Poetry competition CLOSED 3rd February 2013 7:12am
WINNER
LeColonel
LeColonel
RUNNER-UP:
Redcrystal
The Beast Inside
Poetry Contest Description
Which member of the animal kingdom do you feel describes you or resonates with you, and how?
- Get descriptive. Get metaphorical.
- Mythological animals acceptable.
- Does not have to be a new composition.
-1 entry per poet
- Queen of the Wolves -
Based on some of my past-life memories…
Part One: The Cavern
In the mountains of the primeval past, amidst rough crags,
There was a cave in which none dared to tread with spirit.
For the ice was oft thick about it, and as it melts and sags,
It runs as chill as frozen blood, causing the bold to fear it…
But worse still, all men said, was she who dwelt deep within.
Men can be fools, for the flee in terror from a mighty lady!
A shaman queen so great, that she knew all of a man’s sin.
Her eyes could pierce the flesh to the soul, and therein see!
And so I, a woman, came to seek her wisdom in that age…
Fleeing the lands of my birth, to come unto that lofty place,
Leaving behind me men, their lusts, their hungers, their rage.
I sought a woman who was my equal, in beauty and grace!
Part Two: The Queen
As I neared the cave I could hear wolves howling so shrill,
From someplace distant yet near, and they sounded fierce!
I thought mayhap they might fall upon me, meaning to kill…
But though they drew close, they were wiser in their years,
Than many men who had done me harm; and so I entered:
I came into the cave, where the great shaman queen ruled.
Many warm fires kept the place of power hotly centered…
Far from the chill outside, and where the flames so cooled,
A great throne of animal bones was set upon a rocky base.
Upon it was she, in a blackest gown, of the finest material,
Adorned with a wolf pelt cloak, a serene look on her face.
Wearing a crown of antlers, she was beautiful and terrible!
Part Three: The Lesson
Raven was her hair, as was my own in that long ago era…
And, I was enchanted: by her icy blue eyes, also like mine.
She could have been my twin sister, that cunning bearer…
Of arts that no common wisdom could find to be sublime!
Yet I found them so, and I became her willing apprentice.
For a single year I remained in her deep home, learning…
I was also her lover, and she taught me such arts of bliss,
Which only women understand, deeper passions burning!
At the end of the year, she showed me a place outside…
Where the wolves gathered, in countless, roaming packs.
That place was in the open; there was nowhere to hide…
And I was still fearful of the wolves and possible attacks.
Part Four: The Power
The wolves bowed to the queen, as if of one intelligence,
And I knew not one would harm me whilst thusly bound.
She taught me, that wolves have their own dim brilliance,
Being not the awful beasts of legend, but more profound.
She knew the mind and the spirit of the wolf, most deep!
And I came to know it also, and I was moved to tears…
To think how men hunt them so cruel, their skins to keep.
All because of a lack of knowledge, and too many fears!
But I had no idea the power that the queen possessed…
When she directed them, to fall upon some local hunters.
The hunters were slain to a man, their shrieks distressed!
And human skins were taken: by the queen of the antlers.
Part Five: The Price
Those hunters once tried to ravish me, but wolves came,
Scaring them away so that I could keep my girlish virtue.
Today those men paid the ultimate price, none to blame,
For when men commit evil acts, nature will have its’ due.
I clasped the shaman queen’s hands later that evening…
During one final grand ritual: that she was about to teach.
And I saw through her eyes, commanding and gleaming!
She saw through mine, and I cried out as if to beseech…
But I realized that there was only me: the shaman queen.
The scared girl who feared the hunters was long gone…
I remembered being her, as if looking back on a dream!
Too many years alone in that cave, I left that very dawn.
Part Six: The Pact
Madness can be the price you pay for wisdom, but I…
Had broken free of it, and so I returned unto civilization.
My tormentors were dead, their bones beneath the sky!
I taught my tribe, the lore of wolves, amidst celebration.
In time, I took an apprentice and she became my lover:
She was a scared girl, as I was when I fled to that cave,
And I knew it was her spirit I did in my visions uncover.
When the time was nigh, to her my antler crown I gave!
I never took her to the cold place, of my old sojourn…
Never showed her the skins of those hunters long dead.
She was an innocent soul and had not the need to learn,
That nature is, sometimes, in tooth and claw: blood red.
Based on some of my past-life memories…
Part One: The Cavern
In the mountains of the primeval past, amidst rough crags,
There was a cave in which none dared to tread with spirit.
For the ice was oft thick about it, and as it melts and sags,
It runs as chill as frozen blood, causing the bold to fear it…
But worse still, all men said, was she who dwelt deep within.
Men can be fools, for the flee in terror from a mighty lady!
A shaman queen so great, that she knew all of a man’s sin.
Her eyes could pierce the flesh to the soul, and therein see!
And so I, a woman, came to seek her wisdom in that age…
Fleeing the lands of my birth, to come unto that lofty place,
Leaving behind me men, their lusts, their hungers, their rage.
I sought a woman who was my equal, in beauty and grace!
Part Two: The Queen
As I neared the cave I could hear wolves howling so shrill,
From someplace distant yet near, and they sounded fierce!
I thought mayhap they might fall upon me, meaning to kill…
But though they drew close, they were wiser in their years,
Than many men who had done me harm; and so I entered:
I came into the cave, where the great shaman queen ruled.
Many warm fires kept the place of power hotly centered…
Far from the chill outside, and where the flames so cooled,
A great throne of animal bones was set upon a rocky base.
Upon it was she, in a blackest gown, of the finest material,
Adorned with a wolf pelt cloak, a serene look on her face.
Wearing a crown of antlers, she was beautiful and terrible!
Part Three: The Lesson
Raven was her hair, as was my own in that long ago era…
And, I was enchanted: by her icy blue eyes, also like mine.
She could have been my twin sister, that cunning bearer…
Of arts that no common wisdom could find to be sublime!
Yet I found them so, and I became her willing apprentice.
For a single year I remained in her deep home, learning…
I was also her lover, and she taught me such arts of bliss,
Which only women understand, deeper passions burning!
At the end of the year, she showed me a place outside…
Where the wolves gathered, in countless, roaming packs.
That place was in the open; there was nowhere to hide…
And I was still fearful of the wolves and possible attacks.
Part Four: The Power
The wolves bowed to the queen, as if of one intelligence,
And I knew not one would harm me whilst thusly bound.
She taught me, that wolves have their own dim brilliance,
Being not the awful beasts of legend, but more profound.
She knew the mind and the spirit of the wolf, most deep!
And I came to know it also, and I was moved to tears…
To think how men hunt them so cruel, their skins to keep.
All because of a lack of knowledge, and too many fears!
But I had no idea the power that the queen possessed…
When she directed them, to fall upon some local hunters.
The hunters were slain to a man, their shrieks distressed!
And human skins were taken: by the queen of the antlers.
Part Five: The Price
Those hunters once tried to ravish me, but wolves came,
Scaring them away so that I could keep my girlish virtue.
Today those men paid the ultimate price, none to blame,
For when men commit evil acts, nature will have its’ due.
I clasped the shaman queen’s hands later that evening…
During one final grand ritual: that she was about to teach.
And I saw through her eyes, commanding and gleaming!
She saw through mine, and I cried out as if to beseech…
But I realized that there was only me: the shaman queen.
The scared girl who feared the hunters was long gone…
I remembered being her, as if looking back on a dream!
Too many years alone in that cave, I left that very dawn.
Part Six: The Pact
Madness can be the price you pay for wisdom, but I…
Had broken free of it, and so I returned unto civilization.
My tormentors were dead, their bones beneath the sky!
I taught my tribe, the lore of wolves, amidst celebration.
In time, I took an apprentice and she became my lover:
She was a scared girl, as I was when I fled to that cave,
And I knew it was her spirit I did in my visions uncover.
When the time was nigh, to her my antler crown I gave!
I never took her to the cold place, of my old sojourn…
Never showed her the skins of those hunters long dead.
She was an innocent soul and had not the need to learn,
That nature is, sometimes, in tooth and claw: blood red.
Anonymous
THE LEGEND OF KITTY or the EGYPTIAN CAT GODDESS
Bastet, the Cat Goddess of Health and Healing
Joy, music and dancing
Protected humans against pestilence
And evil spirits
Bastet expressed the qualities of the cat family
Beauty of movement, agility, strength
Caution, Fidelity, Pride, Protection
Oh Lady of the East, Goddess of the Rising Sun
You are both a Moon Goddess and a Sun Goddess
All in one - because of your eyes
Your all-seeing eyes see through the dark
Guardian Saint of Firefighters
Saving the lives of those in the house
Protector and friend of women and young children
Bastet protect others, as she protects her kittens
Finally Bastet was the original "sex kitten"
Her sensuality and fertility attested to that
She is feline and feminine, free to relax, never take life too seriously
Take many naps, luxuriates in beauty
Sways in graceful movement, independent of the opinions of others
Curled up in a circle, the cat is a symbol of the eternal.
Bastet, the Cat Goddess of Health and Healing
Joy, music and dancing
Protected humans against pestilence
And evil spirits
Bastet expressed the qualities of the cat family
Beauty of movement, agility, strength
Caution, Fidelity, Pride, Protection
Oh Lady of the East, Goddess of the Rising Sun
You are both a Moon Goddess and a Sun Goddess
All in one - because of your eyes
Your all-seeing eyes see through the dark
Guardian Saint of Firefighters
Saving the lives of those in the house
Protector and friend of women and young children
Bastet protect others, as she protects her kittens
Finally Bastet was the original "sex kitten"
Her sensuality and fertility attested to that
She is feline and feminine, free to relax, never take life too seriously
Take many naps, luxuriates in beauty
Sways in graceful movement, independent of the opinions of others
Curled up in a circle, the cat is a symbol of the eternal.
My Demon
My demon is coming out.
I can't help but shout.
I've kept it pushed down
For so fucking long.
But the more these emotions pour,
The louder it's fucking roar.
I can't keep it down any longer.
If he gets to the outer
World he'll rip me to fucking shreds.
He'll start ripping off heads.
He'll take over my fucking body
For the rest of eternity.
I've defeated him once before,
But he's coming back stronger.
I can't stop him again.
This time he'll win.
Now my body is his fucking shell,
And I'm burning in hell.
My demon is coming out.
I can't help but shout.
I've kept it pushed down
For so fucking long.
But the more these emotions pour,
The louder it's fucking roar.
I can't keep it down any longer.
If he gets to the outer
World he'll rip me to fucking shreds.
He'll start ripping off heads.
He'll take over my fucking body
For the rest of eternity.
I've defeated him once before,
But he's coming back stronger.
I can't stop him again.
This time he'll win.
Now my body is his fucking shell,
And I'm burning in hell.
Scorpion Confessions
Scorching day, frozen night, yet beneath the sand all is still
no hint of emotion, dark passion that burns volcanic beneath
Secrets kept, secrets cherished, and secrets protected, always
as much a part of me as the masque I wear, perfectly concealing
It’s not that my façade is a lie, just not the complete truth
for you see the dark ugliness is so very much more seducing
Yes, I color within the lines, follow all the rules, do my duty for now ...
a frayed conscience all that's between me and a capacity for great evil
Always equipped with my stinger, I can inflict pain and yes do relish it
whether I sting others or feel the barbed tip myself, perverted twisting
But deep within my veins courses a most deadly poison, so necrotic
It’s only thru spilling it on the virgin page that I am able to survive
Calling me complicated is too simplistic, barely scratches my veneer
I'm a black thorny knot that can bloody any fingers trying to untie it
So, relax, come closer, try to get to know me - but then only if you dare
just don't ever betray me and watch very closely upon where you tread
Scorching day, frozen night, yet beneath the sand all is still
no hint of emotion, dark passion that burns volcanic beneath
Secrets kept, secrets cherished, and secrets protected, always
as much a part of me as the masque I wear, perfectly concealing
It’s not that my façade is a lie, just not the complete truth
for you see the dark ugliness is so very much more seducing
Yes, I color within the lines, follow all the rules, do my duty for now ...
a frayed conscience all that's between me and a capacity for great evil
Always equipped with my stinger, I can inflict pain and yes do relish it
whether I sting others or feel the barbed tip myself, perverted twisting
But deep within my veins courses a most deadly poison, so necrotic
It’s only thru spilling it on the virgin page that I am able to survive
Calling me complicated is too simplistic, barely scratches my veneer
I'm a black thorny knot that can bloody any fingers trying to untie it
So, relax, come closer, try to get to know me - but then only if you dare
just don't ever betray me and watch very closely upon where you tread
I Am The Swan
She is standing alone, dressed all in white
Waterfalls of silk cascade over ivory skin
And raven black hair dances down her back
Come closer, my love.
You’re watching, entranced by her presence
Each effortless movement makes your heart race
And every lavish smile is drawing you in
Come closer, my love.
Under ash gray lashes her eyes meet yours
Exchanging a silent beckoning
As if in a trance, you cannot resist
Come closer, my love.
The world freezes, all sounds hush
As you make your way across the room
Rewarded by each step towards her
Come closer, my love.
Finally you are but inches apart
Your breath mingling in the air with hers
Her cherry red lips parted into a smile
Come closer, my love.
You’re in ecstasy as two mouths meet
Until an anguishing pain burns through your chest
Her elegant fist enclosing your heart
Too close, my love.
You’re falling into darkness
Know nothing but the tinkling sound of glass:
Her laughter, exploding as she watches you collapse
Too close, my love.
She will not release her iron grip
Until the heart in her hand lays still…
A vicious creature with beautiful packaging
Too close, my love, too close.
She is standing alone, dressed all in white
Waterfalls of silk cascade over ivory skin
And raven black hair dances down her back
Come closer, my love.
You’re watching, entranced by her presence
Each effortless movement makes your heart race
And every lavish smile is drawing you in
Come closer, my love.
Under ash gray lashes her eyes meet yours
Exchanging a silent beckoning
As if in a trance, you cannot resist
Come closer, my love.
The world freezes, all sounds hush
As you make your way across the room
Rewarded by each step towards her
Come closer, my love.
Finally you are but inches apart
Your breath mingling in the air with hers
Her cherry red lips parted into a smile
Come closer, my love.
You’re in ecstasy as two mouths meet
Until an anguishing pain burns through your chest
Her elegant fist enclosing your heart
Too close, my love.
You’re falling into darkness
Know nothing but the tinkling sound of glass:
Her laughter, exploding as she watches you collapse
Too close, my love.
She will not release her iron grip
Until the heart in her hand lays still…
A vicious creature with beautiful packaging
Too close, my love, too close.
untitles life : hitorini shinaide
brutal behavior brought her sadness,
loneliness and eternal tears.
she cried of abandonment and fear.
sitting apone the cold field..
seeing nothing but dark sky and
dusk of wind...
imagining life as a trapped bird
only to be released form the grip of evils hands.
to be scared of herself and what life may throw at her..
she cries.
"ikanaide!!!!"
shouts her soul
clinging onto her hair and scratching at her arms..
thinking of nights she would close her eyes,
wanting to spread her wings and fly away.
to tell herself to not exist.
like open roads and widened concepts of honesty.
"ikanaide!!!!!"
"hitorini shinaide!!!!!"
immobilized by the image she sees
taking of spirit in dancing trees.
take control of deadly fear
edge of life, death is near
whype your eyes, its will be over soon
and life will no longer see her
weep.
"carry me" shes speaks beyond heavenly god
feeling the pressure boil her out
exhausted she felt,
her knees grew weak,
one last step and she will fall
-kumiko Yamamoto
note- ikanaide-please don't go
hitorini shinaide - please don't leave me
brutal behavior brought her sadness,
loneliness and eternal tears.
she cried of abandonment and fear.
sitting apone the cold field..
seeing nothing but dark sky and
dusk of wind...
imagining life as a trapped bird
only to be released form the grip of evils hands.
to be scared of herself and what life may throw at her..
she cries.
"ikanaide!!!!"
shouts her soul
clinging onto her hair and scratching at her arms..
thinking of nights she would close her eyes,
wanting to spread her wings and fly away.
to tell herself to not exist.
like open roads and widened concepts of honesty.
"ikanaide!!!!!"
"hitorini shinaide!!!!!"
immobilized by the image she sees
taking of spirit in dancing trees.
take control of deadly fear
edge of life, death is near
whype your eyes, its will be over soon
and life will no longer see her
weep.
"carry me" shes speaks beyond heavenly god
feeling the pressure boil her out
exhausted she felt,
her knees grew weak,
one last step and she will fall
-kumiko Yamamoto
note- ikanaide-please don't go
hitorini shinaide - please don't leave me
Anonymous
“Playing with Diamonds”
http://deepundergroundpoetry.com/images/uploads/poemimages/89190.jpg
Me so sleek,
I slither where I want,
get coiled
basking in the sunshine,
eyes-wide-open,
it warms my scales.
I don’t ask for much,
just ask that you let me be,
will give you fair warning,
wiggle you a death-rattle,
it will spook you.
Go ahead,
keep messing with me,
I’ll ruin you day
if you continue to play,
you’ll see.
I’ll gauge you with my fork,
tongue that is,
it’s extremely accurate.
Oh, you don’t believe me?
You’ll wished you were dead
when you go crazy in your head.
I’m neuro-toxic,
one wrong step,
a little slip
and you’re mine,
lightning quick.
I’ll bite the hell out of you
with these sharp piercing
fang-injectors.
When you play with diamonds,
you’ll wind up
flat on your back.
I’ll plant
daisies around you
as a stark reminder
to the others to
just keep moving along.
Hopefully,
they’ll get the message
And if not,
I’ve got lots more poison
and
plenty of deadly tunes
left in my shaking tail.
Buzzzzzzzzzzz...
rattle
rattle
rattle!
http://deepundergroundpoetry.com/images/uploads/poemimages/89190.jpg
Me so sleek,
I slither where I want,
get coiled
basking in the sunshine,
eyes-wide-open,
it warms my scales.
I don’t ask for much,
just ask that you let me be,
will give you fair warning,
wiggle you a death-rattle,
it will spook you.
Go ahead,
keep messing with me,
I’ll ruin you day
if you continue to play,
you’ll see.
I’ll gauge you with my fork,
tongue that is,
it’s extremely accurate.
Oh, you don’t believe me?
You’ll wished you were dead
when you go crazy in your head.
I’m neuro-toxic,
one wrong step,
a little slip
and you’re mine,
lightning quick.
I’ll bite the hell out of you
with these sharp piercing
fang-injectors.
When you play with diamonds,
you’ll wind up
flat on your back.
I’ll plant
daisies around you
as a stark reminder
to the others to
just keep moving along.
Hopefully,
they’ll get the message
And if not,
I’ve got lots more poison
and
plenty of deadly tunes
left in my shaking tail.
Buzzzzzzzzzzz...
rattle
rattle
rattle!
