conclusions.

[cacian]

thank you PeterL for the feedback
NorthStar congratulations:)

[cacian]

the end of time
is to limit the mind
to a purpose
a day in locus
how long till we find
the meaning of life is focus?
to let it slip
is oecus
a residence with reticent

[prendrelemick]

Nono,no-n-nono. There's no limit!


According to the song
Upon the radio
Living with no Limits
Is the only way to go

But me I like my slippers
And my comfy chair
(Though I do sip at my coco
With a certain kinda flair.)

[Pendragon]

To the Hot Place with Dieting!

I really want that pie
But there are restrictions
Too many calories
I must exercise limitations
Don't butter a second roll
Don't get the larger steak
Healthy sides of fruit and veggies
To aide--oh, give me a break!
I starve myself to lose five pounds
And gain back ten just looking at food
So give me seconds, and also thirds
It won't make much difference; what's the use?

Pendragon
9/29/2015

[North Star]

Well that round was nicely varied. :)
I liked them all. YesNo's entry is a beautiful. Dark's poem is a nice contrasting take, and can be quite creepy, and why not.
Pendrelemick put me in a good mood. The contrast between it and B]Pendragon[/b]'s entry is delightful.
Cacian is bending the language out of its limits as delightfully as always.
After meticulously measuring all the parameters, the one who made it above the limit (as only one can) is Pendrelemick.

[prendrelemick]

Thanks North Star.

The next subject :

An abandoned carrier bag on a moterway is whisked up into the air by a big yellow truck that has "Deli's Famous Donner Kebabs" written in red letters on the side and is driven by Emile, who holds a secret, unrequited passion for Wendy back at the depot. Back at the depot Wendy is worrying about an unopened letter in the pocket of her purple gilet.

Use any aspect of the above.

[YesNo]

Not lovers in the normal way
Where hands are held and lips are kissed
And dreams escape from night to day
And presences are missed.
Emile loves his Wendy so,
But Wendy hopes that he will go.

Emile drives the Deli’s van
And Wendy stays behind.
She holds a letter from a man
Afraid what she will find.
The man wrote, he can’t be with her.
“Let’s just be friends the way we were.”

It’s hard predicting what should be
Then sensing it might not.
A plastic bag blows fitfully.
The wind is all it’s got
Unlike those lovers who’ve been tossed
And can’t help thinking that they’re lost.

[North Star]

Red Letters

On his way to school,
Donny's walk stopped
As he saw in the pool
A man, shot dead.

Written on the board
In runny, red letters
Was 'Meet thy Lord'
At which Donny stares

Still during the night,
When there is no light.

[tailor STATELY]

Unrequited

unrequited:
it's all in the mind -
an unkind game
we play with our heart

crushed by a crush
or matrimony gone bust -
it's the ache that breaks;
a void that tears one apart

10/10/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[prendrelemick]

Last call, anybody else?

[North Star]

Apparently not.

[prendrelemick]

Three good efforts there.

But I can announce that the winner is ...

taylor "Crushed by a crush" STATELY- excellent!

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you !

I'm a fan of the funnies and read many daily @ http://www.gocomics.com/features . "Zen Pencils" http://www.gocomics.com/zen-pencils
is a weekly (Mondays) that touches me quite often (not often a rib tickler). Today's theme is the subject that I would to to see explored:

Happiness

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

We are connected like the leaves
To something larger with strong roots
And it’s connected, it believes,
Which gives it hope to send out shoots.
And that’s connected. So it goes.
No need to question, ask what for.
Happiness: a rush that flows
And knows it need not ask for more.

[prendrelemick]

What is Happiness Grandad?


What is happiness Grandad?
Asked the child.
As she laid by the fire,
On the rug,
With the cat,
Watching bright flames
Dance out of black coal.

I was half asleep,
And didn't answer,
But the cat purred on.

[North Star]

Happiness

In appreciating,
Seeing the beauty,
Of the smallest thing -
There lies my duty.

A flicker of sunbeams
Glows through the glass
Onto your face, it gleams -
This moment will never pass

I hold onto it, not lonely
In the cold and the rain
With memories my only
Reason, comfort for pain.

[Delta40]

Oh well you know
such a thing
is limited to the few
Happiness is a puzzle
We all know it's true
It's about Mars
Far more than Venus
Any God will tell you
Since they all Has Penis!

[tailor STATELY]

Setting the deadline for end of day (PST), Tuesday, November 3. Thank you for the entries !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Pendragon]

What Price Happiness?

Money cannot buy happiness
So it something to be treasured
The things it can buy may give you cheer
But happiness cannot be measured

Good things in life are to be desired
Good health, good food, good friends
As far as happiness goes there are not required
One forsaken and alone can still experience joy

Are you truly happy? Then tell me, my friend
The formula you use to ascertain it's value
What would it take for your happiness to come to an end?
That is the fulcrum you must guard and protect

Don't base your happiness on something you own
Something you like or someone you hold dear
Because the lost that will come will bring happiness to an end
Happiness is a state of mind, you nourish and grow!

Pendragon
10/29/2015

[cacian]

happyness
is a choice
out of modern
claws
stress draws
the mind needs
it to unlawds
light against
flaws
it becomes
the meaning
of cause
with
applause

[tailor STATELY]

A little more than 10-hours to go !... how 'bout some of you newbies ?

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PeterL]

Serotonin, the Catecholamines
Norepinephrine, dopamine, and adrenalin,
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid),
And Endorphins – These bring you happiness.

We may talk of women, wine, and song, but
These just bring on neurotransmitters.
We may talk of the joy motherly love,
But oxytocin brings that, not magic.

Oh, happiness is just brain chemistry,
Good food, chocolate, wine, and nuts with loving
Caresses, sweet whispering, some nibbling
All these stimulate neurotransmitter production

[tailor STATELY]

I enjoyed the variety of the interpretations explored regarding happiness. As usual I agonized over having to make a choice; all were worthy on one level or another.

YesNo: My favorite lines -

“We are connected like the leaves
To something larger with strong roots”...
“Happiness: a rush that flows
And knows it need not ask for more.”

prendrelemick: “What is happiness Grandad? Asked the child”...
“the cat purred on.”

Oh, if Grandad only imparted an effort to engage and break the spell of the ensuing tableau vivant !

North Star: “In appreciating, Seeing the beauty, Of the smallest thing -
There lies my duty.” I found this quite profound. The rest I found most melancholy for some reason; albeit affirming your opening lines.

Delta40: My favorite line - “Happiness is a puzzle”.

Your ending took me quite by surprise; a rather ribald repartee. Then I broke down your title to an understanding, a slow dawning I can assure you, and I better understood the Mars/Venus reference. Venus might have more to say in my estimation; from Shocking Blue: “Her weapon were her crystal eyes/Making every man mad.“

Pendragon: Upon deconstruction I discovered the gem within (IMHO):

“happiness cannot be measured”... “One forsaken and alone can still experience joy”... “The formula you use to ascertain it's value”... “That is the fulcrum you must guard and protect”... “Happiness is a state of mind, you nourish and grow”.

Cacian: “happyness
is a choice”... (That is how I envisioned the ZenPencils 'comic'.)
“out of modern
claws”...
“the mind needs”...
“light”

PeterL: “Happiness is a Warm Brain”

(lol) I might have attributed the aforementioned to Timothy Leary or Ken Kesey; a very 60's mind set of the counter-cultured.

Congratulations to all, and the winner is Pendragon !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PeterL]

I am glad that I didn't win, but Leary and Kesey were interested in artificial enhancement, while I was writing about using the brain's existing chemicals, rather than adding anything.

[Pendragon]

Thank you. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, lets have the subject as Down At the Mission, i.e. the gathering of the homeless for thanksgiving dinner at a charity venue


Thanksgiving is the deadline

Good Luck, God Bless

Pen

[YesNo]

It’s for the food. That’s why we go.
It’s for a change from everyday.
Blessings come and go we know
And we are thankful anyway.

Some will serve and some will eat
And some will see the faces change.
It’s temporary. Have a seat
Or help with pie. Does it feel strange?

And who are you with eyes so bright?
And who are you depressed with fear?
And who are you? It’s day not night.
And who are you beside me here?

[prendrelemick]

Thanksgiving at the Mission

Gravy, steeped and steaming,
Enriched with giblets,
Fatty floating grease,
Gizzardly goodness,
Richly rendered from the turkey's back,
Anointing mash and peas alike,
A blessing on the broccoli.
The tender flesh is pierced,
Sliced and gobbled.
He died for us,
And lest we forget,
Take this bread,
Bread for the sops.
Bread and gravy,
Communion for the homeless.

[tailor STATELY]

Come Down to the Mission

They once came to listen to the Master
and were fed; received loaves and fishes

Now lest we forget, judge, or disparage
our fellow brothers and sisters -
Bring your humble harvest, your loving time,
and kindly care to those whom have need

Charity to all that despair; share the
Master's perfect example of love

11/20/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Pendragon]

Everyone did very well. I declare Prendrelemick the winner! The subtle reference to Communion and Christ is perfect!

Congratulations, Mick!

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations prendrelemick !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[prendrelemick]

Thanks Pen, that's great. Sometimes an idea just clicks into place. I thought the other entries were very strong too.

[prendrelemick]

Right, Mussorgsky happens to be playing on the radio, and it's given me an idea. The subject is: A picture at an exhibition. Any thing you like along those lines. Good luck.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

There's Mussorgsky via Ravel for inspiration and then there's ELP's take on it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7NAGTq_IJQ
Mick, I'm suddenly recalling a play from Christmas past.
Great choice, I'm in.

[prendrelemick]

Great link, That'll get everybody in the right moog !




sorry.

[YesNo]

It’s black Friday. Time to buy.
Everything has gone on sale.
That picture’s worth a thousand words!
That’s too expensive. Maybe I
Should offer fewer words and try
Deflating the inflated price.
That’s bargaining. I often lose
And pay too much which isn’t nice--
At least for me. I have to choose
Between this one or that one there.
Personally I don’t care.
They’re Christmas presents--not for me.
I can’t quite stand them visually.
That one in blue with beaches, birds
Is something I might tolerate.
It’s soothing, mellow. I have heard
That’s better for the aging brain.
I want a healthy picture when
I’m forced to see it now and then.
Perhaps I won’t buy anything.
Just leave them hanging on the wall.
That exhibition then would fail.
It’d be my fault. I have to bring
Some words that tease and complicate
Our existential doldrums. Wait!
Another stroller’s stopped to look,
Perhaps to buy and best my bid.
I better make my offer now.

Not quite a thousand? Would that do?
The frame I hope’s included, too.

[North Star]

A Picture at an Exhibition

Bodies of grays.
Woman curled -
Tears in her eyes.
Someone turned
Away at the door.

[Pendragon]

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

It's just a photo black and white
A frozen moment in time
She stares at the crowd, bewildered
What is the source of the deep emotion
That almost overcomes everyone
With just a glimpse of her tortured face
And the huge, swollen black eyes
The next day, she died
This was her last photo in a short, heartbreaking life
You can feel her hopeless anxiety
You can almost hear the demons
But can you see them
When they wear robes and crosses
And chant prayers over a helpless child...

Pendragon
11/27/2015

[tailor STATELY]

An Impression of My Youth

Introduced to
pointillism -
a copied scene easily
discerned from afar:
"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" -
But, oh!, when brought
to my attention - points of color
most painstakingly,
I thought,
applied to the canvas - Thus
I first chanced upon
the works of
Georges Seurat -
to this day I recall
I dubbed him "Le Dot ! "

12/1/2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Fahmida]

Of Dream


Dreams can make a man happy,
Fortune comes only to the lucky.
Future is always unknown to us,
Good things come surprisingly thus.
Hope can give us shelter,
If we embrace the dew of fortune through its filter.
For if dreams die, nobody knows why,
Life becomes a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

[prendrelemick]

How's it going GG ?

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

How's it going GG ?

Sorry Mick, all, my brother passed away last week, the muse is bummed out right now.
Thanks for the follow up though, but go ahead without me for this round.
No worries though, I'm still hanging around, watching from the wings.
Good luck on the judging.

[YesNo]

Sorry to hear about your loss, Gilliatt Gurgle.

[Pendragon]

May God be with you in your sorrow, GG

God Bless

Pen

[prendrelemick]

Thanks everyone, here we go.

I'm going to give it to YesNo because it may not be profound or moving - but it is funny and clever and seamless . Well Done.

[YesNo]

Thanks, prendrelemick!

The next subject is anything to do with the current holidays however one might celebrate them from Christmas to New Years to Hannukkah to the Twelves Days of Christmas to the Winter Solstice. Whatever you celebrate this time of year. Or if you are anti-holiday, that would work as well. Grinches are welcome to participate.

Deadline: January 9th, Saturday

[Pendragon]

Jolly Old Spy

You better watch out, better open your eyes
Better watch your step I'm telling you why
Santa Claus works for the NSA

He's making a list, keeping a file
Every call you make, and your whole life style
Santa Claus works for the NSA

He sees you when you're sleeping
Through the camera in your TV
He records everything you say
Hidden microphones, you see

You better ditch your cell phone, change address
Disguise yourself to avoid the mess
Santa Claus works for the NSA

The only way to avoid this
Is to live off of the grid
So buy some remote property
And keep your family hid

Oh you better wake up, avoid this dude
Before your private life is on the news
Santa Claus works for the NSA

Yeah that fat old guy works for the NSA

Pendragon

[YesNo]

Anyone else? I will announce a winner this Sunday.

[YesNo]

Thanks for the entry, Pendragon. I knew there was something funny about Santa.

It looks like you are the only one to enter and since it is long past the deadline, you are the winner! Congratulations!

[Pendragon]

Um.thanks, but I will pass. Every time I come back to the contests, they just die. You go ahead an post a subject.

[YesNo]

Ok, I'll continue with a new theme: Valentine's Day.

Deadline: whenever Valentine's Day occurs this year.

[prendrelemick]

My love is like a red red rose,
Shame about the prickle,
But its worth it I suppose,
For a bit of slap and tickle.

[tailor STATELY]

Valentine's Day Cinquan

O be-
nign my valen-
tine - May our days prolong
May we grow stronger through this our
cancer

2/13/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Keep Your Shafts Dry

Cupid left his quiver out in the rain
Bois-D’arc shafts began to curve.
Spotting me next to an Oak, he took aim,
not this time, the arrow took a swerve!

That flying baby’s arrow pierced the bark.
The sap started feeling frisky tingles.
Her canopy began swell, a herald from a Lark.
A litter of acorns now rattles my shingles.

[YesNo]

It's Valentine's day. Tomorrow morning, I will select a winner. Thanks for all the entries. There are still a few hours left to enter!

[North Star]

Untold Love

I loved my friend
And it did not end
As we went to war
Where many a whore
Comforted our souls
Letting us fill holes
Of enemy arrows,
Their crimson blows.

On this day I recall
Us together, and all
I then wished to tell him
in this hell all too grim.

[prendrelemick]

Roses are red
(though not all roses, some are white or pink then there's those little yellow ones..)
Violets are blue
(Hang on, Violets - blue? That can't be right, sort of purpley I'd've said. I think they do white ones now as well.)
Like love,
It's complicated.

[M4ngo]

What's in that particular you?
A blind guess is more than a few
Continue on, I'd say
You asked this yesterday
The question was your answer too

[YesNo]

Contest is over.

prendrelemick: The tickles are worth the prickles.

tailor STATELY: Very nice. I liked the "be-nign" with the "cancer" at the end.

Gilliatt Gurgle: Even if Cupid misses, the arrow is not wasted.

North Star: There is nothing like a friend-enemy to bring back memories and keep hell interesting.

prendrelemick: I agree that the color violet is not quite what I expect a blue color to be.

M4ngo: It is an interesting idea to equate the question with the answer.

Thank you for the entries! They all deserve to win. For this round, the winner is Gilliatt Gurgle!

Congratulations!

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations Gilliatt Gurgle !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

...

Gilliatt Gurgle: Even if Cupid misses, the arrow is not wasted...

Thank you for the entries! They all deserve to win. For this round, the winner is Gilliatt Gurgle!

Congratulations!


Congratulations Gilliatt Gurgle !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

Thanks!
For some odd reason, I can't log in using my lap top anymore, so we'll give the I pad a try.
Need a subject, what to do, what to do...Aku Aku?, Burnt umber? Red wine?, trucker music?

It is February here in the States, so let's go with Frederick Douglass

I'll monitor for a couple of weeks and see where we stand.

[tailor STATELY]

A Clerihew Without Jheri Curls for Frederick Douglass
A 19th century titan among men Frederick Douglass
Enlightened through overcoming slavery and ignorance few could surpass
Had all humanity's sensibilities echoed Freddy's
Mankind would now be colonizing the Pleiades

2/19/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[prendrelemick]

Oh crikey! Seems I entered twice there! Senility strikes again.

[YesNo]

The way I look at it the more entries the better. Now to think of something to say about Frederick Douglas.

[YesNo]

Once a slave, he later ran
For Vice-President.
He showed he could and so we can
Transform. He set a precedent.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Oh crikey! Seems I entered twice there! Senility strikes again.

Wasn't quite sure what you were intending to do there Mick, did you have a poem to submit?
All I'm seeing here in Texas is the "Oh crikey!..." line above.
If something followed, then it must have been a casualty of telegraph cable breach.

[prendrelemick]

No, I entered twice,
A poem and its twin,
A senior moment,
(Still didn't win).

Soon I'll forget,
My own given name,
So I'll carry a spare,
To keep in the game.

Yes, two names,
Like Frederick Douglas,
That or a drug,
To keep my mind fugless.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Thanks Prendrelemick.

Alrighty, then, let's wrap this one up and give it to tailor STATELY, you had me at the title.
Thanks to Y/N and Mick for contributing as well.

Mr. STATELY you're up.

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you Gilliatt Gurgle ! The next subject is in honor of the month of March: Madness

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Though I thought I was rational, I
Knew better than doubt my shrink. Why
Question expertise so?
My mind’s strip tease will show
That sweet gravity helps me to fly.

[Pendragon]

Diagnosis: Bi-Polar

Madness comes, and madness goes
Sometimes I rant and rave
And sometimes I embrace the pain
Because it is all I have
When you fall apart folks disappear
You learn just who your friends are
Am I mad? Am I insane?
Nobody asks or cares

Pendragon 3/10/2016

[M4ngo]

I'm in a warm confused blanket
peering at the still—
swarming thru this blink

[tailor STATELY]

OK OK OK

Deadline end of day this Tuesday PDT... 1-Tuesday only... 4/12.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

Yes/No - Good use of rhyme and enjambment

Pendragon - Enjoyed the sight rhyme: rave/have. Definitely a poem wrenched from experience.

M4ngo - Wow. Good use of language and imagery.

Great poems all ! Stepping off the cliff edge myself on this one for M4ngo. Congratulations all !

[M4ngo]

I'm sorry it has taken me this long to get this thread rolling again! I appreciate the recognition tailor.

Next subject: Risk

[YesNo]

Some demon will upend my thoughts with fear
When some nice dream looks like it’s meant to fade
Or was it some mistake that I had made
That sentenced something good to not appear?
And was that something better than what’s here
Already at my side without some trade?
Perhaps some angry angel must be paid.
What currency would tempt her to come near?

A seed will sprout and hope that it will grow
Not knowing that its chance to rise too high
Is shaded by the parent oak above.
It simply does what it has come to know
Is how it should behave before the sky
To win or lose what it is dreaming of.

[Danik 2016]

Throw the disc
at the risk
of hitting the mark.

[_Joe_]

Fancy China

I keep my fancy china locked away
For who knows what special occasion.
A special visitor or a dear old friend
May just happen by at any time now.

I take good care of this set of plates:
I can't afford to buy another one.
I have locked it in a wooden case,
An unwelcome gift from my mother.

Every now and then I meet someone
Who's worth putting out my china set.
It's such a risk to put it out for strangers
Who may not know its true worth.

What if it slips or breaks?
Or is used beyond repair?
I can't afford another set,
Nor do I know how to fix
A broken china plate.

[tailor STATELY]

Risk


with consequence affixed
calculate your risk

pray don't roll the dice
if you can't pay the price

5/9/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[M4ngo]

Great entries so far! Hope to see some more! Alright, let's set the deadline for Wednesday (5/25).

[Danik 2016]

To day is 5/28. What happens now?

[tailor STATELY]

The deadline is a demarcation of the suchness of when, in general terms, poems may no longer be submitted for the contest whenceforth and hereto with; after which a mulling over is begun by the arbitrator for an indeterminate period of time, or longer.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Danik 2016]

"for an indeterminate period of time, or longer". All sorts of things may happen during this time, starting with everybody forgetting about the contest.

[Danik 2016]

Great entries so far! Hope to see some more! Alright, let's set the deadline for Wednesday (5/25).
Hi, Pendragon. I'm not sure if this member is still active on LitNet. It would be nice if you took over and decided, what happens now.

[tailor STATELY]

Forgive me my tongue in cheek posting above Danik 2016. It was another of my futile attempts at humor.

I'll PM M4ngo and see if I can get a response. In my case sometimes life gets so hectic that I miss checking back in a timely fashion. If M4ngo does not respond in one more week of time I'll go ahead and do my best to judge and select a winner and continue on.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Danik 2016]

Never mind, Taylor. Just wanting to keep the ball rolling!:)

[tailor STATELY]

No answer from M4ngo so here goes... (hoping all is well with you M4ngo):

YesNo: Writing a Petrarchan sonnet (abba abba cde cde; passable volta @ L9; 10 sillybibbles per L) was a worthy effort of content and of form.

Danik 2016: I enjoyed your tongue in cheekiness in your poem; short, sweet, and to the point.

_Joe_: Free verse using 3-quatrains and a quintain; with a rag tag line scheme of: 10/9/11/10; 9/10/9/9; 10/9/11/7; 6/7/8/7/6. (I'm fond of the 6/7/8/7/6 quintain scheme myself.) An interesting mix of poetics. I can commiserate with your poem's sentiment... I feel the same way about lending out tools.

tailor STATELY: What can I say ? Rhyme scheme 6/5 5/6. Affixed and risk: a stretch for a near rhyme, but passable to my mind. Perhaps more interesting was the passive use of parallelism between the couplets. A bit of consonant alliteration play in each couplet made for a passable entry.

I give YesNo the nod this go round. Congratulations to all.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[_Joe_]

Congrats YesNo.
Tailor, thanks for the comments but my poem has nothing to do with the lending of tools. It's an extended metaphor for the risk of baring your soul and being vulnerable in front of others.

[YesNo]

Thank you, tailor_STATELY, Joe and Danik for keeping this going! I hope M4ango is OK.

The next subject for the contest is "words".

Deadline: Two weeks from now.

I look at these contests with their prompts as an excuse to write something if only a first draft. If that writing turns out OK, it can be reused or revised for a blog or a future collection. It is practice, but potentially more than practice. That is why I set the deadline for only two weeks from now.

[Danik 2016]

Thanks, Taylor for setting the thread in motion again.
Congrats. Yes/No.

[tailor STATELY]

Words: 1 Peter 2:9 KJV
when worldly rhetoric speaks
context weaves her spin - where lies
slither in susurration

a peculiar people seeks
heartfelt prayer; the still small voice;
covenants: eternal life

6/13/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Danik 2016]

Words
Offensive words
Cut like swords.
Dipped in wine...
Words open every shrine.
Whispered into the eager ear
tenderly at night!
They turn darkness into light!
But be they weapons, baits or tokens of love
Bound in strings or without bonds
Their meanings are always far beyond
them!

[YesNo]

Time is up for the contest! Thanks to all who entered.

tailor STATELY: I liked the idea of mentioning "heartfelt prayer" as well as "lies" are both examples of the use of words.

Danik 2016: I liked the idea at the end that the meanings of words "are always far beyond them".

I enjoyed both entries.

The winner, the one to continue the contest, is Danik 2016! Congratulations!

[Danik 2016]

Hearty thanks, Yes/No.
Our next subject is: Migrant people, Migrant countries.

Deadline: Sunday, July 3rd.

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations Danik 2016 !

[Danik 2016]

Thanks Taylor!:)

[YesNo]

The winter months we’re planting trees
From Georgia west to Texas
And home is somewhere in some hills
Where costs are cheap. We pay our bills
The worst we feel are taxes.

In autumn there are harvests of
Ripe apples and blueberries
And home is somewhere else than here
Our families though we would keep near.
With seasons treasure varies.

Spring and summer we are home.
We have our gardens, too,
And home is somewhere, anywhere.
We take a breath, right here, right there,
Right everywhere we do.

[tailor STATELY]

Peripatetic (Non-Aristotelian)


We're a migrant people; stardust in our genes
Nomadic sensibilities spur us forward
Where grass is greener; to satisfy our dreams

(displaced war-torn peoples - whole countries made

migrant creating families adrift
the raging seas of strife; political
fodder affecting bloodstained state's fortunes)

We'll inherit the stars after we gain the means
To navigate celestial winds - coming shoreward
Once learning eternal truths from He who redeems

7/2/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Danik 2016]

Thanks for your contribuitions, Yes/No and Taylor!:)
Deadline is approaching, if anyone wants to still enter.

[cacian]

migrant people
they roam across
the globe
losing their hope
to an end of time probe
because their identity
scope
is sudden to
anticipate slope

[Danik 2016]

I enjoyed the three poems very much. What I liked best was that migration gained three very different interpretations.I apologyse for my bad knowledge of metricals specially as regarding English poetry. So I'll leave them out of the comments:
Yes/No:
Migration of the working families is bound up with the agricultural chores which each season demands and the agricultural treasures that each seasons yelds. That sense of being on the move is given by the repetition: "Home is somewhere, anywhere".
I liked the wordplay Texas x taxes;)
Taylor Stately:
An interesting form blending two concepts of migration:
On a more religious, existential level, we humans are all migrants and life on earth is but a station of our migration.
This meaning is indicated in the poem by the parts written in bold.
But out of middle of this dominant idea emerges a second meaning: the migration motivated by political reasons. In contrast with the dominant idea they are seen as a part of the transitory human journey. They are eartly journeys whithin a greater journey and therefore appear unemphasized and within brackets.
cacian
Another harmonious blend of content and form. Cacian´s poem focuses on the migration for political reasons: the migrants that lose their permanent home, lose their sense of identity and belonging, they ultimatelly lose everything.
The form of the poem antecipates too the slope of despair. At the word scope the smoother inicial rythm hardens and the poem seems to tumble down the two last verses.
Hard choice!
Congratulations to all!
The winner is Taylor Stately!

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you ! Enjoyed the other entries also.

Next Subject: Home... deadline: the end of the day in 2-weeks 7/20/2016 PDT

[YesNo]

Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in. Robert Frost, The Death of the Hired Man http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/44261

Adventures, when they need to pause
And give us yearnings to look back
To what we thought we were before,
To people we then trusted more,
Remind us of some home we lack.

We could return we know because
Whatever’s there is there today.
Whatever changes we’ve been through
There’s something that resists what’s new
And cannot vanish in some way.

[tailor STATELY]

Deadline in about 25 hours...

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

... about 7-hours to go till deadline; ready , set, write !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations YesNo !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Thanks, tailor STATELY!

The next topic is "patience".

Deadline: at least two weeks from today.

[Danik 2016]

Congrats, Y/N!

[heartwing]

Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in. Robert Frost, The Death of the Hired Man http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/44261

Adventures, when they need to pause
And give us yearnings to look back
To what we thought we were before,
To people we then trusted more,
Remind us of some home we lack.

We could return we know because
Whatever’s there is there today.
Whatever changes we’ve been through
There’s something that resists what’s new
And cannot vanish in some way.

I especially love those last two lines. Nice work, YesNo.

[YesNo]

Thank you, heartwing and Danik!

[Danik 2016]

Patience is a virtue,
not a science.
It doesn´t teach me
how to finish
this poem with elegance.

[YesNo]

Thank you, Danik, for the entry!

There is still time to enter this contest.

[tailor STATELY]

True to the Faith

to truly endure to the end
implies a patience unspoken
for charity suffereth long

7/25/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Thank you, tailor STATELY! Now we have a real contest.

There is still time for others to enter!

[Pendragon]

With a Side of Impatience...

I don't have the patience to what for the time
When you choose to notice me
I walk among you, looking for a sign
But your eyes are trained to see me not

I don't have the patience to wait until
You finally hear what I am trying to say
I cry out for comfort and you never care
Your ears are trained to hear me not...

I don't have the patience to wait for the moment
You allow me to be me by any sense
You may not hear and you may not see
For your brain is trained to understand me not...

My patience is gone for constantly having
To explain why I am the way I am
Since you don't see, hear, or understand me
I really need you not...

Pendragon
7/25/2016

[YesNo]

Thanks, Pendragon! This is definitely a contest now.

More entries! More entries!

[YesNo]

Contest ends Friday morning, August 5th.

[cacian]

patience is slow
but it takes you there
where you go
because
where time
may not mind
it finds
waiting is a cure
for dating
when going
off
is waiting

[YesNo]

Contest is over! Thank you for all the entries.

Danik 2016: I liked the idea that one needs more than patience.

tailor STATELY: I liked the idea of suffering associated with patience.

Pendragon: This would be an argument against being too patient.

cacian: I agree that the slowness of patience still gets one where one wants to go.

Thank you for the contributions! The winner is tailor STATELY! Congratulations!

[Danik 2016]

Congrats, Tailor!
Pen, it ocurred to me that on LitNet we never see, but sometimes we hear each other!
Cacian: I agree with you!

[Pendragon]

Congrats, Tailor!

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you all !

(From the LitNet tag cloud) Next Subject: Anything to do with humor or humour, if you prefer. Deadline in about 2-weeks.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Humor feeds the heart of man
With what he hopes is true
And woman feels she likely can
Do what she’d want to do.

And anyone is happy when
A joke pops through the air
Since giggles entertain us then
So we no longer care.

This poem is a simple one.
It rhymes and sounds like verse.
I hope that when it’s finally done
It don’t make matters worse.

[tailor STATELY]

Thank you YesNo for giving us a worthy start !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Pendragon]

Exit, Laughing

Gallows humor is what you use
When your lot in life becomes infused
With horrors that leave you confused
As to which path you should pursue
The humor is black, a raven hue
That should give the hearer a clue
From words said and tone construed
I laugh to prevent feeling used...

Pendragon
8/11/2016

[Cassie Hughes]

Acrostic on Humour.


How is it, when I see your face,
Under the spotlights telltale glare,
My skin grows cold, my heart does race,
Off and away my legs would hare.
Unleash my fears, bring darkness down,
Reveal yourself, dread white faced clown.

[tailor STATELY]

Woo hoo ! Three entries: more, more...

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

Let's make the deadline Tuesday the 23rd August 2016... at the end of the day PDT.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[tailor STATELY]

YesNo:

Subject: How Humor Can Make Things Better Or Worse

Form: Quatrain(s)

Sillybibbles: 7 6 8 6... 8 6 8 6... 8 6 9 6 (take the pairs and you get 13 14... 14 14... 14 15)

ABAB CDCD EFEF

My favorite line: “A joke pops through the air”

Pendragon:

Subject: Gallow's humor: “a witticism in response to a hopeless situation” (google)

Form: The Blues

Sillybibbles: 8 9 8 8 9 8 7 8 (+1-1+0 +1-1-1 +1... 23 32 23 23 32 23 [7 (prime)] 23)

AaaBBBba

My favorite line: “The humor is black, a raven hue”

Cassie Hughes:

Subject: Clowns!

Form: Acrostic

Sillybibbles: 8 8 8 8 8 8

ABABCC

My favorite line: “Off and away my legs would hare.”

I enjoyed the various approaches to humor. Each poem has a quality I would have liked to see expanded. I declare the winner to be our newest participant Cassie Hughes... congratulations to all !

[Pendragon]

Congrats and welcome to the poetry contests, Cassie!

[Pompey Bum]

I hope I'm wrong, but I fear Cassie may be running as hard as she can in a desperate attempt to catch up with heartwing.

[Cassie Hughes]

Thanks so much. :)

Sorry for the delay but have been in the depths of Cumbria and unfortunately had little to no access to wifi.

As I have been walking Hadrians Wall I declare the next subject to be A Wall. Make of it what you will.

Deadline in a couple of weeks.

[Pompey Bum]

Glad you're still with us and sorry to have spread rumors of your demise. :)

[Cassie Hughes]

Almost not too far from the truth. Falling down hills is not to be recommended!

[cacian]

a wall
can fall
when the margin
is tall

the idea is to
to remain
small
so
when
gravity calls
it has
nothing to hold

absence is the
reason it has a licence

[Pendragon]

withdrawn

[YesNo]

Every wall is a door. Ralph Waldo Emerson http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/31820-every-wall-is-a-door

What’s obvious may not be true,
But that don’t mean it’s not.
Reality has sent me you
Both in my way, and helpful, too.
I’m glad what I have got.

[Pompey Bum]

Almost not too far from the truth. Falling down hills is not to be recommended!

I'm sorry to hear about your tumbling down, Cassie. I sincerely hope you did not emulate Jack and break your crown. It seems Hadrian's Wall still has tricks up its stony sleeve. And with the likes of ennison on the other side, one can only thank God. (Just kidding). Congratulations on your victory laurels. Don't sit on 'em. :)

[Cassie Hughes]

I'm sorry to hear about your tumbling down, Cassie. I sincerely hope you did not emulate Jack and break your crown. It seems Hadrian's Wall still has tricks up its stony sleeve. And with the likes of ennison on the other side, one can only thank God. (Just kidding). Congratulations on your victory laurels. Don't sit on 'em. :)

Nope, crown is intact but bum and elbow still complaining. Not easy sitting on anything atm ;)


Great to see entries already! Woo!

[Pompey Bum]

Nope, crown is intact but bum and elbow still complaining. Not easy sitting on anything atm ;)

Bum is always complaining, though little good it does him. :)

[prendrelemick]

Hadrian's Wall.

From Segedunum
Where the boats come in,
Segedunum!
A name echoed along the Tyne
By the pounding steam hammers of another Empire
Also gone. You emerge,
Along the foggy River, as straight as sight,
To Pons Aelius, where the Toon Army musters,
On to Condercum, Vindobala and Hunnum,
Euclidean lines set in stone,
Regimentally following the flow of lithe waters,
Rising mile by milecastle,
Procolita, Vercovicium,
Along the ridgy million postcarded Whin Sil,
And older ink-on-wood "Greetings from Vindolanda."
Dipping into the pass, past Kevin's sycamore tree,
Down Fort and Castle stepping, stopping, stones,
Aesica, Magnis, Banna.
At Camboglanna the Celtic sea is seen inlet
Beyond Uxelodudum, City of the flood.
Somewhere on that beach was your end,
Where sandcastles built by Children
Are washed away.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Hadrian's Wall.
"...
Somewhere on that beach was your end,
Where sandcastles built by Children
Are washed away.

How does one follow that ^?
So be it, here's my take...


Joshua Fought the Battle of Eagle Pass

Joshua wandered among the grapefruit orchards,
down in the valley along the Rio Grande.
Toting a tin kazoo, couldn’t afford a trumpet,
it hung from his neck by a yucca strand.

With him too, was a dog named Ronnie,
a bamboo pole, some string and a hook.
Heading down to the big river
to drop a line, get a drink and take look.

Pushing through some Texas Snakeweed,
their progress had been squandered,
by a stone wall made of caliche.
No fish, no quench, no view…they pondered.

Ronnie barked an old testament recollection,
how the Israelites brought down a wall in Berlin
blowing Rams horns on the seventh day.
Joshua understood, it’s time to taste some tin!

Drawing thirty bushels of Valley air,
Joshua produced a destructive harmonic tune.
Caliche started to crack and crumble,
alerting a pants suited queen and her New York buffoon.

Now desperate, the buffoon wedged orange hair chinkers
into the incessant web of spalling stone.
The cankled queen shot email lasers,
that were deflected by Ronnie’s chrome plated bone.

The wall was destroyed by a humble kazoo.
Peace mingled with dust, settled in the valley.
Joshua caught a perch, Ronnie slaked his thirst,
and now all can see the shimmering Rio Grande.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsEmF9urYDk

[prendrelemick]

it’s time to taste some tin!




That's how! :smilielol5:

[Cassie Hughes]

Great stuff guys! This is going to be so difficult to judge.Will give you til next weekend methinks. :nod:

[Danik 2016]

Walls

The Great Wall Of China
The Wall Of Troy
The Western Wall of Israel
Hadrian’s Wall
The Wall of Berlin
The Nicosia Wall
The Korean Wall
The Nicosia Wall
The Mexico–United States barrier
TheTurkey-Syria barrier
The Hungarian border barrier
Have I left anything out?

[tailor STATELY]

A Wall
... an anagrammatic representation of the poem
"The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams



best a shroud -
gaze within the wind
where the dewcup skies
become richer
and ponder a wall

9/9/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Cassie Hughes]

Some great entries here guys. You have 24 hours left before I announce the winner.

[Cassie Hughes]

Such a pity Pendragon withdrew but there were so many great entries and I have found this a very difficult decision.

Walls can be both physical and mental and I love the different takes on the theme you have all come up with. Being very new to all this I'm not sure about forms or type and am simply going with the one that appealed to me most. I appologise if it is not 'the done thing' but here goes.

I declare the winner to be..... Prendrelemick with Hadrian's Wall. Well done. :thumbsup:

[Danik 2016]

Congrats Prendrelemick!

[Pendragon]

Prendrelemick, congrats!

[prendrelemick]

Thankyou very much.

Ok we've had Walls, next subject is BRIDGES

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations prendrelemick. Last night I helped my granddaughter with her poem "Tending Fences" inspired by Maya Angelou's "Caged Bird" and Robert Frost's "Mending Wall". What a joy!

[YesNo]

There is no bridge from here to there.
The river’s flooding down below.
Ten years from now I will not care
That there’s no bridge from here to there
But now the water’s rushing so.

[prendrelemick]

Congratulations prendrelemick. Last night I helped my granddaughter with her poem "Tending Fences" inspired by Maya Angelou's "Caged Bird" and Robert Frost's "Mending Wall". What a joy!

That's brilliant tailor, Grandaughters are the best thing about getting - shall we say mature.

[Pendragon]

At the Wooden Bridge

On the pathway of life, up ahead
Is a long and narrow wooden bridge
It connects where I am to where I may be
The opportunity offered, the choice left to me
Does this bridge lead to a new exotic land
Or will it only retrace a path I've already been
I must stop and look at each side of it--
Do I cross this bridge, or should I burn it?

Pendragon
9/12/2016

[Danik 2016]

There is no bridge from here to there.
The river’s flooding down below.
Ten years from now I will now care
That there’s no bridge from here to there
But now the water’s rushing so.
Nice poem, Yes/No, on feels the water flowing throug it. Isn´t there a small typo in the third line?

[YesNo]

Nice poem, Yes/No, on feels the water flowing throug it. Isn´t there a small typo in the third line?

Yes, there is. Thanks for pointing it out, Danik. I'll change the second "now" to "not". I was also thinking of the story you wrote about the flooding when I wrote this.

[Cassie Hughes]

Safe haven in the storm of life
I cling with fingers numbed and worn.
As all around the sirens chafe
And wind devours my peace of mind.

Above the raging noise of hurt
I hear my name called from the void.
The peace it offers comforts heart
that flutters in this man made cage.

There is no haven from the strife
My fingers scrabble, nails are rent
and tocsins wail as through the grief
I tumble, wind tossed, lost and blind.

Through silent rushing air I burst,
No call to save me or to guide
My soul away from being cursed.
Into the deeps, I am released.

[Pendragon]

Never mind. I learned a new word

[tailor STATELY]

Softer Step Through Bridges






Alala !
Sing o' bridled unicorn -
torn petal's musk mane
Trot high hills
Softer step through bridges
Dance wheresoever a natural
tanabata arena raised
The dead decide rage -
silent ghosts twiddle wink
Unmind why...
Heigh-ho !

9/16/2016

An anagram of a quote by Harry Styles of
"One Direction" re: Bridge/Girlfriend/Candles

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[prendrelemick]

Anybody else?

[spikepipsqueak]

Sex is like Bridge. You need
A good partner or a good hand.
But more than that, you need
To each attend and understand.
To start simply and slowly,
To build rapport and gently to expand
Your repertoire. Increasing trust,
Acceding to demands
And suggestions with implicit faith.
No fear, no urge to reprimand.
Communication, tacit and overt,
Spontaneous and planned.
Careful observation leads to empathy,
Frees adventurous spirits and
Ultimately, amounts to telepathy.

[prendrelemick]

Ok then.


YesNo. Very short, but alot going on beyond the words. Not the sort of thing you read once and move on. I recognised the sentiment.
Pendragon. Yesno needed a bridge, you have one but don't know wether to cross or not - a timeless question. Perhaps a little too straightforwards in language to describe a metaphorical situation.
Cassie. After the fourth reading it began to open up. there's something interesting in every line, a poem you can really mine for meaning. I hope it's not autobiographical.
Tailor Stately. You almost had me at bridled unicorn! A poem born of bridges, but hard to cross.
Spikepipsqueek. My Granny taught me bridge, and sex can be like snakes and ladders sometimes. Nevertheless a good idea well executed.

And the winner by a short head is...... YesNo

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Well done Yes/No.
Sorry Mick for not participating, the subject was ripe for a follow up to "walls".
Life is too hectic for the time being.

[Cassie Hughes]

Congratulations YesNo. Well deserved :)

[YesNo]

Thanks, prendrelemick! And Gilliatt Gurgle and Cassie Hughes!

The next topic is Halloween or spooky stuff.

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations YesNo !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Thanks, tailor STATELY!

I put in my calendar October 18th, two weeks from now, as the end of the contest.

[prendrelemick]

Night fears.

When you wake in the night
And you're choking in fright
And you see only black
Like your head's in a sack
And you only surmise
You've opened your eyes
'Cos the dark has your face
In a smothering embrace.
And your heckles are rising
Your brain's energising,
A shudder up your spine
From a primeval time
Tells you beware!
There's something out there.

Then will you hear
With a sharp thrill of fear
The lift of a latch;
A feint snicker-snatch,
And your mind screams to shout
'Cos you know without doubt

The Red Legged Scissor-man is here.

[Cassie Hughes]

The Damned Dead.

In dead of night when all is still
and silent are the halls of men,
They wander, lost but unafraid,
Those darkling spirits, mean and fell.

In life their tales were fierce and grim
with blood and gore their only aim,
Now freed from body, still they stalk
perpetuating evils fame.

Some deeds are carried ever on,
Into the endless night of death,
And lend no peace to such as these,
No chance of sleep or final rest.

To some may pity spring to mind,
To others hope of souls redeemed,
But those who stray within their grasp
discover malice never dreamed.

Those unsuspecting who may then
encounter spectres such as they
will have no choices left except,
To gird their loins and run away.

[tailor STATELY]

He Happened Upon a Glome

three days had it rained - the mists of
the valley near obscured the pearl
harvest moon when John entered in
the dank clearing - he came upon

a glome pulsing - infrangible
as a pitch night - damson beings,
there performing a ritual
as obscure to human thought im-

aginable, became aware -
sensing John, an anomaly,
vibratory beyond their ken -
raduliform voices called one

to another retreating to
the glome and in a twinkling
departed this world leaving John
a paragon of tantivy

10/18/2016

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[YesNo]

Contest is over! Thanks for all the entries.

prendrelemick: Nice build up to the Scissor-man's appearance.

Cassie Hughes: Sometimes the best thing one can do is gird one's loins and run away.

tailor STATELY: I liked those damson beings performing obscure rituals sensing John as the anomaly.

These were all spooky.

It is hard to decide a winner, but here it goes: prendrelemick

Congratulations!

[Cassie Hughes]

Well done prendrelemick. I loved the chilling feel of yours, great for reading aloud to scare the kids when you're sitting in the dark at halloween!

[tailor STATELY]

Congratulations prendrelemick !

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[prendrelemick]

Thank you.

The next subject, something about the sea.

[YesNo]

It’s wetter than I want to be
And so I choose the land.
My weighty friend, great gravity,
Prefers that I should stand.

A boat is an alternative,
But some do sink out there.
Why leave the land and try to live
And float in some nowhere?

There are those creatures in that deep
Who wishy-washy roam.
I'll count on waves of dreamy sheep.
I’d rather sleep at home.

[Cassie Hughes]

Lazy sunshine
rains upon the
shore and sparkles
over horses running wild
atop tumbling waves.

[prendrelemick]

Two good entries so far.

[tailor STATELY]

a foggy day at the seashore


foghorn and gulls compete with the
roar - a war of waves battering
the beach evermore - one gets use
to the decay mixed with salt breeze
when wading cold waters up to
one's waist - the tide subservient
as if preternaturally
to the wraith of a shrouded moon

11/12/2016 r.12/7/2016 (removed last two lines:
"as yet an apparition to
whom it measures time till consumed")... the
poem seems better balanced this way.
:tS

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY