Poetry competition CLOSED 26th October 2019 8:18am
WINNER
HowlingWhelms (Noire)
HowlingWhelms (Noire)
RUNNERS-UP:
_shadoe_
and The_Silly_Sibyl
Poem of the Month October 2019
Dark Love, Sleepless Night
( a double Sonnet )
I stand before this soul of mourning stars
That drift within the bound’ries of my heart.
To ever show the light my open scars,
And keep desire stilled when we’re apart.
To separate the nature of my pain
While even in a crowd I am alone.
Forbidden tears ignite and fall as rain,
But never will they see a love that’s flown.
Determined, the inclusion of my truth,
The heaven-sent of you is ever near.
And driven by the beauty of our youth,
A reckless, hopeful, carefree, happy year!
I only hope for love, I won’t pretend.
To have it for a day, to never end.
It was the moon that overflowed with milk,
And kept the atrium of night awake.
While pouring out my grief in shades of silk,
You looked on mockingly then turned away.
A chrysalis, I bled with every sting,
A deity, the dignity you bore.
And yet, from pillars of each broken wing,
I heard you weep across a barren shore.
A morning rise of oranges from a tree,
The moon becomes an apple as it sets.
Below, among the shells of sand’s debris,
The stillborn tides of day will soon forget.
When love is dark it blends in with the night,
So when love cannot sleep the moon is bright.
Written by Jade-Pandora
(jade tiger)
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A letter to my lover.
Dearest, V.
We've both lived to see another day.
When it'll stop..
I just don't know.
Perhaps, it will be a brighter day, darling.
Yesterday, I had a bad case of the "mean reds” I'm afraid.
It's a slippery slope into the emptiness, my dear.
I pull my trench coat tighter over my shoulders..
..hurry down the alleyway and turn a sharp corner.
A puddle splashes behind me.
Is there a man lurking in the shadows?
The overhead sign for the HILTON hotel flashes a bright neon red.
Clouds loom in the distance.
A violent flash of lightening.
Thick, fat dollops begin to wet my face.
I decide to check into a suite for the evening.
I stand in the lobby chatting pleasantries with the concierge.
"We'll send the bellhop to bring your luggage up, if necessary, ma'am."
"Thank you. That won't be necessary."
"Would you be requiring anything else ma'am?"
"Is the kitchen still open? I'd love to have a bottle of chilled wine sent up."
"Room service is 24 hours ma'am. The beverage menu is on the reading desk in your room."
"Thank you, darling, you've been ever so helpful."
I head upstairs in the elevator.
I have arrived.
The room is cold.
Pitch black.
The whir of the heater hums softy.
The floor is an shiny, ink marble tiling.
My heels click beneath me.
I switch on the light.
There is a pretty bouquet of bright orange amaryllis..
that sits elegantly on the glass mantel.
The bed itself has a swan shaped towel arrangement..
and a mint.
Heavy, plush purple curtains stuffed into gold roped hold-backs..
line the large windows.
The rain gently throbs against it's panes.
The room is completely still.
..except for the sound of my breathing.
I walk into the bathroom.
The crystal, clear orbs decorate the vanity.
The bulbs omit a soft flicker once turned on.
I rotate the knobs right and then left..
fiddling with the water pressure.
I empty the contents of the lavender bubble bath into the tub.
The scent of floral fill my nostrils..
..and I sigh, calmly.
It feels soothing in here.
..like a small haven of temporary reprieve..
from the trials of tomorrow.
The silver stained gillespie contains a basket of potpourri in the corner.
I strip off my clothing piece by piece.
Gently..
.. I fold my lace undergarments and dress on top of the towel rack.
I stare at my reflection completely naked in the mirror.
I am beautiful..
..or so they say.
I dip my rose colored polished toe over the ledge..
and swirl..
..the bubbles around with my foot.
There is a knock on the door..
..disturbing me from my thoughts.
Hastily..
I tie on the thick, cotton rob hanging from the wooden hanger in the hall closet..
..around my waist.
The door swings open and there he stands before me.
The waiter.
He puts the wine in a polished, silver bucket by the television stand.
I take a couple purple notes from my wallet..
..and tip him handsomely.
His smile is wide..
..exposing his large two gaped front teeth.
His eyes are a hazelnut brown.
They seem genuine..enough.
He thanks me and lingers for a moment..
..before wheeling his cart away.
Does he wonder why I'm spending the night drinking alone?
Would he like to join me?
I turn the latch until it clicks shut.
Once again, the only sound..
..is my steadfast breathing.
In and out.
The quiet becomes unnerving.
I turn on Spotify.
Cat Stevens whispers:
"I listen to the wind..to the wind of my soul.."
I carry the wine back into the bathroom.
The words trail behind me.
"Will I end up where I think..only God really knows."
I shrug off my robe.
I forgo the glasses by the sink and sip from bottle head.
I pour the ice directly into the bath.
The bucket clangs on the hard floor.
The loud, thunderous sound sets off an eerie echo.
The ice pellets slosh to the bottom of the tub..
..sending trickles of hot steam into the air.
Everything is perfect.
In this fragment of time.
I switch over to the playlist I want to hear.
Led Zeppelin croons out of the speakers:
"I was her love.. she was my Queen..and now a thousand years between."
I lay down in the water, craning the bottle between my thighs.
Absorbing the silky words.
Taking them all the way in.
Filling my soul..
..with something or other.
Is it joy?
"Tangerine..tangerine..living reflection of a dream."
I swig back large gulps of wine.
The frayed ends of the peel- and-stick lilac wallpaper..
are all I can focus my eyes on.
The lines taunt me.
My phone vibrates.
I ignore it.
Joni Mitchell's voice floats into the midst above.
Casting her light from the ceiling..
like a beacon shining down on me.
"I'm selfish and I'm sad..now I've gone and lost the best baby I've ever had."
I reach out for my purse on the toilet lid.
Two little blue pills ought to do it.
I twist off the cap and dump them out..
into my sweaty palm.
Bubbles fly over the rim from my sudden jerk..
The water swishes back and forth in waves.
"Do not take more than one" the pharmacist lectures me.
My neck tilts back.
I swallow the leftover six.
Just to be safe.
"For unless they see the sky.. but they can't and that is why."
John Elton sings over his piano.
I can see him.. in a vision.
His eyes dancing behind his spectacles.
"They know not if it's dark outside or light."
There is a bitter taste..
that has lodged itself..
like a sticky ball of phlegm..
into the back of my throat.
I wait.
Patiently.
In a trance.
The walls begin to hiss and vibrate.
My heart hurts.
My arms fall flat and I cannot seem to raise them up again.
Cold sweats shake my bones somethin' fierce.
I cough.
I heave.
I spit into the warm water.
The chalkiness won't leave it's mark on my tongue.
Slowly yet surely..
the familiar darkness sweeps over.
My eyes fade into black.
Lifeless.
Then the voices begin to purr sweetly.
Coaxing me nearer.. deeper into the void.
"I'm not letting you go."
Yours,
LostGirl
Written by LostGirl18
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Anonymous
<< post removed >>
Related submission no longer exists.
Related submission no longer exists.
Related submission no longer exists.
Seasonal Starwars
As the rain started
I thought of dashing for the car
and the umbrella in the boot,
annoyed by windscreen condensation.
You tried not to blink
and walked like a bouncer
giving the sky an evil eye.
You then drew a smiley face on your window.
As snowflakes fell
I thought of salt
and clearing driveways,
wondering if I would get to work in the morning.
You tried to catch each crystal,
first like a goalkeeper,
then in your mouth.
Your breakfast footprints were first in the garden.
As the wind rattled the house
I thought of buckled fences
and blown over rubbish bins,
with a screwed up face I tried to tie it all down.
You raised a school coat sail
and skateboarded up the hill,
then with your cape flapping
you looked down, scouring the city for criminals.
As the sun became unbearable
I thought of factor 30
and finding shade,
complaining about the heat and sweating.
You waged water pistol wars
filling balloons at the outside tap.
squealing round the garden
being chased in just your underpants.
Now you have children of your own
and worry about, umbrellas, factor 30
and blown over rubbish,
I'm old and want to make the most of my days,
each season skips by like hours on a clock face.
You're taking me home
for our usual Sunday lunch,
driving into heavy snow
but I’m sitting in a star-field
piloting an X-wing and
about to make the jump to hyperspace.
I thought of dashing for the car
and the umbrella in the boot,
annoyed by windscreen condensation.
You tried not to blink
and walked like a bouncer
giving the sky an evil eye.
You then drew a smiley face on your window.
As snowflakes fell
I thought of salt
and clearing driveways,
wondering if I would get to work in the morning.
You tried to catch each crystal,
first like a goalkeeper,
then in your mouth.
Your breakfast footprints were first in the garden.
As the wind rattled the house
I thought of buckled fences
and blown over rubbish bins,
with a screwed up face I tried to tie it all down.
You raised a school coat sail
and skateboarded up the hill,
then with your cape flapping
you looked down, scouring the city for criminals.
As the sun became unbearable
I thought of factor 30
and finding shade,
complaining about the heat and sweating.
You waged water pistol wars
filling balloons at the outside tap.
squealing round the garden
being chased in just your underpants.
Now you have children of your own
and worry about, umbrellas, factor 30
and blown over rubbish,
I'm old and want to make the most of my days,
each season skips by like hours on a clock face.
You're taking me home
for our usual Sunday lunch,
driving into heavy snow
but I’m sitting in a star-field
piloting an X-wing and
about to make the jump to hyperspace.
Written by Razzerleaf
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Anonymous
<< post removed >>
The winner of this competition and any runners up were decided by public vote.
Thank you to the following members for voting:
AEMelia564, Stoney223, AspergerPoet56, ImperfectedStone, Billy_Snagg, Trouble_Loves_Me, JusTim_, LunaGreyhawk, Miss_Sub, Tenderloin, PlaydateWithFire, Eerie, Heaven_sent_Kathy, Tallen, Unredeemed, PoetsRevenge, LobodeSanPedro, slipalong, Brando, Rachelleundrgrd, Hepcat61, Ahavati, JohnnyBlaze, Countrygirl96, nutbuster, crimsin, Razzerleaf, eswaller, crystalcolumz, FromTheAsh, butters, nikkimoe, Calligraphee, Graceful, Fiftysevenhours, wallyroo92, SweetKittyCat5, badmalthus, admin
Thank you to the following members for voting:
AEMelia564, Stoney223, AspergerPoet56, ImperfectedStone, Billy_Snagg, Trouble_Loves_Me, JusTim_, LunaGreyhawk, Miss_Sub, Tenderloin, PlaydateWithFire, Eerie, Heaven_sent_Kathy, Tallen, Unredeemed, PoetsRevenge, LobodeSanPedro, slipalong, Brando, Rachelleundrgrd, Hepcat61, Ahavati, JohnnyBlaze, Countrygirl96, nutbuster, crimsin, Razzerleaf, eswaller, crystalcolumz, FromTheAsh, butters, nikkimoe, Calligraphee, Graceful, Fiftysevenhours, wallyroo92, SweetKittyCat5, badmalthus, admin
The winning poem is ________ by HowlingWhelms (nominated by Brando).
werbepause xvii ~ {blood consciousness ii} by _shadoe_ (nominated by Tallen) and simple furnishings by The_Silly_Sibyl (nominated by Miss_Sub) are the runners up.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who nominated and/or voted.
werbepause xvii ~ {blood consciousness ii} by _shadoe_ (nominated by Tallen) and simple furnishings by The_Silly_Sibyl (nominated by Miss_Sub) are the runners up.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who nominated and/or voted.
