Poetry competition CLOSED 30th April 2025 11:10pm
A public vote has been requested
Journey to the Stars, NaPoWriMo'25 Stomp the Prompt Comp
Prompt # 22
Aldebaran Taurus
At one point that old Altima was all I had
Finding a space where to park for the night
Watching the stars through the sunroof
Wondering how I got there
And if I’d ever get out of that plight
I hit a low point and there was nowhere else to go
But up
Yet I knew I was smarter than that
I just had too much pride
Until I learned that forgiving and asking for forgiveness…
…is a two-way street
I’ll never forget those nights in old “Christine”
Drifting in and out of sleep
Watching the starry night sky
69 Unique Words
99 Total
Aldebaran Taurus
At one point that old Altima was all I had
Finding a space where to park for the night
Watching the stars through the sunroof
Wondering how I got there
And if I’d ever get out of that plight
I hit a low point and there was nowhere else to go
But up
Yet I knew I was smarter than that
I just had too much pride
Until I learned that forgiving and asking for forgiveness…
…is a two-way street
I’ll never forget those nights in old “Christine”
Drifting in and out of sleep
Watching the starry night sky
69 Unique Words
99 Total
DARE, SEER
To the girl who froze, yes, like stew in the fridge,
Once danced in jollof sun, now strides a snowy ridge.
Yet still she flies, feathered fierce and rare,
Because every day na another day to dare.
I remember: how you used to wake up at midnight,
Clatter in the flame-lit room,
Spices rising like war chants in smoky bloom,
Just to fix a tight meal that tasted like home.
You stirred pots like spells, with wisdom to pour,
Head sharp like blade, heart rich to the core.
Brains wey de blaze, hands that bless --
Queen of soup and dreams no stress could suppress!
Canada’s chill may hiss like a ghost,
But you walk through ice like you own the coast.
With Naija in your veins, and thunder in your stare,
You’re writing your saga with ink and flair.
When frost creeps in and silence is loud,
When dreams seem distant beneath that cloud --
Look up. The stars still know your name.
You carry home’s heat like a holy flame.
Still that lioness, wrapped in layers, not chains,
Still our Mfe — defying the plains.
Soar on, Seer —
Wherever you are, you bring the fire near.
Keep daring, my sister, keep rising above.
With boundless pride and love,
Your brother, ATT.
Once danced in jollof sun, now strides a snowy ridge.
Yet still she flies, feathered fierce and rare,
Because every day na another day to dare.
I remember: how you used to wake up at midnight,
Clatter in the flame-lit room,
Spices rising like war chants in smoky bloom,
Just to fix a tight meal that tasted like home.
You stirred pots like spells, with wisdom to pour,
Head sharp like blade, heart rich to the core.
Brains wey de blaze, hands that bless --
Queen of soup and dreams no stress could suppress!
Canada’s chill may hiss like a ghost,
But you walk through ice like you own the coast.
With Naija in your veins, and thunder in your stare,
You’re writing your saga with ink and flair.
When frost creeps in and silence is loud,
When dreams seem distant beneath that cloud --
Look up. The stars still know your name.
You carry home’s heat like a holy flame.
Still that lioness, wrapped in layers, not chains,
Still our Mfe — defying the plains.
Soar on, Seer —
Wherever you are, you bring the fire near.
Keep daring, my sister, keep rising above.
With boundless pride and love,
Your brother, ATT.
Written by gifteth
(AliboTerna)
Go To Page
Prompt # 23
Achernar Eridanus
Further and farther into the universe
Out into the far and wide unknown
My love feels like it travels across time
Mesmerized and awed but never alone
Into the vast distance where stars burn
Past beginnings and origins of creation
My love explores the stellar heavens
With exhilarating extraordinary elation
Faraway into the utmost reaches of the cosmos
Where even the strongest light hasn’t beamed
My love goes on a journey faster and more distant
To where imagination has not even yet dreamed
Maybe it’s because I love her to the moon and back
It’s why I feel like my emotion can travel the distance
You know how us poets like a little exaggeration
But the stars and galaxies prove my love’s existence
85 Unique Words
123 Total
Achernar Eridanus
Further and farther into the universe
Out into the far and wide unknown
My love feels like it travels across time
Mesmerized and awed but never alone
Into the vast distance where stars burn
Past beginnings and origins of creation
My love explores the stellar heavens
With exhilarating extraordinary elation
Faraway into the utmost reaches of the cosmos
Where even the strongest light hasn’t beamed
My love goes on a journey faster and more distant
To where imagination has not even yet dreamed
Maybe it’s because I love her to the moon and back
It’s why I feel like my emotion can travel the distance
You know how us poets like a little exaggeration
But the stars and galaxies prove my love’s existence
85 Unique Words
123 Total
Prompt #29
Hidden Echinoderms
if I wanted to research a Firefly Family Flight
beyond today’s current events
happenstance,
I might discover a DNA line
bioluminescence individuals
choosing safety, secretive wonders beneath
a gentle maturation of shine.
Gardens of bright star-like flora
Pollinated via aquatic Fire Flies?
Why not (me) !!!
The path 100% NEW
Yet conquering fearful of
the unknown love
thriving in an abundance of
anonymity
Starfish tried to evolve as they WANTED IN
Crabs and other Mollusks too.
Most with no skeletal investment
succeeded their desire to be
& be in
Knowing only the BRAVE and courageous
ever be able to SEE, actually see
those who remain the Stars within
the Deep Underground,
In the deep end of the pond
wish ‘em well
(no pun intended)
Prompt # 24
Atlas A Taurus
When she almost died, I told the Taurus stars
“Give her back to me and take me instead”
So when she came to life I protected my wife
Knowing I had lot of work to compose ahead
I made a pact with the universe, my life for her–
So that I may go into the infinite cosmos first
Thus I immersed myself in prose and verse
To write my best even when I’m at my worst
Ever since I’ve spit mad bars looking up at the stars
Declaring my love even if I’m sounding silly or dumb
Whether she laughs or cries I love the look in her eyes
But I know that my time soon too will come
And even though I’m a Gemini I’ll ask the stars in the sky
To let me dwell near Atlas in the Constellation of Taurus
So that when she eventually joins me up in that galaxy
I’ll recite her more poetry with an interstellar thesaurus
102 Unique Words
163 Total
Atlas A Taurus
When she almost died, I told the Taurus stars
“Give her back to me and take me instead”
So when she came to life I protected my wife
Knowing I had lot of work to compose ahead
I made a pact with the universe, my life for her–
So that I may go into the infinite cosmos first
Thus I immersed myself in prose and verse
To write my best even when I’m at my worst
Ever since I’ve spit mad bars looking up at the stars
Declaring my love even if I’m sounding silly or dumb
Whether she laughs or cries I love the look in her eyes
But I know that my time soon too will come
And even though I’m a Gemini I’ll ask the stars in the sky
To let me dwell near Atlas in the Constellation of Taurus
So that when she eventually joins me up in that galaxy
I’ll recite her more poetry with an interstellar thesaurus
102 Unique Words
163 Total
Prompt #5
Terrenes
Rarely had real life stars
guiding me as I maturated
from a curious boy to
confusion then awake
1 or 2 along each decade
Or so pointing out
a lane, not necessarily
THE PATH
However, the beacon
lighthouse at a jetty’s
end always ever there
Mom
(and her Mom)
Both candles
wicks to short to keep lit
cremated
their wit & wisdom
cemented
I like to believe I can capture
a glimpse, a wisp of
a soft chuckle between
breezes – cool to my cheek
almost forcing me to smile
71 unique words
Terrenes
Rarely had real life stars
guiding me as I maturated
from a curious boy to
confusion then awake
1 or 2 along each decade
Or so pointing out
a lane, not necessarily
THE PATH
However, the beacon
lighthouse at a jetty’s
end always ever there
Mom
(and her Mom)
Both candles
wicks to short to keep lit
cremated
their wit & wisdom
cemented
I like to believe I can capture
a glimpse, a wisp of
a soft chuckle between
breezes – cool to my cheek
almost forcing me to smile
71 unique words
Prompt # 25
Deneb Cygnus
Sky Tonight
It’s an app on my phone
And every chance I get to use it
I watch the stars with speechless wonder
I point it at the night sky
The names of distant stars light up
The drawings come to life
And old mythological characters take shape
I think about our own lives
What impression we will leave for others
And if after we’re gone
Will they tell our stories?
Just like those
We still see out there in the universe
66 Unique Words
82 Total
Deneb Cygnus
Sky Tonight
It’s an app on my phone
And every chance I get to use it
I watch the stars with speechless wonder
I point it at the night sky
The names of distant stars light up
The drawings come to life
And old mythological characters take shape
I think about our own lives
What impression we will leave for others
And if after we’re gone
Will they tell our stories?
Just like those
We still see out there in the universe
66 Unique Words
82 Total
Prompt #7
Cloaked Penumbra
It was often true that I had trouble sleeping
in my youth, closing my eyes meant
monsters already present
or entering my room, my dreams
I unwillingly have to entertain
The dark, I’ve never truly been afraid of
there’s a kind of beauty within
absence of nearly all light
today it’s almost as if I can see in the dark
so have I overcome the darkness
of the night? Maybe.
Maybe not as I still have trouble sleeping
but not because I’m afraid
to lower my eyelids.
Cloaked Penumbra
It was often true that I had trouble sleeping
in my youth, closing my eyes meant
monsters already present
or entering my room, my dreams
I unwillingly have to entertain
The dark, I’ve never truly been afraid of
there’s a kind of beauty within
absence of nearly all light
today it’s almost as if I can see in the dark
so have I overcome the darkness
of the night? Maybe.
Maybe not as I still have trouble sleeping
but not because I’m afraid
to lower my eyelids.
Prompt # 26
Sirius Canis Major
Across the sea of time
Stars burn bright
Telling the stories of ancient beings
Beginnings
They tell tales in a language unknown
They were here before us
They will be here after us
And their light will keep moving on
Long after we are gone
In the vastness of space
They have been beacons of light
Guiding us through seas
Through mountains and deserts
Leading us in dark times
50 Unique Words
69 Total
Sirius Canis Major
Across the sea of time
Stars burn bright
Telling the stories of ancient beings
Beginnings
They tell tales in a language unknown
They were here before us
They will be here after us
And their light will keep moving on
Long after we are gone
In the vastness of space
They have been beacons of light
Guiding us through seas
Through mountains and deserts
Leading us in dark times
50 Unique Words
69 Total
Prompt # 27
Polaris Ursa Major
We might short ourselves
if we don’t dream big
after all
some things are more achievable than others
because if we don’t really challenge ourselves
what happens when what we once thought was impossible
becomes too easy?
it’s up to us
to set those standards a little higher
so that every achievable milestone
will motivate us
and propels us forward
why stop at the moon
when our eyes are fixed on the stars
59 Unique Words
73 Total
Polaris Ursa Major
We might short ourselves
if we don’t dream big
after all
some things are more achievable than others
because if we don’t really challenge ourselves
what happens when what we once thought was impossible
becomes too easy?
it’s up to us
to set those standards a little higher
so that every achievable milestone
will motivate us
and propels us forward
why stop at the moon
when our eyes are fixed on the stars
59 Unique Words
73 Total
Prompt # 28
Procyon B Canis Minor
For billions and billions of years they burn
Their light traveling across the vastness of space
But when a star eventually runs out of energy
An fated adaptation then takes place
If a star is big enough it will shed its outer layer
Becoming a white dwarf with a dense fading core
If its really big it will explode into a supernova
Leaving behind a neutron star, or
If it’s massive enough
It will collapse into a black hole
Where light cannot escape
Dark as if there is no soul
Stars won’t go to sleep
They make a transformation that’s vital
Sometimes quietly
Sometimes violently
Marking a spectacular end to their life cycle
83 Unique Words
113 Total
Procyon B Canis Minor
For billions and billions of years they burn
Their light traveling across the vastness of space
But when a star eventually runs out of energy
An fated adaptation then takes place
If a star is big enough it will shed its outer layer
Becoming a white dwarf with a dense fading core
If its really big it will explode into a supernova
Leaving behind a neutron star, or
If it’s massive enough
It will collapse into a black hole
Where light cannot escape
Dark as if there is no soul
Stars won’t go to sleep
They make a transformation that’s vital
Sometimes quietly
Sometimes violently
Marking a spectacular end to their life cycle
83 Unique Words
113 Total
Prompt # 29
Altair Aquila
Under the ocean waves there is a garden
With sea anemones glowing like galaxies
Corals shimmer with a celestial light
In distant constellations
as if they were stars
Starfish float above quiet wandering moons
Jellyfish drift in the current of silence and time
Illuminating paths like space dust amidst rifts
While bioluminescent fish flicker
as if they were stars
The ocean floor is filled with hidden treasures
Resembling the brilliance of the night sky
The sea reflects the mystery of the cosmos
Like a universe full of wonders
as if they were stars
63 Unique Words
93 Total
Altair Aquila
Under the ocean waves there is a garden
With sea anemones glowing like galaxies
Corals shimmer with a celestial light
In distant constellations
as if they were stars
Starfish float above quiet wandering moons
Jellyfish drift in the current of silence and time
Illuminating paths like space dust amidst rifts
While bioluminescent fish flicker
as if they were stars
The ocean floor is filled with hidden treasures
Resembling the brilliance of the night sky
The sea reflects the mystery of the cosmos
Like a universe full of wonders
as if they were stars
63 Unique Words
93 Total
Prompt #17
Coadunate
During my wee early hours
only din of an Owl
keeping company
meditating on what (my)
life means with respect
to interconnectedness
of all life everywhere
not just earth
I thought maybe purpose
perhaps kindness
leaving a legacy behind
tracing a mark
in cosmic dust
after zazen
and much consideration
I’ve decided the meaning
of everything, everyone
is Universal Love:
to do, to think, to feel
to be
Coadunate
During my wee early hours
only din of an Owl
keeping company
meditating on what (my)
life means with respect
to interconnectedness
of all life everywhere
not just earth
I thought maybe purpose
perhaps kindness
leaving a legacy behind
tracing a mark
in cosmic dust
after zazen
and much consideration
I’ve decided the meaning
of everything, everyone
is Universal Love:
to do, to think, to feel
to be
Prompt #30
Milky Way
We are cosmic dust
Part of the original creation
We are made of stars and planets
And everything spread across the great canvas
Compiled into sentient beings with the capacity to love
We are children of the universe
Descendants of galaxies and constellations
Waiting to join our brothers and sisters in the sky
While our eyes will be filled with awe and wonder
And until that fateful day
We’ll watch the stars here at home
Here, on the Milky Way
57 Unique Words
80 Total
Milky Way
We are cosmic dust
Part of the original creation
We are made of stars and planets
And everything spread across the great canvas
Compiled into sentient beings with the capacity to love
We are children of the universe
Descendants of galaxies and constellations
Waiting to join our brothers and sisters in the sky
While our eyes will be filled with awe and wonder
And until that fateful day
We’ll watch the stars here at home
Here, on the Milky Way
57 Unique Words
80 Total
