2024 Official DUP NaPoWriMo Challenge

FOUNDERS: Ahavati & JohnnyBlaze
HOSTS: Team NaPo'24

This Challenge is ONLY for those who registered between March 01 - 31st in the Speakeasy. All other posts will be removed, including any comment, banter, and particularly drama. You may ask questions or comment in the 2024 NaPo Discussion thread located at the link below:

https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/forum/speakeasy/read/12738/

TEAM NAPO'24: Ahavati, cabcool, SummerRain75, wallyroo92, LunaGreyhawk, wafflenose, Fiftysevenhours, DaisyGrace, Mel44, Webmiss, JohnnyBlaze ( Director Emeritus )

Welcome to the DUP Official Glo/NaPoWriMo 2024! Those who finish this challenge will receive honorable mentions on Facebook and Instagram along with a TROPHEEE! custom designed by Webmiss!

This competition is for NaPoWriMo registrants ONLY. All other posts will be removed.

THE RULES!

An accumulation of 3 Strikes will result in your Disqualification. You will receive 1 Strike for failing to correct certain Rule Violations in an entry within 24 hours of its posting. We will not warn you to correct anything. You are monitoring yourself. Pay attention to our Daily updates to know If you have any Strikes or were Disqualified.

Our advice? Partner up with others who can check your entries for Guideline violations and immediately notify you of such. If you follow these rules, you won't earn a single Strike.

Only one poem per day can only be posted from 12:01 AM and 11:59 PM in your time zone starting April 1st --- before or after will earn you 1 Strike. You will create 30 posts numbered #1 through #30 regardless of when and if any late postings occur.

Your entries must have its number on top corresponding to the date of its posting, then a title in bold text, and lastly the body of your poem. Example:

#1

Poem Title

Poem
body

After 24 hours of posting, if there is:
No number ( or the incorrect number ) = 1 Strike
No title in bold text ( or no title ) = 1 Strike
Number, title, & poem out of order = 1 Strike
Notes other than the "unique word count" ( which is optional ) or the copyright symbol ® posted after the poem = 1 Strike

Theoretically, you could earn more than 3 Strikes from one poorly executed Entry and be Disqualified.

Entries cannot be edited after 24 hours of posting. Forum Time Stamps tell us if and when you have edited. An edit occurring after 24 hours can result in a Disqualification.

• Entries Must Be Pasted Into The Forum Direct Linking is prohibited.

• Poetry, Not Prose Entries must be in the format of lines and stanzas, not sentences and paragraphs. How "poetic" your entry is IS A NON-ISSUE.

• No Erotica Allowed Simply do not attempt to post erotica and you will be safe! Do not use language prompting the reader to imagine a sexual encounter. Do not make references or allusions to human body parts with intent to sexually arouse the reader.

• Entries Must Be In English

• No Images or Videos can accompany your entries.

Double Posting When Late We encourage you to complete poems ahead of schedule in the event you are prevented from writing and posting by an unexpected event such as a personal crisis, power or Internet failure, etc.

Follow this protocol upon your return: post a maximum of 2 poems per date until you are caught up. At the very top of each late post, attach a brief explanation stating why you are posting late whatever reason it may be. Example:

#10

Poem Title

Poem
body

#11

Poem Title

Poem
body

*Posting late due to no internet.


• Strike if your late post(s) do not include an excuse.

50 Unique Word Rule

The body of each poem must contain a minimum of 50 "unique" words. You can repeat any word as many times as you wish, but it only counts as 1 unique word. You are allowed to make up your own words. Titles and quotes of other writers are not included in your unique word count. If you provide the number of unique words in your entry, please type it AFTER the poem is finished.

What counts as 1 unique word: Contractions | Ampersands | One letter words such as "a" or "I" | Numbers such as "4" | Hyphenated words such as "sugar-free" | Power words such as "Freedom"  

If you don't have a minimum of 50 unique words after 24 hours of posting, this will result in 1 Strike.

One Violation of this particular rule can result in you not receiving the Trophy.

Errors & Inconsistencies ( Typos, Grammar, Punctuation, etc ) This is not a competition to see who can write a technically accurate poem. You may submit more polished versions of your entries to your personal DUP portfolios or other comps at any time.

Multiple Accounts If you are actively posting at DUP with multiple accounts not publicly disclosed in ALL of your profiles + forum signatures per site guidelines, you will be notified AFTER the competition that you were Disqualified. We do not reward individuals who secretly use additional memberships at DUP to exploit others.

Using Previously Written Ideas For Poems You may convert any written idea into a poem for entry if you wrote it down digitally or old school in a notebook and did not perform any further work on it. In essence, you may use any poem you "started" and it is only during April 1st - 30th that you may "finish" said poems.

If you paused during the "note-making" - i.e were interrupted or answered Nature's call - the note remains valid.

If you returned to the "note-making" after performing a chore or relaxing, then the note is no longer valid. You cannot consult the written version and must start writing it again from scratch during April.

Off Topic & Drama Posts will be removed from the Registration / Discussion thread. Only poem entries are to be posted to the NaPo challenge thread and NaPo Prompt Comp thread.

Acceptable Entries & Writing Prompts We provide prompts available in the NaPo Prompt Comp competition likewise beginning on April 1st.

Otherwise, you do have complete freedom to write about anything you want! You will not be disqualified based on content or quality - with the exceptions of Erotica, which is not allowed, and Plagiarism; if we discover that you are swapping words in pre-existing poems or copying partial to entire poems, you will be notified AFTER the competition that you were Disqualified.

PLEASE use common sense. Your poetry, unpolished or otherwise, is a reflection of the overall talent being fostered by DUP. We would hate to see outside readers, potential members, or even publishers turned away by material meant to garner attention purely from shock value. Don't be a shock jock.

Final Award Check After the FINAL entry is submitted on April 30th, Ahavati and the Directors will double check entries to ensure viability. It only takes 1 ineligible entry to negate your acquisition of the trophy, so be certain your work adheres to the Rules!

A special THANK YOU! to all braving this challenge! Particularly to our Team members for donating their valuable time to assist us in making this the most SPECTACULAR NaPo ever!

Sincerely Good Writing To All,

Team NaPo ‘24

1/30

to you who keeps my skin in a mason jar ~

grey skinned man
with your baby bird bones
sheltering
a warzone
in which you cannot win
{i
have known no peace}
unarmed
& late to the front ~
… already invaded,
halfway conquered
before we began …
we slept
while it lay siege
ever so silently
digging a trench
thru you
from the bottom up
as tho it intends
to devour you
whole
& so i write this
while you're
slowly dying
//

1/30

Profiting From Fear

boomtown pandemic
everything sold
with fear
old con men
new opportunities
targeted

vulnerabilities
nothing off limits
when it comes to
creating easy money
no missed oppertunity
taking a mark

its about
feeding these anxieties
pressing buttons
that rip past
protective barriers
normally in place

your friendly
neighbourhood
virus
unlocks reason
making the perfect
21st century victim

Unique  Word Count 56
[

1/30

The Myth of Human Decency

Case the heart as you make love like war
Make yourself at home at another’s ground zero
When all you do for anyone else is self its for
When the villain masquerades as the victims hero

Ambush, striking in ways unexpected
Wounds exploited with eyes infected
All you see is everything through the lens of your own scars
As if the blood you shed is what makes you who you are

Ego tripping, the acquired taste
Paraphernalia made of a liars friends
Gold hearts gone to waste
The user thrives on the means to their own ends

Compensations of medicated inadequacy
Leaching off of the thunder of another’s tragedy

Getting off on disease to sell yourself like you’re the cure
When your ways are just as much the affliction
Like a social cancer infiltrating the host
When attention is the hearts’ addiction

Loose lips slander in the ways of a yenta
When gossip proceeds from the mouth like the birth of deaths placenta

Starting fires and adding to the furnace of your own hell
When bitterness challenges compassion
I’m torn between wishing you dead or well
When the soul is ugly as the fads of the world’s unseen fashion

Reminding myself we battle not against flesh and blood
I guess it’s just the devil in your eyes
When crocodile tears are a toxic flood
I swim against the temptation to resign you to my own despise

You have a way it seems of echoing poison sentiments
When kindred demons scavenger like the wolf of a familiar narcissist
Black hole plagues playing tug of war as we reckon with this gravity
This detestable heartache of resisted vengeance follows in the way of such depravity

No stones to cast when the worst in others is the propensity of ourselves
Who do you hate but the mirror when it’s a reflection that you see
Even if it’s not full grown we all bear the burden of our own humanity…

1/30

I Was Afraid

Preceding experiences, traumatic and unkind
choosing hope over fear, never resigned
spiritual journey meant to emprise

Consideration for perceptual illusions
prohibiting an unquiet mind’s intrusions
as thoughts are often boldfaced lies   

Resolute, upon a prophetic mission
steadfast, firmly holding position
promising future, intended to realise

Leaning into discomfort and pain
disallowing its tyrannical reign
in solitude and reflection, I am wise

Assuredly battered yet never broken
distant memories, leaving unspoken
internal perspective to revise

No more oppressive shackles to abide
growing strength adorned with pride
subsequent escape from that which ties

Out of overwhelming shame into the light
vast wings expanded, taking flight
just as a phoenix, from ashes I will rise

1/30

Deepest & Farthest

Rain from a gateway
A greatness
of grey
Falls
of
crystals
into
names of flames

Having their way
in the way
A
stature
of
nature

Seems to say: This life shall be/lead by knife
Stab your way/into your way
A delight of light
Slashed-across the shiny metal surface
Unwinding in reminders
Connected
in
reflections

Dreaming into streams beneath the wild wind’s projections

Blood covering floods
of
darkness

Meeting
depths
of
discovery: Deepest

&

Farthest

#1

Midnight Snack

Ham and Swiss on rye
with romaine lettuce,
slices of fresh tomato,
spread with yellow mustard
or the brown, pretentious kind,
lastly a dollop of mayo
turkey can be just as sublime
tummy rumbling
as the pen traverses the page
no mind the hour
or actually acting my age
I succumb to tastebuds
irresistible power
so, it's off to the fridge
alert saliva gland prods
to prepare and consume
the true food of the gods.

Unique word count: 61

#1

On Peace

The world looks on
As humanity crumbles
Senseless death
Unjustified killings
Imposed hunger

What have become
Of the human race
Hearts have turned cold
At the sight of injustice
Uncaring, indifferent

When will the world act
Upon such insolence
And disrespect for human life
And wake up
From its deep slumber

Perhaps it takes history
To repeat itself
Before we realized
That we have failed again
In keeping Peace on earth

1/30

There was no light

I used to write moon and stars sometimes
infrequently adorned the evening sun
engraved verses with the feet of butterflies
And also rained clouds on yawning words

I dreamed, and the eyes got misty
The eyelids opened and the fantasies remained asleep
new moon landed in my yard
A procession of stars came in tattered clothes

The person who till now lived like an umbrage is now gone
the one who was circulating in my  veins left me in predicament
He had glass ears, unable to hear reality
He saw stones in the beads of the rosary

who did not have land started to become landlord
Abyssal water also started to be carried in the pocket
Blankets were stolen from the body in full December
even started occupying the sidewalk when  needed a home…

1/30

Poemorama

There’s a cranky old poetry machine
tucked away in the back of my head.
It hasn’t been running well, of late,
only firing up in short, infrequent bursts
as a last-resort grasp at clarity
when emotions have become too tangled.
It has suffered from disuse,
its metaphors jammed,
flow revving unevenly in halting, coughing word-bursts.

Today I’m pulling it from the shed and
gently blowing off the dust.
I’ll gingerly test each lever and pulley,
searching for semblance of rhythm and rhyme,
replacing spark plugs of inspiration,
hoping that love or fury will ignite
to burn out the sludge of apathy.

As the machinery sputters back to life,
I’ll haul it down to the underground,
gathering with fellow poets there.
We’ll admire each other’s poetry machines –
the well-seasoned antiques,
the apprehensive newer models,
some shiny and purring,
others bedraggled and choking like mine.

Together in our own thirty day exhibition,
we’ll polish,
appreciate,
tinker
and encourage,
overhauling language engines
to gleaming consistency
in a camaraderie of ink-stained hands.

1/30

Game Night

these pieces
are perplexing
puzzling
glyphs with
jigsaw edges

each decision
made with
precision
can I envision
the final
image

the picture
is revealed
wedge by wedge
jammed together
sorting edges
from the rest

playing with colors
alignment required
becoming clearer
piece by piece

the canvas
confesses that
it’s lost some
segments
along the way

but it hasn’t
forgotten
how to be
completed
or how to
bring us joy

on game night




UWC: 61

1/30

ON DAY ONE

On day one it starts with a big flurry
a sense of angst — how do it or not?
thirty days to play, so no worry

The brain searches for a theme, a story
a developing idea, a plot
the day is starting in a hungry flurry

Some like it hot, they reach for the curry
and burning their words, rewrite the whole lot -
thirty ways to amaze, so no worry

Stray words lie buried, must be dug from a quarry
they're looking for lines in which they can slot ...
they start on day one in a tight flurry

Smart words are slick and flowing like slurry
they bury the mind in a stew like a shot:
thirty ways to unfaze, so no worry

And when I am tired, eyes are all blurry
lost in a dream, not knowing what’s what
recalling although it starts in a flurry
I’ve thirty days to upstage, so no worry.

1 of 30


migratory miracle


it is it's own precious gift
the migration
eagerly witnessed by many
a soul healing vibration
the trill...the hum
an indescribable song
calming of thought
a delight simply to watch
as dance & courtships ensue
a momentary pause
before journey once more begins
& span of wings carry aloft
taking sacred song & moving on
& then the unexpected miracle
a rarity among the flock
a single singer unlike the rest
a special beauty
standing out
simply by being

#1 of 30

Can’t Fool Me?

I felt like a fool.
All the rage of the age of technology
But I felt nothing stir within
Just Mirrors, Projectors, and Lights.
And I,
seemed to see past
the technicolour cast;
the Wizard behind the curtain
with a high degree of certain,
that it is all a fake facade.
That it is all a show upon a stage
But One is not amused,
or fooled by the magics.
And simply looking for the exit.

(Unique Words: 52)

1/30

A Single Breath

a thick copse of trees
stands quietly, just beyond
the well-worn and overgrown
path behind my house;
trees, moss, greenery;
foliage and flowers;
exploding fungal bloom
and brown-stalked sentinels
keep careful watch over the
dense, wooded kingdom;
smiling beams of Spring
sunlight reach for the forest floor
in sparse patches of bright,
vibrant incandescence;
my secrets are safe here