Contest

I will randomly enter poetry contests. I’m thinking about entering one. Here are my 3 choices. I can enter all 3. What do you think? Should I? Do I have another poem you would choose over any of these? There are a couple weeks before I have to decide. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

There are the guidelines: harmony, partnership, belonging; losing relations, discord, chaos; the complexity among ecosystems or among the human-made governing bodies.

Poem 1

The River, a fox and a well 

I went out into the world, 

my fortunes ah to seek.

I followed the road 

till my feet did shriek.

Beatin’ the pavement took on new meaning, my soul it left careening.

The road led to a river.

It I followed. Praying my fortunes, it would deliver.

For drink or food, I never wanted.

My heart within me taunted.

We are bored. If we stay here, we will become complacent. Maybe even lazy.

My brain tried to quiet it with logic. Have you forgotten the sun and the road that made us hazy?

Let us stay here. Listen to reason.

Never forget the long season.

As the battle raged on, a fox, cute and funny.

I called after it, “come here Sonny.” Suddenly, all was lost

in a game of cat and mouse.

A feeling so euphoric and on-looker would have thought I was soused.

I chased him over rocks.

That gave me lots of knocks.

I chased him through fields.

Losing sight of what was real.

I chased him around a bend.

Never to see him again.

Lost, hungry and thirsty.

I found a well. Looking upon it lustily.

Poem 2

berate

berate

belittle

talk down to 

sabotage

absolute torment 

torture 

bemoan 

revile

cut to the quick 

stupid idiot 

berate 

scold 

abuse 

defame 

condemn 

berate 

mock 

rage 

laughable nonsense 

berate 

complain

not good enough 

bash 

blister

scorch 

scold 

ridden down 

admonish 

chasten 

gaslight

all the negativity 

berate

really, that’s what you think 

badger 

beat up 

thrash 

lash out 

rail 

castigate 

lambaste 

berate 

trash talk 

vituperate 

blast 

roar against 

slur 

hen peck 

jaw 

nag 

stupid 

berate

leave me alone 

get out of my head

silence your inner voices

SHUT UP!

LEAVE ME BE!

Poem 3

Clawing at heaven

As I kneel at your feet, 

fog clouds my mind.

You left me here.

The fullness of time achieved.

The agony of remembering, my future.

I pound the earth with clinched fists.

Unable to feel its damp coolness.

Consumed by the vast empty.

The deafening silence left by your wake.

My fists ache.

But it something else to feel, 

feel other than my broken soul.

Wet tears burn my face 

as they fall effortlessly.

Creating mud for my tortured hands.

Why?

Why have you left me here, 

to feel such sorrow?

Strength fails my arms

from the fury of my desperation.

Perhaps if I dig?

Dig!

Grit beneath my broken nails.

Dig until the skin is gone.

The pain could be no worse than my shattered world.

My body is drained of all energy; 

flopping forward to meet the relentless ground.

Perhaps, by sure will, I could touch you one more time.

Lay my forehead against yours.

Now cradled by the unforgiving clay.

Feel your breath brush my ear.

The delicate tips of your fingers electrifying my skin.

My lips hungry to taste yours.

The memory of your scent fills my nose.

As I rise to my knees, 

my calves cramp from the strain.

My toes curl,

second nature to them now.

I needed one more day.

One more hour.

One more minute.

One more second!

Just one more.

But you extinguished my release.

One more, gone forever.

Some where from the abyss, finding courage to scream.

“How could you leave me?!

Come back!

Come back to me!

Don’t leave me here clawing at heaven!”