Announcing the winners of Gotpoetry's Quarterly Poetry Contest.


We have a tie for the third place. We have three winners at the third place



LIFE WITH EYES WIDE OPEN ( a reflection )

by sdhousekat



Pools of the mind swirl endlessly around in a whirlwind dance that flows seamlessly in space and time. A sentient being awakens, possessed by the act of self-thought, and brings forth life into the lifeless shell that bears its current form.

Each moment sparking the next until the entire form shines brilliantly like the summer sun in mid July, leaving nothing untouched by the ever increasing warmth that spreads all around like ants marching towards their next conquest on a beautiful picnic day.

The essence of new life permeates throughout this moment of pure existence and self-awareness lightly scenting the once vacant and lifeless void. The ability to become fully aware of my true self is indeed a treasure to behold. The joyous realization of who I am and what my true purpose in this life, is one of the few moments in time where nothing brings a greater joy to my heart and soul. There is a lesson here to be learned, one I learned over the year through good times and bad.

To live in a moment…to truly cherish my time here…while fully taking part in everything that makes life itself priceless, is what all people should strive to emulate within themselves. To be truly whole, freely experiencing all that should be experienced as an unhindered, unbiased and absorbent mind.

That is what it means to live…That is how one defines “living life at it fullest”…This is the way we should live our lives, as living, breathing and shining examples of the true beauty of the will to live.

taking third place


“Time is an illusion, all be it a persistent one.”
Albert Einstein


by badmalthus


hauled
thru the corridors
of existence
&
the relentless
hands
of time
we shifting particles
of reality
watched
the disintegration
of humanity
on our plasma
TV’s
while drinking
unwooded chardonnay
&
finger-fucking
some third world
country

taking third place again


ANOTHER YEAR 2008

by liarbird

Old father time won’t stop, so a new year has begun,
with fireworks and parties, and then the morning sun.
You’re promising fresh hope, and a new faith to unfold,
so it’s welcoming the new, and farewell to the old.

With a broom your sweeping, bad luck from our minds,
promising the future with a host of hopeful signs,
let us toast your future, the outlooks looking great,
so come on! Roll on…two thousand and eight.

I faltered in the past year, so the learning curve is steep,
I made new resolutions that I’m promising to keep,
but as the days go by, they quickly fade and disappear.
Two thousand and eight just becomes another year.

There have been highs and lows, some I cannot mend,
I greeted new arrivals, then the loss of a good friend,
I have seen the tragedy on different faces bearing pain,
where the promise of ‘no more,’ is happening again.

Two thousand and eight could be stated a ‘talk fest.’
They say that earth is warming, and needs to be addressed,
conflicts keep on raging but for what I’ll never know,
and a ‘melt down’ has left millions with little left to show.

So with the year now over, there rates God given worth,
For the six billion stories from each corner of the earth.
Two thousand and eight, is for history to define,
now here we go again; it’s two thousand and nine.

Old father time won’t stop, so a new year has begun,
with fireworks and parties, and then the morning sun.
You’re promising fresh hope, and a new faith to unfold,
so it’s welcoming the new, and farewell to the old.

We have a tie for the second place also.

the old year

Mayo


listen lightly
as the church bells
toll their one note songs
joy needs no symphony
while love lies peacefully
under my hooded lids

a rising within
alive, growing
consuming the dark doubt
of what might have been

he teases the back of my neck
flaunts my faults
like jewels polished and paraded
until I am un-wounded and brave

a hand in a hand
held
fast and true

Thursday

by fogglethorpe

I don’t get resolutions quickly broken,
or festive gestures typically token,

or toasted, unthinking, juvenile jerks
who blow off some fingers with fireworks.

I’ve no hate to hurl at two thousand eight;
it didn’t come early or stay too late.

I don’t blame fate or damn the stars;
I know my mistakes are what they are.

I try hard to be a decent soul;
the remainder is free of my control.

So please forget all about Times Square;
the year’s free to die without fanfare.

Spare me the lushes singing Auld Lang Syne
who carelessly usher in two thousand nine.

And what will I feel for that year’s first day?
I’ll say, “No big deal, it’s just Thursday.”

The Winning Poem

Alluvium

by HSTeech

The year, with the force of
gathered years,
rushes joyfully
into the sepia delta of history
leaving behind oxbows of months
and the silt of moments on the banks
as evidence
that it had ever been here.
It charges as if it didn't even know
it was dying.

What our judges have to say

Loisseau

#1-"Aluvium"by HSteech, was my first choice out of all the entries. The metaphor of 2008 rushing unknowingly and joyously into time, joining other years in the silt of history was thought provoking. Well done!

#2-"Thursday"by fogglethorpe, is a strong rhyming couplet piece that denies the pomp and passing of 2008 as just another year. Perhaps that is so. A deserving poem.

#3- '2008 - what was it good for?" by badmalthus, is one of those Bukowski type of pieces, with a specific world view to share.everywhere.

HM-"'ANOTHER YEAR 2008" by Liarbird, is a long rhyming seven stanza piece reflecting on some the issues of 2008, and alluding to the six billion 2008 stories soon to be 2009. Well constructed poem.

Bogeyman


Alluvium by HSTeech was my favorite. Alluvium is a perfect name for the old year, or what is really left of it. For nothing disappears without a trace. There’s an old Zen Buddhism saying I like - “everything flows, nothing remains”, but this piece made me look at time in a different light. Even though alluvium will not remain unchanged, even though the only constant in this world is change, moments, as building blocks of time, will continue ticking away with precision and the old year –

“It charges as if it didn't even know
it was dying.”

Just like we should. A wonderful poem with an impact much bigger than its size.

"The Old Year" by Mayo and "Thursday" by Fogglethorpe came in a tie for second place. Two different creative approaches, both poems very well done.

In "The Old Year", Mayo's perception of the passing time is original and employs beautiful metaphors - very typical of her style of poetry, where the words, rather than her faults, as described in this poem, are "polished and paraded". Her poem is not pessimistic - while acknowledging the past, she is looking forward. The image of the old year teasing the back of her neck stayed with me long after I read the poem.

Fogglethorpe's "Thursday" reflected the views of many about 2008 - a year full of things we'd rather forget. But instead of coming across as a bitter criticism or a empty political statement, his poem brings us to his own perception of what 2008 meant to him. This human, "personal" element is what makes his poetry resonate so well with the reader, even when he makes a "no big deal" statement. This "indifferent", just-another- Thursday approach tells us a lot and results in quite the opposite impact on the reader.

Rio

#1 Alluvium
The imagery in this piece is amazing! I lingered blissfully on each line. I particularly like the "delta of history" as we don't really think often about how our lives are a part of shaping things to come. The ending as well, had a taste of melancholy, which was divine. It hinted to me a somewhat tragic final stampede of some kind of powerful animal.

#2 Thursday
Oh my! This poem's sarcastic and cynical nature make it a piece to be reckoned with. The mood, is so skillfully constructed that I can hear it in my head, being presented in a rather dead pan voice. And it just tickles me. While many poets fight with rhyme when they work with it, Fogglethorpe made the difficult task look easy and used it to his advantage. Awesome.

#2 The Old Year
Of all the poems, this one was my personal favorite. I just felt so wrapped up in reading it. I read it again and again. The words, so carefully chosen, hang, fitting like loosely in a way which is both purposeful and allowing for molding interpretation. It seemed to waltz to a sweet lament in my mind.

#3 LIFE AGAIN WITH EYES WIDE OPEN
This exquisite prose poem addressed the deeper side of the passing of time, with a somewhat existential viewpoint which spoke to me. The search for meaning, introduced elegantly with a trail of ants, and conveyed with such an optimistic tone was enchanting.

#3 '2008 - what was it good for?
A hip and edgy piece, which is bold in its take on time and reality. I appreciated the risk taken in opening with a quote, and in this case it fit precisely. The smack in the face turn at the end, also somewhat unconventional, made this poem sharp. I adored this, in all it's glorious attitude.

#3 ANOTHER YEAR 2008
With such freedom available to poets today in their compositions it is always a pleasure to see one embracing traditional form. It's a skill which requires a degree of discipline as well as talent. I particularly liked the use of a refrain. It was very interesting how this piece melded an optimistic hope with a critical look back. I think it adequately captured the sentiment of the times.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND PARTICIPANTS. Karma shall be transferred tomorrow.

oh i´m late...

i just realised its already mid. feb, isnt it hehe*
well. i have one anyway...

congratulations to the people

Congrats to all; well done!

CONGRATS TEECH U DA BEST! : p

Congratulations to Foggy, Mayo, liarbird, Harry, and sdhousekat! It's a nice way for us to begin the year!

Thanks to the judges for spending their time.

And thank you krik, for checking in and commenting!

Congrats to all the winners. Teech...yours really was great. Thanks to the judges for their efforts.

RZS

I enjoyed the winning poem, Alluvium, by HSteech. The river metaphor is especially well realized.

The poem "the old year" by Mayo is a beautifully original treatment of the theme, in my opinion, and was my personal favorite among all the entries. I love the idea of facing the future unwounded and brave. The passing of one year into another should be accompanied by such hope.

"Thursday" had just the right dismissive touch... and the rhymed treatment was fresh.

"2008 - what was it good for?" is nicely irreverent. The epigraph caught my attention and the poem was a slap. In a good way, mostly.

Congrats to all the winners!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Congrats all of you on some wonderful writes and well deserved recognition.. Blessings Melly

Congratulations to all, well done!

resalrhoda

I thought the winning poem was pretty damn awkward. I had trouble reading it aloud or even in my mind. 'Thursday' and the untitled poem by Badmalthus were vastly superior according to my criteria of judgement.

Those were all great!
Congratulations to everyone

yyyaaaaayyyyy!!! andrea. congratulations. harry's poem is great too. i couldn't choose between them. but then i've never believed in competetive poetry. i'm happy for all the poets mentioned. - love and peace - paul.