Let's talk about the poetry contests

Who's entering one? Both?
Are you researching? if so, how?
Written anything yet?
How do you like having them piggybacked?
You're voting of course- so do you think you're good at picking out who wrote what?
Any other comments, reactions?
hmmm??

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I'm thinking about it but I'm not feeling too inspired right now. I can't make a poem come out. Either it does or it does not. I'd like to do the epitaph but I think I'll have better results with the opposite prompt. I'd really have to be inspired for the other.

Researching?

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Er ... how so and in what way or why for come, my dear? What kind of research?

Written anything yet?

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Nada. Not for this one. Got some nice letters written today, though.

Piggybacked.

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Doesn't matter to me since I don't have to do both.

Voting.

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<Insert sheepish look here> Is there something up to vote on yet? Please say no ...

Picking out who wrote what

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- I don't try. Am I supposed to?

Any other comments.

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'Muse! Dammit, get in here!'

::: Ornery wench :::

I will enter both...just because. You know what...I love being told what to write. When I have a focus..."okay write this"...I do so much better. Not that it's better quality, because quality schmuality! Just...it comes to be better. In kind of an I'll show you" kinda way. Tell me give me 500 words on such and such...I'm there. Same with poetry contests. So...I will enter...don't know what yet. The kettle is coming to a boil.

I've got a brief one entered in the cemetery contest. I'm working on a second.

I've not yet picked what I want to do for the opposites contest.

I'm feeling horribly uninspired right now--though not the fault of the contests. I haven't written in so long now, I'm beginning to wonder if I've forgotten how. In any case, it'll be fun to see what everyone else comes up with.

Just for inspiration, take a look at these real-life examples.

I've often passed by Thomas Gooding in Norwich Cathedral -

All you that do this place pass bye
Remember death for you must dye.
As you are now even so was I.
And as I am so that you be

especially as his tombstone has a skeleton on it. The hands on the skeleton look like they've still got flesh on them.

Are we supposed to do research?

I like the graveyard poetry challenge. I just gotta find a dead person to write about.

Entered the graveyard contest; one poem.

P.H.Delarran said:

I dig graveyards

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Ah, that's a good pun.

Don't know yet. Still thinkin'. Might just read and vote.

The Opposites idea was popular in discussion, but is it proving difficult?

Cat Stevens' Father and Son - a dialogue - always lumps up my throat (father's voice in plain text, son's voice in italics):

It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them They know not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

I've just thought of another well-known example. Robert Frost's Fire and Ice fits the bill:

S[SIZE=-1]ome[/SIZE] say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

That is one of my all time favorite songs, and cannot read it without sitting here singing it aloud... so now I have it stuck in my head and can't get it out - and I'm presently working on the Graveyard Contest ... Cat Steven's isn't dead yet, is he? ... hmmm ... nope, I don't think having Father and Son swimming through my head will get me Headstone Homage ... LOL

Norman!!!! Great Going... Wishing you luck!

Hugs, Liz

Hi there, P.H.
I actually entered one this time instead of just thinking about it and getting sidetracked until the deadline passes.

YEAH!

Who's entering one? Both?
I haven't entered any yet, and don't suspect I will.

Are you researching? if so, how?
N/A

Written anything yet?
I've gotten poems published in a variety of settings. I plan to eventually publish poems/art/photos in a book, but not until after my novels get published, which is my highest priority right now. I'll do poems for picture challenges with friends, which I'll post on Myspace. But this is because these challenges push me to explore beyond my comfort level, which I find fun.

Don't let the Blog picture scare you, it's a character from my novels. But if you're curious, you can see samples of my photos, art, and poetry if you're inclined: www.myspace.com/poetnate

How do you like having them piggybacked?
I'm not sure what the question means? I've done collections with themes for different journals and magazines- water, wisdom...etc. And so I'll put much thought into thematic clusters.

You're going to of course- so do you think you're good at picking out who wrote what?
People keep telling me to submit this or that. But I just don't really feel motivated to do anything along those lines.

If I had to judge other people's poems, I find that I tend to want to be gracious rather than be the poetic Simon Cowell. I wouldn't make a good poetry judge. Besides, I find there are realms of poetry that are just beyond me. They are more like "Jazz" than straight rock n roll, and I admit I don't understand Jazz all that much.

I was once asked to be a poetry editor for a literary journal, and declined for that reason.

Any other comments, reactions?
Poetry is very cathartic for me. But again, poems can be playful, sort of like "The cat in the hat". Writing a novel is much more like work, where sometimes I have to grind it out to make a chapter, or even a sentence work.
Poems are immediate gratification, in the sense that I don't put them down and rework them.

Entered one in the opposites today.

Who's entering one? Both?
I entered the Gravestone one. Haven't decided about the other one.

Are you researching? if so, how?
Yes. Read up on my subject.

Written anything yet?

Yup. Already submitted.

How do you like having them piggybacked?

It puts the pressure on. Now I have to hurry up with the second contest.

You're going to of course- so do you think you're good at picking out who wrote what?

Some people's styles I might be able to figure out.