Speed Poetry Challenge

[pan6467]

Here's the challenge: Take the word (phrase) given by the preceding poster and write a poem containing that word or phrase, you write the time you start and the time you end (a good way to prove the time ended is to edit, maybe posting the next challenge word or phrase).

For this challenge it must be at least 4 stanzas with 4 lines (it may be more but cannot be less), basically a minimum of 16 lines.

I love to write poetry, it's therapeutic for me and when the muse has me stuck and I need a release speed poetry always helps.....

The phrase or the word can be anything, even non-sensical. The poem need not rhyme but must be at least the 16 lines. Once done, you add your word or phrase for the next participant.....

Hopefully, some of you writers out there are brave enough to take the challenge.

Good luck all ........ let the game begin:

the first challenge is the word: "Sapphire"

[Sage]

Brienne of Tarth
From the Sapphire Isle
A woman of cunning
A woman with guile

She's quick with a blade
and homely of face
quick to temper
and short of grace

She might not be real
she might be made-up
But she's still interesting
and on this rhyme I'm stuck

Brienne of Tarth
From the Sapphire isle
always is interesting
always makes me smile

took like... three minutes

Alrighty... the next phrase is: lemon custard pie

[ngdawg]

Looked high
Look low
For something to eat
Cookies were stale
Didn't want meat
Candy was gone
Fruit wasn't a choice
As I searched out a snack
I heard a tiny voice
Eat me eat me
It seemed to say
My expiration date falls on today
I ventured to the fridge
As the voice became clearer
I opened the door
It beckoned me nearer
I moved the milk
I looked low
I looked high
And there was heaven
In a lemon custard pie


4 minutes....

A leaf

[Sage]

It can fall
or be turned over anew

add it to let
and it's a small piece of information

pluralize it
and you're off on an adventure

four letters
two vowels

add it to your table
and you've got room for company

green or
yellow or
orange

or any color you want, really

and in the fall
they're so much fun to CRUNCH!

4 minutes

A squirrel

[Ch'i]

Too sudden a squirrel
I see not its face
but know that it watches
humbled by pace

So loud yet so quiet
It leaves not a trace
Aside from the victim
it leaves in disgrace

Is it vengeance and strife
or mearly of needs?
Does it know what it does
or the grievance it feeds?

My garden, abolished
and with it my will
No chance of revival
until there's a chill

To this a sudden squirrel
I now lay in wait
So dream of those gardens
and know they are bait

5 minutes

at a glance

[ngdawg]

She looks much younger...
At a glance
She fears any more than that will reveal
All the pain and life lived
She acts much sweeter
At a glance
But talk for a while
And know her sorrows
She's a clown
At a glance
But life's a game and no one leaves a winner.

6 minutes

Snoring too loud

[Stillborn]

A buzzsaw ripping into my head
A megatonne explosion to wake the dead
Oh how I could wish I could rid the boring
Into my skull of my girlfriends' snoring

Across this warm August night
Her nose clamor makes me reach for a light
And look for something to stop the incessance
Anything to help me find a little evanescence

So I get up and camp in the livingroom
I finally fall asleep, but it's spelled my doom
Not half an hour later, she is yelling
And so I return, if only for the quelling

So now it is quiet, she's sleeping on her side
And I'm still awake, but my mind's on low tide
And I wish I could rid the boring
Into my skull of her dogs' snoring.



Seven minutes.

Next word: Cerberus

[pan6467]

Cererbus was his name
creating havoc his game
Everywhere he went he could put people to shame
and a death wishing pain

Terra was her name
Love her game
She could ease people's pain
removing them from evil's flame

The 2 once met
Sparks of rage sent
One was hope, love and ambition
The other despair, hatred and failure he caused with precision

But somewhere in their heart
They knew together the other was a part
So in solace they shared their part
And hence thus Karma did start

5 minutes. 103-108

a heart still beating

[Ch'i]

Mind wandering, boredom instilled
the teacher keeps talking, lecture fulfilled
Drifting into space, vanished; no trace
My mind has stopped

A pulse starts to hit, no sign of retreat
again it pounds, shedding deceit
pulling me out, reminding me of now
A heart still beating

Time flies, my eyes start to glaze
the lack of attention, that persistent haze
Shrouded with thoughts of sleep, and falling in deep
My mind has stopped

The mind sustained by its heart,
wihout it it would have fallen apart
The heart knows only what lies near the mind
The two repay each other in kind.

6 minutes.

I don't know why

[pan6467]

12:35

People trying hard to make it through the day
Trying hard to find their way
Through a world that don't care
And a society that don't share

Greatest country on Earth and you look around
We've become the haves and have nots without fight, without sound
Embroil them in mass media, give them Paris, give them Britney
To feed their aching heads so they can't see

People trying hard to make ends meet
Just to be told their jobs are expendable, hit the street
Taking away their hope, esteem and pride
Let's make it all the workers fault so they can't cry about their downward slide

Take away their pride, take away their drive
Make them wish they weren't alive
While you sit on top your hill
Doing your coke, looking for the next thrill

How sad to keep the worker down
When you know there is more than enough to go around
It doesn't go with you when you die
Explain why you are so greedy, cause I don't know why

Tough one
12:47

12 minutes

the next phrase/word: GRAVITY

[ngdawg]

damn...just read mine....I wrote that?


OK...see if I can go 2fer2...
9:51

Strapping the safety gear
A quick peck and we're off
The breeze was nice
The company nicer
But the heat was more than enough
A route planned out
Head west than north
For journaling an essay, she said
Somehow they got lost
And water was needed
The heat was waking the dead
Still, it was great
Open road, open minds, no work
Friendly faces, interesting places
And kisses at the end, the big perk!

9:54

[Jetée]

Originally Posted by ngdawg

damn...just read mine....I wrote that?


OK...see if I can go 2fer2...
9:51

Strapping the safety gear
A quick peck and we're off
The breeze was nice
The company nicer
But the heat was more than enough
A route planned out
Head west than north
For journaling an essay, she said
Somehow they got lost
And water was needed
The heat was waking the dead
Still, it was great
Open road, open minds, no work
Friendly faces, interesting places
And kisses at the end, the big perk!

9:54

Weren't you supposed to use the word "Gravity"... and supply a new word

[tecoyah]

Taken in kind, this law of mine
face first on stones scattered on my path
gravity it seems so easy to find
sometimes showing a bloodied wrath
I stumble....and hope its kind

next word-wrath

[ngdawg]

Originally Posted by Jetstream

Weren't you supposed to use the word "Gravity"... and supply a new word

oops...yes...damned reading skills

Good thing Tec knows how to read


carry on....

[pan6467]

1:30

The wrath of God is upon us, so they say
But I ask who are they?
They say they are followers and believers
Yet, they follow men who claim to know God's thoughts
To me they sound like decievers

1:32

not much there

next phrase: Crystal

[tecoyah]

frosted glass holds dying shades
blossom held in stasis
scented fatal leafy blades
crystal vases holding my dreams
reaching in vain for sunlight beams

74 seconds

next phrase-Stasis

[ngdawg]

11:55

Creativity looms in the shadows
Calling for its rightful place
Stasis overtakes the room once held
By imagination at a furied pace
Cut in two by forces held
Love and the right thing face to face
Oh to be a child again
And not know the consequence
of stagnation's disgrace

11:59

Doorways

[cybersharp]

Doorways, doorways,
made of clay,
made of stone,
made of hay.

Made of passions,
long denied,
made of iron,
held by pride.

Decisions once chosen,
never reclaimed,
never forsaken,
the ways already ordained.

The paths, the choices,
that we all make,
circling around,
like a coiling snake.

Biting its tail, never ending,
never foul, just a doorway,
to the clouds, to the flames,
where once passions lay claim.

As the end game, slowly draws near,
we slowly lose, what we held dear,
reality slips away, and this we fear,
as we slide through the doorway,
and all is made clear,
that the end of the dream,
has finally drawn near.

5 mins

word :"illusion"

[ngdawg]

11:51

Sunlight plays on violet waves
Eyes know what they see
Imagination takes its place
And illusion wriggles free
Shadows dance amongst the green
Summer breezes play the tune
Life from dirt feeds hungry eyes
Watching vibrancy of nature's cartoon
Not everything of life can travel
Not everything is simple in line
It is all ours to drink into the psyche
To feel with heart and mind
11:58

eh......


Yellow

[Yukimura]

In darkness I find myself alone.
In my mind I am my own.
But my heart won't let me be.
The dark is broken by sights to see.

At first myself as I percieve.
With open hands to recieve.
Fire's the only gift I get.
But it's sure to get worse yet.

I can hear a demon's bellow.
My eyes change form to yellow.
On that man's face, an evil grin.
Against this demon I cannot win.

I see a cross, a flash of light.
Angels soar in to join the fight.
Their shining swords are swift and strong.
The demon surely won't last long.

Forgot to time my stupid self. I think about 3 minutes?

Next phrase:
Midnight Ballads

[Baraka_Guru]

Midnight ballads are best left unheard
When it is the prudent mind that sleeps.
But how can this be the best advice when
That sweet music dances through the darkness?

Daytime songs are impure and impudent,
As they emit through the static of waves
Rendered unstable from the multitude of
Friendships, deals, and uncertain promises.

The night air is clearer, or so it seems;
Perhaps the static is still there, waiting
For the next transmission to break the
Silence in the next moment of failed tranquility.

The air will ring, ring, or perhaps it will
Jing-a-ling along with your favourite tune.
Nothing can stop the noise, and what can start
The silence that even ballads yet still crave?

Approx. 5 min.
Next word: puffin

[Yukimura]

4:40

Strange green bush,
Creeping slowly,
Puts me on high,
Feel so lowly.

Puffin' away,
Not a single care,
But the heart yearns,
The numb I can't bare.

The body tingles,
The mind wanders,
Something inside me,
Grows all the fonder.

True self is lost,
Illusions are found.
Passing the time,
'Til I'm in the ground.

4:42

Next Phrase:
kindred spirits

[Baraka_Guru]

"Kindled flame under kindred spirits";
I close the book of poetry
faster than I had opened it,
for fear of losing a tooth.

Since when have the poets felt
Ashamed of writing about "I"?
What day was it decided that
It would be a rebel act to do away with "me"?

We must stop reserving our libidinal
Juices for that other act;
The one that too has its rebellious
thrust, especially if you do it without "me".

Sometimes an "I" is just an "I";
Other times it is meant as a self-reflexive
Jaunt not meant to go beyond the words
You truly wish to fondle into fruition.


Six minutes.

Next phrase: "I'm bringing alliteration back."

[ngdawg]

Possibilities
Probabilities
Picking what to pack
Preparing for a plane ride out
I'm bringing alliteration back!


(ok, so that was just silly)

4 minutes

Breakfast

[Midnight]

5:05
reaching out across the internet
searching for enlightened minds
some one or ones to bounce ideas off of
or just to sit back and listen to
friends to critique your work
or simply applaud when it's merited
some little nook wherein lies
fodder for inspiration
speed poetry challenges
the mind to create anew
a breakfast for the soul much as
to eat in the morning is
fuel for the mind to bring on
energy to meet the day
waking the inner muse
so she might inspire again today
5:09

Midnight

hmmm.. ok next word requiem

[DaveOrion]

5:56

Requiem for a Post
I had it close in Mind
I never knew its Death
Would leave me wanting More

I've tried see the wisdom Gone
Its nature eludes me Still
I often see the answer Yet
But once again its Lost

5:58


Metamorphosis

[Midnight]

16 lines dave

*BONK*

[Baraka_Guru]

I won't blame my maladjustment
on the school system, even
though Metamorphosis wasn't
assigned on the curriculum.

That's the Kafka, not the Duff,
though the latter wasn't even
cut until years later.
Now my age is showing.

Though I suppose it's still up in
the air.
All you need to do
is look at my profile, anyway.

You know where to find it;
And I'm not referring to Facebook.
It is a few clicks away,
just don't make fun of my nose.


5 minutes.


Next phrase: nerves of aluminum

[ngdawg]

Originally Posted by Midnight

16 lines dave

*BONK*

Preferrably, not set in stone....
8:57

Relaxing as the world spins by
Not caring about a thing
Honeysuckle fills the air
A distant sparrow sings
Sun and shade dance together
against a sky of brilliant cadmium
suddenly a jolt
and I fly thru the air
And think to myself
I must have nerves of aluminum
For nerves of steel would not hurt
And I cry out in wounded pain
Not a good end to a beautiful day
But rest assured, I'll be there again

9:04 (including looking up 'cadmium' )


bozo on a bench

[DaveOrion]

Originally Posted by Midnight

16 lines dave

*BONK*

It is 16 lines if you read it twice. *BONK BONK*

[Yukimura]

A happy face that's painted on.
Though happiness is long since gone.
A smile that he's forced to don.
The clown never shows tears.

Flamboyant paint he's forced to flout.
A routine he cannot doubt.
He cannot let his demons out.
He smiles for the children.

From time to time he wonders why.
As a child he dreamed to fly.
Now he feels like he may cry.
I pity the poor man.

Solitude he will find here.
He can allow a leaking tear.
Judgment he need not fear.
This bozo on a bench.

3 minutes.

blood

[pan6467]

3:49am

The needle absorbs the liquid from the spoon
In a second it'll poke a hole in the skin
It's contents mixing thoroughly with her blood
And she'll feel the warmth of the womb

He takes the needle and loads it
Ah the sweet sting
He feels as it goes in
He waits for the feeling anxiously as he sits

Lovers they are
Lovers till the end
Neither knowing each other
But still lovers they are

The junk carried so fast in the blood
The feeling overcomes them
And away they go
To their special place as their heads turn to mud

She fingers herself but can't get off
He sits watching
But doesn't know what
She tries to orgasm but all she can do is cough

The high lasts for hours it seems
Then the needle they'll take to again
Injecting themselves with their drug
Missing out on lost dreams

Hers was a simple dream
A mother, wife, lover was she
His was a harsh one
Where no one heard his scream

So there they are knowing how they fell
From great heights and prestige
To loneliness
And Hell

3:52AM


Next up: 12 hours

[Yukimura]

Not enough time.
It's all I can think.
Each hour's chime,
And deeper I sink.

Just twelve hours,
To say my goodbyes.
Takes all my powers,
To silence my cries.

There's no time for tear.
There's no time for word.
There's no time for fear.
It seems so absurd.

I try to be tough,
Though soon he'll be gone.
Nothing is enough.
Hour or eon.

3 minutes. Seriously? Again?

Let's try something obvious:
Samurai

[albania]

8:17 -8:23
The blade shimmers
Wildly in the moonlight
Balance is the penchant
Honor is the way

My drink never far
My smile never near
My chaotic thoughts
Betrayed by me veneer

Truth and lies
Are enemies
Servitude is the way
I serve my master

Neither friend
Nor enemy
Shall be spared
I am a samurai.
edit:
next word: faltering smile

[Ch'i]

7:05

Staring at the sun with burning eyes
staring down into a sea of light
which calmly fades with flickers of black
intwined without a moment's notice
into a memory which scorched much more
than anything before

Lying on the ground, fixated on the sun
it sheds these pictures which appear.
Constantly I see them; ever more I feel them
A moment free is all I seek
And so into our star I peer, unwaivering,
never looking away from that moment of peace

The pain begins to fall away;
my eyes no longer see
anything but the past
For now and forever, my world devoid of light,
I see only her faltering smile.

7:12

Edit: Next word: absolute hilarity

[albania]

8:45 -8:50
Laugh, laugh, laugh.
The sound reverberates
I can hear it in my chest
Your laughter makes me smile

Do you remember the curly haired boy with brown eyes?
Do you remember the unfunny jokes?
Do you remember laying in the ground and laughing
As if the laughter had sprung from some well deep within the earth?

No wind could take away your tears of joy,
I have seen absolute hilarity
It came in the form of an inappropriate joke
You couldn’t stop laughing even though everyone was looking.

Those times are were too funny
They’ve become sad
All that’s left is a longing to hear
Laugh, laugh, laugh.

Edit:
new word: truth without wisdom