Stars and Lines: Seasonally-Affected Poetry Contest **Winners announced**

Post a poem onto this thread

Rules:

Must be your own work

Poem must represent the colder seasons. Those members on the equator will need to use their imagination and those in the southern hemisphere will need to remember a few weeks back.

Themes can vary from Christmas to Valentines Day, winter solstice to the sticky buds of May.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7f958722c826.jpg[/atsimg]

The membership shall be the judging panel. The 3 posts with the most stars win 10 applauses (equal to 5000 ATS points). The next 10 will receive 2 applauses (1000 ATS points).

All T&C's apply. Posts in violation WILL be removed according to the rules.

Contest ends January 1 , 2011.

edit on 27/11/10 by masqua because: Extended contest

edit on 6/1/11 by masqua because: (no reason given)

edit on 11/1/11 by masqua because: (no reason given)

Is this one going to be single entry or are multiples allowed this time? This is gonna be a fun one!

Explanation: S&F! Here is my poem entry...

Furthark Faintly Fading For the Faeries!:---


My breathe, it fogs up... like the fog of war,

... clouding that which is right before me!

Betraying my presence and my confidence away to the enemy,

... myself, a familiar Loki!

Am I worth 30 pieces of dwarven silver?

... cold hard cash, for dirty deeds done dirt cheap?

Spent for the warming of TPTB's cold and hardened hearts and wallets,

... by the roasting fire of my fratricided bones?

The bitter snow of Christmas Corporate greed,

... drives relentlessly like the zealots seeking God.

In a blizzard they sow their icy danger ridden commercials,

... amongst my fellow frostbitten friends!

Like the Boreas dancing chaotically,

... that stir up and cast assunder the fallen leaves off the Autumn trees!

As Autumn itself retreats to rest,

... into the chilly glacial past of recent history!

The long dark night cometh,

...and it cast a mighty shadow and a forboding pall of freezing fear!

Those who are fatally fortuned to be caught unprepared,

... are left to their final fate upon the frozen tundra wilderness!

Only Frigga can fortell the future,

... and on Odin, Fenris will feast.

Till the spring refreshes Midgard,

... when the Valhallah bound Víðarr fells Fenris forever!

Personal Disclosure: Thanks for the opportunity!

P.S. I hope my fellow members find its flavour favourable!

Here's one from me:

The Holly King

The bitter chill has found me here
Deep inside my bones
Subject to a long-term thrill
I never walk alone.

Skeleton trees and crunchy soil
The path I tread is long
Winter birds aloft are free
Calling with their song.

Burrowing down in my leafy cloak
The wind whips through my hair
Setting sun, there is no sound
Snow makes my skin fair.

Burning wood the holy smell
The moonlit blanket shines
The death of all is always good
The union duly binds.

The Oak King slumbers deeply now
Though he shall soon awake
Our constant battle is the thing
Our war the seasons make.

For now my will is for the cold
My passion, for the ice
But losing is a bitter pill
And I just don't play nice.

A Cool October Breeze

A cool October breeze
Goes rustling through the leaves
As the mid October sun
Sets along the Mid Atlantic seas

Its seems like only yesterday
Spring was gently on the rise
The air filled with anticipation
For summers sweet surprise

As June faded into July
Facing endless summer reaches
Dreams of angelic faces
Moonlit on midnight summer beaches

Like many a dream
To good to be true
The magic of summer fades
With skies steely gray instead of blue

A cool October breeze
Goes rustling through the leaves
As the mid October sun
Sets along the Mid Atlantic seas

Deathly quiet begins to set
On this third rate tourist town
As the cold grip of December
Begins to ratchet down

Memories of spring rain and summer sun
Softly fade as snowflakes fly
Saddened eyes whisper “see you later”
Cause we can never say goodbye

Originally posted by Ceriddwen
Is this one going to be single entry or are multiples allowed this time?

Any member of ATS, even if they joined today, can enter as many poems into the contest as they want. There are no limits whatsoever (except the T&C's, of course ).

The rustle of leaves
their song paused by falling snows
frozen notes unheard

reply to post by masqua


I wrote this last year could I enter it?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by mamabeth


It would be preferable if you could pen something new for this contest... not to take away from your (rather frightening Chrismas poem).

November 11, 2010.

The sun shone today
upon the ranks of veterans,
warming November's chill.

Medals flash on proud chests,
bright colour on dark serge,
as they march to muted drums.

Widows, wives line the street
stoney, silent, they watch
the lucky few... the lucky few.

Children's faces, bright and smiling
wave flags and look about them
wondering at the somber crowds.

To the cenotaph, grey monument
of silent memories and names
chiselled in cold hard stone.

Naked trees and rows of crosses
Far, far away in foreign fields
are remembered, honoured.

The silence reigned a while
as sparrows trilled, unaware
of war's bloody price in lives.

Flags snapped in the wind
as the clarion bugle tones
cried in the crisp clean air.

Faces raised from quiet repose.
Tears daubed, rustling clothes.
Once again... once again.

"With Frozen Tears"

As I grow older ,
my sight does dim,
with a pain , that ever grows.
Alone in my sorrow ,
I can't face tomorrow ,
with joy I will never know .

In my fingers and toes ,
and then in my back ,
it starts and will not go.
Then it enters my heart ,
cold loneliness smarts ,
and there's still ,
three months to go.

Again this season would not lack ,.
the colours ,
grey , white and black ,
with an icy covering ,
of snow .

With winter fast approaching ,
I gather my resolve .
Those missing buttons
on my coat ,
won't re-appear .

The air burns my nostrils ,
there's no turning back ,
it's into the sewers I go .

I retreat , from the street ,
for I know where to go .
I move so deliberately slow .
There's warmth for me there ,
but I might have to share ,
with the rats ,
who will never know .

When the frozen smells ,
thaw to life ,
the air won't cut ,
like a knife,
and I'll be back ,
..... not so long to go !

She stole the flame of my soul, breathing icicles through her winter frost
Pinning the fabrics of my flesh to the crucifix of her snowy depths
Relentless was her onslaught of hail stones and blustery sins
Resentfully splintering my mind with the chill of a stormy wind

She brought forth the destructive monsoons and rampaging typhoons
With ice cold rushing blood she opened heavens gates releasing the great flood
Stranded and marooned, my fiery spirit withered by the ugliest weather completely consumed
She stole the flame of my soul, breathing icicles through her winter frost

Her vengeful tornado uprooted with ease the timeless trees spreading chaos and debris
The air now crystallized, the beating hearted slowed by below a thousand degrees
Time froze from her heartless spine tingling stare as she gazed on the forbidden earth
Birthing her blistering curse she cursed and shattered the mud and dirt

Silence ensued the death of malicious and vial contempt covered hell in a timeless breeze
Life ceased, the pulsating rhythms of natures dancing feet, now deplete
Her harvesting cycle complete, thus begun the universal reversing of her permafrost ice sheets
The burning sun melting her winter mists, the flame of my soul, once more revisited.

Tv is so boring
and my cat keeps on snoring
My favorite color no longer grows
and I can barely feel my toes
The trees shed shade as the sun dips away
and the cold seems to keep the bees at bay
The dog wimpers quietly in the early sunset
this winters' just started
and we're not having fun yet.
Maybe someday we'll get some snow
honestly, I just don't know
and to the prophets, I don't mean to hinder
but we haven't gotten that nuclear winter.

W.I.N.T.E.R.

Why when we wobble, we wake
In interior illuminated I's
Never knowing nothing new
Time till Tuesday tempting twins
Evening earnings Ender eaves
Revolution rages, revolution rings.

I have never written a poem before. It was something I never felt qualified to do.
Masqua's subject just kind of grabbed me and told me to try.

A Winter's Note

Summer ends and I feel sad
Thoughts become focused on death
Leaves die, the plants die, the season dies

The afterlife becomes my winter focus
I look inside and ask why am I here
I mourn what I feel is missing
What's next?
Should I mourn this like a lost love?

Why does winter affect me is this way?

Taxing Time

Sitting at the kitchen table
awash in piles of bloody paper
dreaming once to just be able
to crush that goldarn calculator

Inside is sad
Inside alone
A bitter winter
A barren home

Inside it aches
Inside it cries
To understand choices
And see the lies

Release of anger
Release of pain
To flow away
As dirty rain

And now it's empty
And 'oh' so cold
My bitter loneliness
Mine to behold

Her icy heart
Now cold as December
Is the only part
Of her I remember

Standing tall
Silent and proud
Around her all
Peoples would crowd

Now snow covers
Her sagging shoulders.
Like bitter lovers
Cold she moulders.

Her icy heart,
Once beating strong,
Is her only part
For which I long

Those who came
She used to welcome
All the same,
Smart or dumb

In this bitter cold
winter of sorrow
Lady Liberty's old
and weary of tomorrow

As am I,
Alone at her feet,
The grey sky
coldly gives me sleet.

I turn and go
upon my way.
I do not know
Anymore, what to say.

Her icy heart
Still, in her chest,
Is always the part
I'll remember best.....

It appears
that everyone fears
to star another member
for fear of loss in early December

reply to post by Myendica


LMAO, earned you a star...hope you don't win!