Minimalist Poetry Contest

Burnt lotuses refusing to wither,
broken bones from kneeling bare,
mudded pieces of torn saffron robes,
scent of incense and fetid stench,
where does he exist amid all these?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blank|verse

sunflower

It is the colour of desire:
spent, forsaken,
and blanching to sorrow.

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Very nice. I would have picked yours too.

I enjoyed everyone's entry. Something about this minimalist poetry contest that brings out the best.

Looking forward to the next subject. :)

Thanks hack! And well done to everyone who entered, there were some great entries - including yours Virgil, thanks for the message of congratulations.

I've not seen 'Everything is Illuminated' but presume it is the film-of-the-book. The idea actually came as I was trying to write about the Tour de France! And then I 'borrowed from the myth kitty' (see the tale of Clytie from 'The Sun in Love', book 4 of Ovid's Metamorphoses). Glad you liked it.

NEW COMPETITION - the theme is WATER.

(I think this is wide-ranging enough - it could be 'natural' water - the sea, rivers, streams, lakes, rain; 'domestic' water - showers, baths, tap-water; or any other type, as long as it's water!)

I would like to set a deadline of Sunday, 15th August, so there is the chance of holding two competitions per month. I don't think this is too demanding, but please let me know if you think otherwise, and I'll change the deadline to the end of the month.

Hints: I like poems - particularly in this thread - to be short and sharp. Make every word count. Less is more! I don't want to enforce line limits but I will look more favourably on the shorter entries - as long as they are sufficiently potent! Think also about the rhythm and sound of words. I like music in poetry.

...And I would also like to support what Virgil said about 'cheerleading' comments under entries - while it's good people enjoy the poems, please keep any such comments until after the competition has closed. It's just not cricket! Thank you.

Good luck!
b|v

Sakura

Spring comes late upon these rocks
Wett'd, the sun casts
Its ire upon the spring.

A single drop of water
Leaves a trail along my cheek
Tears for what might-have been

Deleted.

Just read the judge's mechanics. My poem had multiple meanings-- not sharp. Sorry.

Congratulations, blank|verse. Yours was good.

Here's my entry for the next one:

The wild horses stampede past my window
Whither goest thou, without me?
It matters not; I will let the rain cry in my stead.

Here's mine.

Quote:

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Sand and Water

God knows my distance of sand and sin,
The accumulated dust of desert and debt,
And offers an ablution to the flesh,
A soaking, quenching wonder
So that the skin shrivels, is soothed
But finally blossoms.

---

overnight snow



we weren’t aware
the rain changed
over to snow
and snow has melted
into slush

my boots squishy
socks soggy
all the while standing
on tiptoe
for the longest
goodbye
kiss

gathers, ungathers
tide of affairs, man river,
has its way withall

my demons are gone
dissolved into the water
merely shadows they.

did you feel
the crystalline shapes
of water
on your toes
as i did?
my happiness
for a moment
was all told.

On a rocky, foamy shore
the sign read «No bathing»,
but we all did and
then sat wet, tracing the sunset,
lucky and happy.

My Liquid Heart

Your eyes
a watery grave

like these
liquid tongues
which I swim through

in the hopes of
finding you
somewhere
beneath

where only
my reflections
meet.

There's been a veritable flood of entries so far (ho, ho) and the standard is high, so thanks for the submissions.

Anyone else wanting to make my life more difficult has until this SUNDAY 15th AUGUST to do so. :willy_nilly:

Cheers,
b|v