winner :)

[temerity]

I was so happy I was crying on the phone
god

http://www.bordersmedia.com/odp/contest.asp

click on "teen poem" (one of the only ones I didn't post here for critique)
mark strand reads mine!!

this is ridiculously unbelievable

[dobiwon]

Congratulations! Great poem. I really enjoyed hearing it.

[davids]

yes i did as well-great work!

[skelly]

WOW!!!! Awesome Tem. I loved it. Many mucho congrats to you :D

[seaaircarol]

Wow. Excellent poem! Many, many congratulations!


:snoopy:

[Perks]

No surprise there. Excellent news, madame! You deserve it. Congratulations!

[Writer???]

Marvelous! Absolutely beautiful poem. Congrats on your honor. Hail and praise to your talent. It was a joy.

[temerity]

thanks, everyone!!!
I'm still floating :)

[ddgryphon]

It is an incredibly beautiful and complex poem. You deserve every accolade it receives.

[William Haskins]

congratulations, temerity. an honor well-deserved.

[JoNightshade]

How awesome is this? Great job!!!

BTW is there somewhere on that site you can see the actual text of your poem? For some reason I am utterly unable to absorb poetry in spoken form. (Listening to it, all I hear is the rhythm of his voice.) I would really like to read your poem. :)

[Appalachian Writer]

Congratulations! I love your work and now my confidence in your talent is justified. Hurrah!

[P.H.Delarran]

very well done-congratulations!
gotta love his commentary on the poem.

[Keyan]

Fabulous!

[temerity]

Jo, there should be a link next to the video--you can select either "read" or "play"
...I'm the same way!

thanks for the congrats, everyone :) and thanks for critting my writing!!

[JoNightshade]

Jo, there should be a link next to the video--you can select either "read" or "play"
...I'm the same way!

Apparently I'm blind as well as deaf. Yay! I read your poem... I'm not a big poetry person, but I thought it was really good.

[LimeyDawg]

Thank god you didn't post it here. We'd have judged it a winner before they did...and I, for one, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

[LimeyDawg]

You should have entered it in the adult section. Christ, sometimes it's embarrassing to find myself commenting on a talent that is so vastly superior to my own. It sure as hell was better than the mandolins and fruit poem, by several degrees.

[LimeyDawg]

...and...and...AND...if this is the last award your poetry earns you, I'll kiss my own rear end. Seriously, Mer, you are exactly what the poetry world needs. Talent without the shackles of education or preconception. Is it Escher's work that shows hands drawing hands? That's you, but it's poetry writing poetry instead.

[Dichroic]

I'd agree with LD that there's absolutely nothing "teen" about this; it is the work of a mature poet, no matter what said poet's chronological age happens to be. One of the things that makes that seem true to me, is that this doesn't look like a poem written in a vacuum by a natural untutored talent. Talent, certainly (emphatically!), but I think this reads like something written by someone who's read a hell of a lot of poems, knows what makes some of them great, and builds on what has come before.

...I feel like I should send my congratulations to Borders, instead of Temerity, for judging so well.

[kdnxdr]

How so utterly wonderful!

Much congratulations, it is a very beautiful poem.

kid

[William Haskins]

a shout out to temerity in friday morning litlinks:

http://authorscoop.com/

[temerity]

LD--okay, to-do list: save world of poetry. find a date for prom.
haha...thank you for the praise!!

D--thanks for the sincere compliments! I don't know if I've read a hell of a lot of poems yet, but I'm definitely working on it

William--ahh thank you!!! I'm honored :)

Update: creative writing teacher called it "offical Merit day" and passed out copies of the poem / played the video for all of his classes!--random people stopped me in the hallway to congratulate me--I feel lightheaded; I couldn't stop laughing

...no, I haven't come down yet :)

thank you all for the congrats!! now I'm just afraid the next thing I write will be horrible, haha

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[Perks]

Now it is sometimes an exercise to call one poem superior to another, but I can easily say that your entry worked for me far above the other winner. I thought it was more sophisticated. It's gorgeous work.

[Stew21]

Well done and so deserved, Temerity! You're a true talent. I'm so happy for you.
Excellent poem too.
I also loved hearing Mr. Strand's commentary on your poem when he was finished reading it.

[poetinahat]

Congratulations, temerity. What sensational news -- and what a wonderful poem.

When I'm especially affected by a work of art, I'm in awe not just of the artist's skill, but of her ability even to have the idea in the first place. That's what I thought when I listened to your poem being read.

I'm very, very happy for you.

[Gray Rose]

Wonderful poem and a well-deserved success!! :)

[Jenny]

:Sun: How did I miss this? Congratulations :snoopy:

[temerity]

Jenny, Rose--thanks so much! :)
Poet and Trish, your compliments mean as much as Mr. Strand's to me. Thank you!!

I'm sorry I haven't been around lately--I have three college-level finals next week, and then four more honors classes to contend with until the end of May. Also, update: I've been in contact with both Mr. Strand and the contest director, and I'm working on some things they've set out for me to do. It's intimidating, but so exciting!

Anyway, I'll be back here to offer crits ASAP (as soon as all of these stay-up-until-2-am nights are done with.) Thanks for reading my work!--I'm so grateful :)

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