Well it's like this I had four entries and three fit. One had a weak ending another probably should have been two stanzas and the third was almost the same as a writer prvious piece. I've been trying to decide and although I've read them over and over. I'm mugwumping this one. Where's a bulgarian judge when you need one....wait an impartial judge. hold on.

It seems PhanthomNinja was standing behind me...so I asked him to read the poems. He only has one post at rendie because he's just learning Vue, but has several poems posted at poetry.com and allpoetry. He looked them over and put the finger on Jagill's poem. And so this one goes to the bulgarian judge my friends. Congratulations Joe you've got the square back. Trying to judge the best out of three is not an easy task.

Thanks PhantonNinja and thanks again TJ for the challenge.

Congratulations, Joe! I never did understand the challenge but I know you well deserve the prize. :)

I second that emotion Dia, but, Congrats joe, you deserve it if only for your sheer bravery.

PhanthomNinja didn't like being put on the spot like that, but if its any help I was looking for a 10 syllable opening and closing line that rhymed seperated by as many non-rhyming lines sevcn syllable lines as possible. I'm not supposed to give the challenge away its supposed to be found in the clues given in the sample that way it makes it easier for me to tell if the poem is well fit or not.

I didn't think the point of the challenge was to make a puzzle out of it, but to see if people could write according to certain requirements. When the requirements are undefined and unexpressed, people are left to guess what the point of the exercise is, in my mind. But I'm not a poet and won't be entering any poetry competitions so it's not for me to say if the challenge so offered encourages or discourages people. I like things more clearly laid out but, as we all know, I have a simple mind. Still and all, congratulations to Joe for not only writing a good poem but for puzzling out the perimeters of the challenge.

I admit I had to read the thread several times before I understood the rules, but that's part of the fun.

glad you enjoyed it Jag I found it quite annoying!)

Congrats to Joe for a well done poem. I think it is fine to run the challenge the way you have in mind, but I think you need to include this vital information: "I'm not supposed to give the challenge away its supposed to be found in the clues given in the sample" Once people realize they are supposed to study the example as well as the original post, then they will be more inclined to participate. I just think you need to be a little more obvious that you are being intentionally obtuse. :-) jon

Maybe there need to be two contests. One contest for the poets who are well versed in all the technicalities that tjames can judge, and then another contest for the less advanced that the rest of us can vote on just as we do the prose contest...a little light hearted challenge where the intent is not so serious and people don't have to feel intimidated by entering. Maybe the second contest could be limited to themes rather than structure....have July be summer love and leave it at that. Or the like. Not everyone is ready to take on the challenges tjames offers. Those who want to...more power to them. But why not have a poetry contest for those of us just want to enjoy writing poetry as a pleasent exercise. Would that be so terrible? Or maybe that's just too many challenges for one month.

Therein lies the reason for this months challenge...Some challenges should be hard and some just fun. It's all in the mix.