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Poetrymann

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Is it just my infernal bad luck with all things technical? Or is the DA website experiencing problems? The app seems to be fine.

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Ugh. I have covid. I have tried so hard to avoid this crap. So…here’s to isolating for how long?

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I am featuring the winners of two literature contests. 



Literally Lit: A Poetrycontest held by :iconyuukon:

First place :iconcallerofcrows: InspirationI imagined constellations
in the whorls of your thumb;
they spark star-dust,
embers low in my chest.
I write songs in your voice,
a baritone prayer,
sentiment caught
on the corner of your lips,
catching mine.
Out of your dust,
your amber-honey laughter,
I am led by the chin
into worlds, words,
that open my soul
like a clementine.
Every word I breathe
is a net cast wide,
attempts to cage canyons full
of the way I shiver
when you say my name.


Second place :iconliteraryserenity: Storied EnchantmentsOn stormy afternoons
 when tears
    trickle
      like
      rain
I wish to weave stories
    that can bring
       even
      a glimmer
         of
      sunshine
 from between the clouds
    for anyone
      who might ache
        in the same way
Stories are the means
 by which I know
  how to touch
    the hearts of others...
      ...to give comfort
           when troubles
           press down hard
             and murky clouds
             loom on the horizon
 A smile at a tale well-told
   is a triumph
    against devastation--
      like a warm blanket
        offered for protec


Third place :icontheblackwolfboy: In Spirationso you fill your pockets with dirt
and plant fistfuls of memories
praying that someone will shoot
but the only thing that grows
is disillusionment
so indifference keeps the lighter to the spoon
and you draw up every drop of lost souls
aching to taste the ones you had
but some deaths
are bigger than other deaths
so you're only human
and to survive you've done terrible, terrible things
unbelieving in the promises of future
but this
is not the end




All Hallows Tales 2019 by :iconmemnalar:

Grand Prize :icongdeyke: :thumb816744278:

First Runner-up Poetry :iconthornyenglishrose: Stay Away, My LadsYou all have heard the legends of the singers of the sea;
Well now believe them, lads, and heed my words if you love me.
There's evil in a woman's heart who whispers of a tryst,
And you, my blameless, lovelorn fools, are powerless to resist.
Oh, stay away! my lads, if you should ever have the notion
Of following a mermaid to the bottom of the ocean.

You all have heard the legends of the maidens of the land;
There's evil in a woman's heart who beckons from the sand.
Beware of drifting boats that hold a damsel lost in mist,
For you, my blameless, lovelorn fools, are powerless to resist.
Oh, stay away! my lads, if you should ever have the notion
Of following a human woman right out of the ocean.

Stay away, my lads, from the music of the waters.
Stay away, my lads, from the fishermen's daughters.
The moon bobbed, round and silver on the water, calm and black;
Young Isla simply had to rise and walk the well-worn track,
While Coral simply had to sing aloud, despit


First Runner-up Prose :icontobaeus: The Door in the ForestThere is a door in the forest.
It wasn’t always there, but no one could remember when it appeared, or how. It stood among the trees as if it had sprung up from the earth, just another sapling among many. Before it appeared, the forest had been a welcome place to us. Hunting was good, and there were many good things to eat, and firewood was never lacking.
But then the door came, and not even our bravest warriors would go past the tree line any more. They returned with stories of how the woods were dark as midnight around it, even in midday. The animals had left and any wood they had brought back rotted before it could be used. Only the foolish few entered, seeking fame and glory. None ever returned.
My brother was one of those so-called fools.
Our parents begged him not to go, but once he set foot inside the tree line, they turned their backs and never spoke of him again. His things were burned, all but his traveling cloak, which I hid under my bed. No place was set for him at the


Second Runner-up Poetry :iconautumn-hills: Old Sallow LaneSitting in fields of wind-sighing grain
ringed by vigils and thickets of trees
no sound comes creeping from old Sallow Lane.
In the village we all do as we please
and all are best pleased to follow the laws
and not one of us dare speak aloud our unease
not so near to Sallow Lane. But of course,
nothing threatens the peace of this place
Close to the Lane all futile panic withdraws
due to the price that we've paid for the grace
of the Thing down Sallow Lane. Praise Its eyes!
watching to see if you dare tread a pace,
down old Sallow Lane, where It lies.


Second Runner-up Prose :iconautumn-hills: Do No HarmPatient 9
Where   is   m y  breath i n g
Hands feel like clouds, that’s not right, that’s not—
The. beep. ing. is. back. and. my. eyes. too. bright.
Like fog, swim up, swim up—there are shapes above. A ceiling.
It’s a light. I can blink, dark red, then white room, then dark red… I can switch the room off.
Is someone there?
I am, but I cannot feel my me.
Asher
One of the monitor leads is loose. I adjust it, and the rhythmic beeping of the vital signs monitor ceases.
She is beginning to emerge from the sedation. I watch as her eyelids flutter, then blink. Her pupils are dilated, an effect of the sedative. The thought causes me to compulsively check the IV. All is as it should be. To my right, the tray I’ve prepared for my boss gleams under the lights. There were no specific instructions in the text I received summoning me into work, so I prepared a general assortment of cutting, grasping, an


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Presenting the talented winners from the Pandora’s Box Contest at :iconstewed-

First place:

Pandora by Lora-Vysotskaya by :iconlora-vysotskaya:

Second place:

Radix Malorum by SireneArcana by :iconsirenearcana:

Third place:

And uncovered the anger by PaquiFg by :iconpaquifg:

Honorable mentions:

Mysterious Box by mumu0909 by :iconmumu0909:


Pandoras Box Wherein Dwells Hope by amethystmstock by :iconamethystmstock:

Journal Layout by lockjavv
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An apology to all. I meant to have this out a lot sooner, but was waylaid by a surprise three day in the hospital and a family wedding.  This is not the feature I wanted to present. Once I hit the submit button, half of the deviations vanished. 

Reaper 1 by annemaria48 predestiny in the face of the plaguehead full of watch ticks,
throat fully r-rated.
locked in to ideals
yet undemarcated.
part shaded, partly inebriated, sharp.
paid attention by art-sickened daydreaming quarks.
tender atriums spark and contract
in the dark of a cavity compressed
by epochs and alack.
there's epoxy and wax in a boxing ring packed
from the floor to the ceiling with the toxin of tact.
we're the watchmen, dragged twenty blocks through the back alleys;
black mold branching through bar-dented backbones.
cracks in the asphalt, trash enters gnashing teeth,
exits back in splash on the street.
it's a masterful scene of depravity;
keep alt-tabbing to see if the hash is complete.
there's a scab on your knee and a gash in mine, to compete
is a sign of passing time.
rhyme with a hatchet, shave with a scythe;
it's a dangerous life to contain in type.
when the canines alight on your nape in the night
you'll contend that the angels ordained this, right?
Skiltvos Hollows by EricTonArts w00pSie by LindArtz Autumn sun. by supersnappz16<da:thumb id="817193146"/> SoonThe sound of rain
    and the memory of you
                 linger.
I will turn over often
  to find you, I will
 walk out to the sofa, My love
    I speak to the empty room
  come to bed now, it's late.
The ghost of you nods,
  begrudgingly closing the
    next chapter. I lay down
 beside you, and inhale the air
 above the pillow where you sleep.
I love the sound of rain
     I say to no one, and
  it's not raining.
Where are you now?
<da:thumb id="817298134"/> Memories LostSo beautiful the blue sky peeping through the trees,
The tropical sound of birds, the feeling of freedom and of lightness in your life,
Then why is there a cloud that is descending on that scene
Why does it infiltrate my very mind and thoughts?
That want so much to feel the lightness of my heart.
It is the slowness of a loss that is to come,
The day to day gradual infiltration of memories lost,
The memories of shared life and love,
The memories that will not be shared in future times,
Is there a point to keep the strength to carry on?
What inspiration can be found to face the years to come.
It can be found forever in a love that is shared for many years,
Of children born and dogs and cats and photographs.
Though one may forget the precious times of life,
One thing will be the same,
The other will remember who they are, no time forever lost
Deep RedI.
Melpomene opens her doors to the souls bloated with fire.
We are inflamed or enflamed, breaking open as we pour ourselves out.
We are Vesuvius with broken wrists,
and we echo Pompeii—
We don't drown islands to almost be forgotten;
we are the reason they get built in the first place.
II.
Destruction and creation breathe into one another
and here I write with Adam’s apple knuckles,
ruddy swollen knees and wrists,
a runny nose so swollen and again so eager to bleed
I have to use a gas mask to breathe
and blanketed in tired flesh, I am a wasting skeleton
hoping my insides will stop burning long enough to let me sleep—
but Melpomene hangs on my frame as if my own flesh has never weighed too much;
as if her own skin had never set mine alight long and hard while I suffered;
Melpomene stands with her lips meeting mine through our masks, my face in her fist,
and bruises on my jaw where the pain tried to fight for its leave.
III.
My fingers have swallowed raspberries,
and my
The Sounds of Silence-Hello Darkness My Old Friend by SunnyDaze131 Sailing ships in Helsinki by Pajunen I Can't Sleep Like I Used To by Mouselemur the roosterheld by gentle arms he's carried to the forest
where the others can't see the quick way to go.
unlike the hawk the human
goes for a hard hit, a swift swing.
even after his head is separated from his body
he retains the urge to fly.
i watch as the beat of his wings
pushes the impatience out of his heart.
then he becomes still, finally -
rests like the rain on the dark forest floor.
by dinnertime his personality has been peeled off.
i see his muscles, the meat,
the engine that lost its heat.
hands in my pockets i become aware of my own thighs;
know that if i were peeled too,
we wouldn't look so different:
four-limbed, featherless,
fetal again in death.
Yara by Wesley-Souza BOO AT THE ZOO 11 by PridesCrossing
... by Arte22 seensafe
is a place
we built
together
out of your
shattered pieces
and mine
ours
is a jigsaw
existence
ignoring distance
a storied history
hidden in
breadcrumbs
the universe hinting
at immaculate
design
coincidence
creating language
a tongue to teach
the wounded chambers
hiding beneath
your aching ribs
trust
the dialect of us
(translated with time)



Tucked awayI know it was sweet
but it's like ethanol on my teeth
and you understand how
silence creaks
and stops mouthpieces
/suddenly\
Some floorboards were adorned
by cursory customers, those seeking
a sort of bitty triviality
and the books clutched the comfort of
dusts
in their old gold leafing
You were an aged page
in me...
or maybe a few
small reams
Though
...
only in the index
...
you have no glory
in these stories
Dsc0095 by Placi1

Lavinius1N
a row of reapers in the wheat
their shadows black and strong
bend to the task in summer heat
like a wave of rolling song
a murder of crows
alight the brace
where lines unfurl the miles
behind the pump house
the Devil smiles
violating flowers
2N
windows of the lonely farmhouse
stare at dusty weeds
inside stands an old piano
with yellowed ivories
a corn silk ghost
will play a jig
known as Dyer Blues
while a scarecrow blows
a mournful harp
stomping in railroad boots
Ghost Story by Phatpuppyart-Studios

Great communication starts with connection by eReSaW simply spellboundThrough dogwood trees in the twilight walking,
I am taking my sweet time
and as the light begins to shift...
we are air and memoirs-
we are magic in the moment-
and I swear that this world has never been brighter.
You made me paper cranes 
with drunken precision 
and that was all that really mattered.
You rattle my walls and shake my bones.
You are Neptune.
I hold my breath, but you keep breathing.
Sometimes I feel the wind is a presence-
it keeps us connected.
Us two, a couplet, sweet rhythm and rhyme,
and vibrant blues.
Your eyes are lockets
of love and affection.

Little Witch in a wonderful world by feanen-Mely and even so, you stayedI taste rain on your lips
and I know you’ve been
writing poetry again.
I breathe into the touch
of your fingers
cascading in a soft scale
down the cage of bones
around my heartbeat.
you kiss me
knowing
the colors that drift
in my mind
like water beneath
all the bridges that were
burned for me
and you stay.

<da:thumb id="736120982"/> October Inks 2019 - Day 13: Ash by White-Rabbit-Art
You were harmlessGive them an opening,
a vulnerability
:
A pink belly to be
exploited
Their eyes misalign &
clue you into a smirk
behind a veil of smoke
seething
through chipped teeth.
:
A last breath is stolen.
Captured, your diaphraghm
is deciphering spasms.
:
they continue to
turn the ivory handle
Break the future into
dust.
Midnight PrayersMy religion used to be centered around me
down on my knees
his name a psalm
our whimpers a hymn
his hand on my throat a prayer
I was his disciple
He was my savior
Who knew Judas could be so goddamn charming
I worshipped him
reading his body like the Bible
staying late on sundays
his lips my communion
his hips the wine
his tongue the altar
I would have drank
every last drop
while begging forgiveness
even though I wasn’t the one who sinned
Eve swallowed the blame
and women still carry her silence
My palms are face up
the cross splintered in flames
my name is gospel
I am my own god now


Ephemeral Boogie by EricTonArts Harvest Moon by SireneArcana
... by Arte22 Atlantic Puffin #1 by DominikaAniola

Season of the Witch by feanen-Mely Half a Dream by Pajunen<da:thumb id="817542675"/>

Countryside at Dusk by sevvysgirl Viking Funeral by maiarcita Golden Valkyrie Trail by boldfrontiers 2019 Witching Hour by FrozenStarART<da:thumb id="817527091"/>
<da:thumb id="817538321"/>

Mature Content

OkayI suppose now is a good time as any otherLegs crossed and arms holding tight to nothingTo keep from slipping down this chairTo tell you thatSwallowing anxiety down my throatAs it threatens to bubble forthI amEyes watering weak lines of hurtFingers twisting at fabric endsNotRows of teeth, mouth and tongues gesturingMarking circles in the carpetOkay Bard In DarknessBard In Darkness
by Tricia Pattinson
Nature surrounds all paths
Stones under heels stay in touch
Landscape blossoming or renewing strength
Sky balancing Mother Earth's frame
Sun and Moon rolling overhead
Pushing and pulling, energy fed
It all heals the realm of humankind
Nurturing in light and dark
Do not fear the Wheel in darkness
The shadows lose power
Self forgiveness reveals, heals and clears us
Restoring our gifts to shine
We can choose without doubts
To push back not only our fears
We can help others to restore their cheer
To know the elation of riding the Wheel

Sweet cat by KlaraDrielle Trafalgar Fountain - 2 RW0819 by InayatShah
Vivid Sunset by annewipf Violet and Blue by Yuukon
Neurological Annihilationwhen overload comes, it is the tar
it is a black that coats and annihilates everything clean
it rips off the skin revealing the bloodied tissue beneath
every adipose cell
every muscle fibre
every shred of sanity is vulnerable to cackling callousness and rage
the sound a current which carries all joy and tranquility away
leaving only sorrow, exhaustion and a humble prayer that this end soon
before my limbs, immersed in this cloying dank depression and fever, follow their master - the tar - and cut off their connection to the searing nerve fibres that animate their digits.
one action and it all stops
but that action means there will never be... me
With one quick action, peace could be restored!
and here the spirit lingers
in the space between maddened by fever and wanting to live
crying and screaming for release, for freedom, for nothingness
knowing that to be granted that wish would mean losing all other moments, all chances to redeem this world and its occupants, all chances to find...
Season Of Most Colours by Lumarieus21 Entrance to the fairy world by eReSaW Crimson    - book cover available by Consuelo-Parra

The Ghost of Pumpkin by yferdianto 20 10 2019 by CaroleBaillyMaitre Spooky-place2 by Euselia
Till Next Year by morningstarskid Sunrise stock by ratinrage Below The Trees by PrRailgun
<da:thumb id="817290291"/> SoonThe sound of rain
    and the memory of you
                 linger.
I will turn over often
  to find you, I will
 walk out to the sofa, My love
    I speak to the empty room
  come to bed now, it's late.
The ghost of you nods,
  begrudgingly closing the
    next chapter. I lay down
 beside you, and inhale the air
 above the pillow where you sleep.
I love the sound of rain
     I say to no one, and
  it's not raining.
Where are you now?


Journal Layout by lockjavv
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