Poetry competition CLOSED 6th November 2023 11:37am
WINNER
da_poetic-edifier (Damon)
da_poetic-edifier (Damon)
RUNNERS-UP:
MadameLavender
and dimpy
Drowning
The Dark Lady's Path
- The Dark Lady's Path -
In the hollow depths, where none who see the sun behold,
I hath seen thee, like an errant spirit carried upon the air...
Exactly as thou didst oft appear when we embraced of old.
Blue gown, dark eyes, and the softest tresses of raven hair,
As if time had ceased for thee, despite what years wilt pass.
You see me when I face my fears and seek to find solace...
When it seems comfort is fleeting, and peace doth not last.
And I behold thee, finding my comfort in thy beautiful face!
Thus began one journey, to which I set my will thereupon...
But I canst not say, just when that beginning was ordained.
Only that it was in the midst of a struggle no man had won,
In a time lost, in an age and moment filled with horrid pain.
Part of a great design, into which my heart had been drawn,
And still, I stand in its' vestiges, attempting to make sense...
Of the long night's winding ways, which presage the dawn.
I see the symmetry of things, but know not what was meant!
I long, to break the chains of a world ensnared in madness...
But too I recall the pain that mankind hath visited upon me.
It seems oft, that I hath spent centuries drowned in sadness,
Awaiting the turnings of time, to enable a possible victory...
And thou, oh raven-haired goddess whom men doth so fear!
Thou dost guide me still, a dark angel guiding a demon on.
Onward, ever forth to things most prophetic that draw near,
So that these struggles become a cycle, ere the battle is won!
Like Cassandra, I see future destinies that could be enacted,
Endings in fire, some in ice, and some in water or in blood...
And the consequences of many fates, the lives oft impacted.
In how many past cycles of time, didst reality burn as wood,
Lit by the hot flames of the righteous and unrighteous alike!
Countless, innumerable as art the stars that bedeck the void,
And still humanity fears, when their current end may strike.
Look to thyself, oh humans, if thy end is thine to thus avoid!
Lady of the darkness, calling me to awaken and go beyond,
Past the things that held me back, which oft manifest within:
The limitations of my flesh; to face the dark and never run!
I follow thee still, and in my pursuit I see this is not any sin.
Despite the ramblings of the supposedly devout, the foolish,
In whom weakness is most evident despite illusory strength.
I am not in their grasp, in their snares I shall not so languish,
For I am free, to follow my Lady's path for all of its' length!
In the hollow depths, where none who see the sun behold,
I hath seen thee, like an errant spirit carried upon the air...
Exactly as thou didst oft appear when we embraced of old.
Blue gown, dark eyes, and the softest tresses of raven hair,
As if time had ceased for thee, despite what years wilt pass.
You see me when I face my fears and seek to find solace...
When it seems comfort is fleeting, and peace doth not last.
And I behold thee, finding my comfort in thy beautiful face!
Thus began one journey, to which I set my will thereupon...
But I canst not say, just when that beginning was ordained.
Only that it was in the midst of a struggle no man had won,
In a time lost, in an age and moment filled with horrid pain.
Part of a great design, into which my heart had been drawn,
And still, I stand in its' vestiges, attempting to make sense...
Of the long night's winding ways, which presage the dawn.
I see the symmetry of things, but know not what was meant!
I long, to break the chains of a world ensnared in madness...
But too I recall the pain that mankind hath visited upon me.
It seems oft, that I hath spent centuries drowned in sadness,
Awaiting the turnings of time, to enable a possible victory...
And thou, oh raven-haired goddess whom men doth so fear!
Thou dost guide me still, a dark angel guiding a demon on.
Onward, ever forth to things most prophetic that draw near,
So that these struggles become a cycle, ere the battle is won!
Like Cassandra, I see future destinies that could be enacted,
Endings in fire, some in ice, and some in water or in blood...
And the consequences of many fates, the lives oft impacted.
In how many past cycles of time, didst reality burn as wood,
Lit by the hot flames of the righteous and unrighteous alike!
Countless, innumerable as art the stars that bedeck the void,
And still humanity fears, when their current end may strike.
Look to thyself, oh humans, if thy end is thine to thus avoid!
Lady of the darkness, calling me to awaken and go beyond,
Past the things that held me back, which oft manifest within:
The limitations of my flesh; to face the dark and never run!
I follow thee still, and in my pursuit I see this is not any sin.
Despite the ramblings of the supposedly devout, the foolish,
In whom weakness is most evident despite illusory strength.
I am not in their grasp, in their snares I shall not so languish,
For I am free, to follow my Lady's path for all of its' length!
Written by Kou_Indigo
(Karam L. Parveen-Ashton)
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Season of Change
- Season of Change -
In this, a season of both color and change,
When oft the vision is most acute and strange…
The eye sees more than the senses foretell:
When truth rings clearer than a church’s bell.
A flood of memories like phantoms descend,
When my mind opens the way to ascend…
Beyond all I am, were, and couldst ever be!
I drown in them, as if I were lost in a sea.
No island in sight at which solace is found,
Just cold water: giving way to colder ground.
Ice without and fire within, neither to cease,
As my dreams are haunted beyond any peace!
Haunted by faces and forms I have known,
And some I hath loved, and affection shown.
Whither hath time taken their warmth away?
I do not know, and mayhap none might say.
For so long have I known darkness so close!
And far longer still, the company of ghosts.
I wonder what the true face of reality even is,
For I thought I couldst find it hidden in bliss!
But when bliss fades, the memories return…
And the ghosts are waiting, as within I burn.
Fire and ice, living and dead, all become one,
When seasons change, divine will be done!
My heart longs, and my fingers tremble so,
Before beautiful phantasms, pale as snow…
Lovely maidens, whose love were as gifts:
But it was in other lives when we didst kiss!
How can I separate what was from the now?
My soul and spirit are as eternal as my vow,
To find what I hath been seeking for all time.
For my fire never ceases, that flame sublime!
It must blaze, so that the ice covers not all…
And I must be strong, to heed the great call.
Around my being, I feel stirrings like music,
Playing a song as beautiful as faerie magic!
Where are they who craft such symphony?
I long to bask, in their glory, like ecstasy…
Until the seasons change again, circles full,
So that I might no longer feel such a pull:
As calls me even as I do lay in my slumber!
At least then I will not need to so remember,
The tragic past which so brought me hither.
Free will I be, of every shackle and fetter…
When the clouds part, revealing the moon!
For an instant, will part, autumn’s gloom…
And I will shine brighter, my light radiant.
The hour hastens, untold in any testament!
In this, a season of both color and change,
When oft the vision is most acute and strange…
The eye sees more than the senses foretell:
When truth rings clearer than a church’s bell.
A flood of memories like phantoms descend,
When my mind opens the way to ascend…
Beyond all I am, were, and couldst ever be!
I drown in them, as if I were lost in a sea.
No island in sight at which solace is found,
Just cold water: giving way to colder ground.
Ice without and fire within, neither to cease,
As my dreams are haunted beyond any peace!
Haunted by faces and forms I have known,
And some I hath loved, and affection shown.
Whither hath time taken their warmth away?
I do not know, and mayhap none might say.
For so long have I known darkness so close!
And far longer still, the company of ghosts.
I wonder what the true face of reality even is,
For I thought I couldst find it hidden in bliss!
But when bliss fades, the memories return…
And the ghosts are waiting, as within I burn.
Fire and ice, living and dead, all become one,
When seasons change, divine will be done!
My heart longs, and my fingers tremble so,
Before beautiful phantasms, pale as snow…
Lovely maidens, whose love were as gifts:
But it was in other lives when we didst kiss!
How can I separate what was from the now?
My soul and spirit are as eternal as my vow,
To find what I hath been seeking for all time.
For my fire never ceases, that flame sublime!
It must blaze, so that the ice covers not all…
And I must be strong, to heed the great call.
Around my being, I feel stirrings like music,
Playing a song as beautiful as faerie magic!
Where are they who craft such symphony?
I long to bask, in their glory, like ecstasy…
Until the seasons change again, circles full,
So that I might no longer feel such a pull:
As calls me even as I do lay in my slumber!
At least then I will not need to so remember,
The tragic past which so brought me hither.
Free will I be, of every shackle and fetter…
When the clouds part, revealing the moon!
For an instant, will part, autumn’s gloom…
And I will shine brighter, my light radiant.
The hour hastens, untold in any testament!
Written by Kou_Indigo
(Karam L. Parveen-Ashton)
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Crystalline
If I remain silent, here and now, it is because
I'm waiting for all the hinges to groan
under your fingers, in the firm turn of your hand!
Dense tears of uncertain flavor running
down the cheeks, like tiger stripes...
without color tone or direction of light... prism!
If I silence the slow tear on your lips
It's to slowly sip your murmurs...
It’s to fall asleep silently next to you!
Written by PAR
(PAULO ACACIO RAMOS)
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drowned in saltiness...
The river
wounded by stones
and falling from
the lap of the mountains,
wanted only two drops
of the ocean's love
wanted to run on
the carpet of oysters and pearls
the sky couldn't bear this
he sprinkled love
by becoming a drops of dew
he loved her by becoming
the drops of rain
but river's love was blind
she continued
to flow at her own pace
last the ocean gave her
only saltiness as a reward
n she drowned
in the saltiness
with her salty tears...
wounded by stones
and falling from
the lap of the mountains,
wanted only two drops
of the ocean's love
wanted to run on
the carpet of oysters and pearls
the sky couldn't bear this
he sprinkled love
by becoming a drops of dew
he loved her by becoming
the drops of rain
but river's love was blind
she continued
to flow at her own pace
last the ocean gave her
only saltiness as a reward
n she drowned
in the saltiness
with her salty tears...
Written by dimpy
(dimpsmoon)
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Drowned
I only saw blue as the water pushed against me
Despair chased me as I struggled to break free
My lungs began to ache
and I think my eyes watered
I woke up with a start
trying to catch my breath
Despair chased me as I struggled to break free
My lungs began to ache
and I think my eyes watered
I woke up with a start
trying to catch my breath
Written by Ash74
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Drowning in Life
As life’s waves pull me under, I can
Barely breathe to keep myself afloat.
What is life without air or oxygen?
I am drowning but there is no plan
For anyone to save me from the load
Weighing me down or the dungeon
Waiting for me at rock bottom. I may
Wear a smile as the happy-go-lucky
Girl but no one knows the struggle
To stay alive above the waves. Stay
With the flow I try but it becomes fuzzy,
Hazy and murky as all my core muscle
Memories forget how to swim. No one
Is going to remember her, the girl who
Drowned and never survived to tell
Her own story of how the shining sun
No longer had its glow or how the glue
That once held her together so well
Fell apart. To others she was the hero
Of the story but in her mind she was
The villain or anti-hero. No one would
Know that she was in a constant limbo
Of wanting to escape the world’s buzz
Or craving to be where she once stood
Before on solid land. The choice lies in
Her hands… to live in life or constant sin.
Barely breathe to keep myself afloat.
What is life without air or oxygen?
I am drowning but there is no plan
For anyone to save me from the load
Weighing me down or the dungeon
Waiting for me at rock bottom. I may
Wear a smile as the happy-go-lucky
Girl but no one knows the struggle
To stay alive above the waves. Stay
With the flow I try but it becomes fuzzy,
Hazy and murky as all my core muscle
Memories forget how to swim. No one
Is going to remember her, the girl who
Drowned and never survived to tell
Her own story of how the shining sun
No longer had its glow or how the glue
That once held her together so well
Fell apart. To others she was the hero
Of the story but in her mind she was
The villain or anti-hero. No one would
Know that she was in a constant limbo
Of wanting to escape the world’s buzz
Or craving to be where she once stood
Before on solid land. The choice lies in
Her hands… to live in life or constant sin.
Written by eswaller
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Waterboarded
Each time I glimpse my ex's face, I choke,
Like a man waterboarded, a voice hoarse, broke,
Suffocating in emotions that I provoke,
With each encounter, my heart's last spoke.
In this watery abyss, where we collide,
It's like I'm sinking, no escape, no guide,
Gasping for air, like a man denied,
I'm waterboarded, drowning, no place to hide.
"Help me, help me, help me," I silently plea,
Somebody, anyone, set my heart free,
In these turbulent waters, she's my endless sea,
As I watch her with another, it's not meant to be.
As I see her with another, it's hard to bear,
The sound of drowning, a wail of despair,
Beneath the sun's fiery, tormenting glare,
I'm waterboarded, drowning, in a loveless affair.
I encounter her daily in the merciless fray,
With another by her side, my hope's in disarray,
Somebody help me, as my heart's led astray,
Waterboarded in sorrow, I'm left to decay.
This is a melody of heartache, sung aloud,
The sound of drowning in a tearful shroud,
In the depths of despair, I'm lost in the crowd,
As I watch my love with another, my heart's not proud.
I'm waterboarded, drowning, in this painful night,
Somebody help me, make it right,
In the depths of heartache, I lose the fight,
As I see her with another, my love takes flight.
Like a man waterboarded, a voice hoarse, broke,
Suffocating in emotions that I provoke,
With each encounter, my heart's last spoke.
In this watery abyss, where we collide,
It's like I'm sinking, no escape, no guide,
Gasping for air, like a man denied,
I'm waterboarded, drowning, no place to hide.
"Help me, help me, help me," I silently plea,
Somebody, anyone, set my heart free,
In these turbulent waters, she's my endless sea,
As I watch her with another, it's not meant to be.
As I see her with another, it's hard to bear,
The sound of drowning, a wail of despair,
Beneath the sun's fiery, tormenting glare,
I'm waterboarded, drowning, in a loveless affair.
I encounter her daily in the merciless fray,
With another by her side, my hope's in disarray,
Somebody help me, as my heart's led astray,
Waterboarded in sorrow, I'm left to decay.
This is a melody of heartache, sung aloud,
The sound of drowning in a tearful shroud,
In the depths of despair, I'm lost in the crowd,
As I watch my love with another, my heart's not proud.
I'm waterboarded, drowning, in this painful night,
Somebody help me, make it right,
In the depths of heartache, I lose the fight,
As I see her with another, my love takes flight.
Written by Dre_k47
(AnDre James)
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Guilty gifts
She wanted to feel small again,
still brave enough
to shout her name into the head wind,
to breathe herself alive in the rising swell.
The pier was deserted as she stepped over
the danger sign that danced on its rusty chain.
Through the murk of stirred up sand
her red raincoat appeared disrespectful
to one so angry, one so hungry.
The wooden boards flexed like sleeping ribs
as a large wave spewed over a little café
soaking her favourite Sunday morning spot
to sit and sip hot Mocha.
She would watch the red of the sun
behind closed eyes and inhale the sea-salt air,
the way her mother had always done.
Far off in the deep its mass was moving,
a vast sea cat timing its run for the neck,
each thudded step counted in the waves
as she ran towards the spray,
a surfer would have known what was coming.
The ocean smashed through the decking,
a sledge hammer on piano keys,
its mouth tight around her legs and chest
as it carried her deafeningly into muffled silence.
On a warm Sunday her usual spot was taken,
a man watching his son crab fishing on the rocks.
" I've got one" the boy shouted,
guiding his catch into a bucket.
He didn't notice the red shape shifting in the sand
surfacing only to fold across the rocks,
a small offering as the guilty tide
bowed with outstretched arms
and stepped away.
still brave enough
to shout her name into the head wind,
to breathe herself alive in the rising swell.
The pier was deserted as she stepped over
the danger sign that danced on its rusty chain.
Through the murk of stirred up sand
her red raincoat appeared disrespectful
to one so angry, one so hungry.
The wooden boards flexed like sleeping ribs
as a large wave spewed over a little café
soaking her favourite Sunday morning spot
to sit and sip hot Mocha.
She would watch the red of the sun
behind closed eyes and inhale the sea-salt air,
the way her mother had always done.
Far off in the deep its mass was moving,
a vast sea cat timing its run for the neck,
each thudded step counted in the waves
as she ran towards the spray,
a surfer would have known what was coming.
The ocean smashed through the decking,
a sledge hammer on piano keys,
its mouth tight around her legs and chest
as it carried her deafeningly into muffled silence.
On a warm Sunday her usual spot was taken,
a man watching his son crab fishing on the rocks.
" I've got one" the boy shouted,
guiding his catch into a bucket.
He didn't notice the red shape shifting in the sand
surfacing only to fold across the rocks,
a small offering as the guilty tide
bowed with outstretched arms
and stepped away.
Written by Razzerleaf
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Understanding Chaos
By the time I realised
the puddle wasn't deep enough,
I was already diving.
A coiled serpent
displaced inside a ripple,
only going out to come back in
shedding my skins,
expressions I took
from where faces begin.
Nerves that strobe through conversations,
tin foil touches rubbed on metal filled teeth,
beneath my smile a whirlpool waits
to swallow each day,
the management of traits.
A clever chameleon
only walks on one colour
his tongue doesn't take the snow flake,
hides all day, awake all night
no definition of what is alright.
So I unfold my shield of chaos
and swirl with leaves
where eddies end,
cage each storm in your made up story,
talk on-line to battlefield friends.
the puddle wasn't deep enough,
I was already diving.
A coiled serpent
displaced inside a ripple,
only going out to come back in
shedding my skins,
expressions I took
from where faces begin.
Nerves that strobe through conversations,
tin foil touches rubbed on metal filled teeth,
beneath my smile a whirlpool waits
to swallow each day,
the management of traits.
A clever chameleon
only walks on one colour
his tongue doesn't take the snow flake,
hides all day, awake all night
no definition of what is alright.
So I unfold my shield of chaos
and swirl with leaves
where eddies end,
cage each storm in your made up story,
talk on-line to battlefield friends.
Written by Razzerleaf
Go To Page
Toxicity
Wars, starvation, racism, hatred, cost of living going up
Magazines, movies, social media, always trying to go viral
Disease, ignorance idiocy, triggered people all around
Poverty, drugs, injustices, society on a downward spiral
With the world constantly changing we get fearmongers
It seems doomsday has been lingering for centuries
Switch the channel or just keep on scrolling, go for a walk
Phones lights up trying to sell me some other accessories
Everyday we get bombarded by all this technology
Sometimes it feels like information overload
And when I encounter supposed intelligence
Is it real? Is it fake? I don’t want to take the wrong road
I hate to make snap decisions based on half truths
The world seems to be filled with so much negativity
Half of what I see seems to be garbage and refuse
But now I think I’m drowning amidst all this toxicity
Written by wallyroo92
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