Porthole

Crap with a ribbon is still crap. [13+]

Prompt from "Space Blog" .

The captain here, popping in with a prompt. I'm still typing one-handed, but...

Writing intentionally bad poetry is difficult as Tornado Dodger can tell you. Check out

The Mermaid Went Crazy  (13+) Intentionally bad poetry entry for Spam Hunters - Day Six #2101379 by Tornado Dodger

and write about intentionally bad poetry.

I responded to a posted response by Prosperous Snow celebrating: Why do it intentionally? Half of what folks consider poetry here is bad, real bad, as in 19th century uber uber baaaad.

The cure is learning how to use the poetic tools (and not just their names). Reading a wide range of old and new poetry can open the mind to more than "roses are red" or Shakespeare (most of his sonnets are dreary).

There is this notion that poetry is easy because it's 'short'. But finding the right word to fit the intonation, rhythm, rhyme, or 'heaven-forbid' evoke an emotion? Not so easy. Even free verse isn't easy.

Your 'bad poetry' entry by-the-way was far more poetic than much of what tries to pass as poetry here.

I look forward to locking antlers with fellow poets who can fashion diamonds out of crap. And yes, we all write crap.

If the contest includes entries by Beholden, 🌕 HuntersMoon, concrete_angel, ~Brian K Compton~ I'm usually humbled. And that's good. If they don't enter any win by me may be a pyrrhic victory.

I'm hoping to see their terrifying (as in instilling terror in me!) entries this week for "Invalid Item"  or in some other contest.

I miss Tinker as she may be the best poet on site.

But... newer members like Adherennium Plotting something are challenging us!

And this is great. I rather lose to poems worthy of Pushcart Awards than "roses bleed red" any day.

         Rose bleeds red.
         Violet bleeds blue.
         Are there aliens among us?
         Hey, get a clue!

So this week I placed 3rd in Darleen's Dark Dreamscapes... which out of 20 entries is no small feat. Last year I won twice and bombed twice. But 'crap with a ribbon is still crap'. So... I was happy with this poem... not ecstatic... just happy (it's not crap; it's just that I know I can do better).

Firefly  (13+) this gossamer weighing nothing / alighting upon my bones that hold spare flesh #2260230 by Kåre เลียม Enga

And 2nd the week before:

Harvesting the skulls  (13+) Now worms and grubs were fattened and ready to eat; free verse in the graveyard garden. #2259834 by Kåre เลียม Enga

I have high hopes for one poem entered in a contest that's not judged yet.

But that's up to judges. In the past I've flopped in one contest to resubmit and win 1st in another.

Those who want to write daily might try "EXPRESS IT IN EIGHT " . I love geology so the prompts this past weekend led to four (now edited) poems:

"Don't take me for granite [248]" 
"Scar tissue [249]" 
"Continental drift [250]" 
"Weather or not [251]" 

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