There are those among you who believe that the dark and moody verse is the only one worth reading or writing, and therein lies the source for this second challenge. The rub is joy, elation, serenity, peace, cooked anyway you want but served on a platter around 10 inches in diameter.(No that's not dia-meter meaning a oount)Let's try to keep the scoring close. For the mod I offer the following: Where is that peace I seek to find; In visions round me cast. The dreams of future plans unwind; Forget about the past; And things thatd never be. For we set upon the waves as free; To find, when pressed by winds so stiff, The spirit sags beneath; A sheltered cove of quiet joy; Where life holds true at last. the contest runs from 1700 10/7 est to 1700 10/16 est.Are you ready to defend your square Cal? My offering will not be scored.

wait...wait...wait. Today is only the sixth. I put the challenge out to give y'all a day ta think 'bout it. I got dis at 19:05 on Sunday that's 7:05...Tomorrow, 5pm est c'mon G let's hang with what few rules there are. You're a good poet don't keep putting yourself out, then maybe it will B4U.

Owth go ahead...scoring tips 10 lines gives best chance for points/line for example 18 points for 10 lines is a 1.8 if you only have 5 lines theres not as many line to get points on. Say you have five lines to get 2.0 you'll have to get 10 points. Points are scored for euphony, close pairs,head rhymes,meter,reversed pairings. catalogs, catalogs ascending to a zenith, or descending to a nadir, unique construction and use of focus and whitespace among other tricks you might use, provided I see it(duh). Remember: if you write an ode...thats 18 lines to get the 2.0 you have to score 36 points....and then its all got to be aesthetic and make sense doesn't it. Can you see why I wanted y'all to wait? In the future the model might be in more of a puzzle form to challenge the grey matter as well.

Peaches and honeysuckle bloom infatuation like butterflies emerging from cocoons to drift haphazardly with the rising current. The gods look away and I escape this mortal hold to sail through the ebb and flow on an almost forgotten course: Hazel eyes smiling through aged copper bands Lit from within; Never dark.

I'm afraid I'm incapable of assembling something of beauty and points. My mind is a bit depressed these days. Sorry, TJ.

Hmmm .the rules of this one seem to be as fluid as the last.I thought the Bulgarian judge had retired after the last scoring debacle.

No I sent him to do his homework. Right now he's trying to figure out if how many feet in a metric poem. I can't stress enough that a stich in time saves nine.

tjames, the rules (tips, I believe you called them) should have been posted with the challenge. As to your chiding me in IM about posting early...most challenges begin with the posting of the challenge and have a defined closing date, and as I had the poem written, I posted it. You did not indicate that you would be posting rules later, and I see that you have posted rules that do not adhere to the original challenge, i.e., "cooked anyway you want". You still have not defined the 'tips', nor given us a website defining them, so that we can check your math. I was simply going to withdraw my work, but I thought you might want to know why, so I am leaving this in its place.

That's what happens when you have to leave in the middle of stuff. I don't want to pull any surprises, but I realize the web is world wide so I'm dealing with time zones the best I can.

OK, guys, play nice! (or to be grammatically correct..."play nicely")

Naked I lay on the open ground; My eyes are closed, I hear the sounds. Thunderous storms overhead abound; But no comparison to my heart that pounds. A confident smile erupts on my face. I have no fear. And no disgrace. I know I'm safe within this place; Because I know I have God's embrace. --------------------------------------------- Well, that's as happy as I could get at the moment. I should be punished for too much rhyming. And, perhaps, for mentioning God. If I understand the points at all...LOL...I might get some for rhyming. And maybe for the fear-safe thingy. Otherwise, I don't think it scores well. Not the happiest of times right now.

I can't imagine what it is like for you. Going out of doors every day has to be a challenge while the shooter is left free. I was watching the president talk about going to war and I thought about all the people who would die in such a war (and, no, I am not tryig to start a political debate....it's just on my mind) and the idea of feeling cheerful drained out of me. But then I can't join any of these poetry challenges anyway. Too complicated for me. That's not exactly cheering either. No one liked to be made to feel stupid and I certainly don't feel very intelligent when it comes to poetry challenges.

Here is my offering in defense of my square... Free I stand upon the granite crest; wind blowing through my hair, My heart pounding 'neath my breast, Breathing deep the crystal air. Solid rock supports my feet; Azure sky surrounds my head. Above the world I take a seat, Close to God, my soul is fed. Fleeing time comes to a stop High upon a mountain top.

Ooops, two God thingies in one thread! That's kinda weird. Of course, better than mine as well. I DO need a little help, Caledonia...can you (or somebody) 'splain me the last two lines? Well, more precisely, "Fleeing time comes to a stop".

My intention was to express the feeling that I get when out in nature: time stands still, nothing bothers me or worries me. I really feel like the clock ceases to exist which is a lovely thing in a society driven by schedules. Does that make sense?

Nothing wrong with mentioning God, by the way, He probably enjoys being mentioned in our feeble attempts at creation.

Wings of dreams Feathered by wishes Powered by thought. Here and now wisps away, Happily forgotten. Words delight in dance Circling in pattern 'Til images form. My story is born.

Fly Away Fly away when you can make your heart light again Hold a rainbow in your palm sprinkle stardust in your hair. You know that time will come when your heart will weigh too much And your soul is hanging on easy crushed by the lightest touch. Fly away when you can through the sun and falling rain Let the breeze ease your mind and let love erase your pain..

I hear a sound and open my eyes
The laughter invigorates me.
I crawl out of bed and open the door.
Pitter patter stomp stomp stomp
My littlest one runs to me
Wrapping his arms around my legs
Saying Good morning in his own special way
My lover is playing
With our daughter on the floor
Tickling and Laughing
Before he heads out the door.
I sigh in contentment
As I look at the scene
And realize I am loved
My family loves me.

While its true a longer poem can garner more total points, when you divide out the points/line that's the hit value. I wanted to keep it around 10 lines. I'll give it a go were looking for a score of 25 or better here.

LOL Biggest problem I run into writing poetry is length. It is one of those things that I write and it is done when it is done. Some poems are 3-4 lines and some that are on my site are 30-40. All depends on the muse.

No prob. look at challenge I to get an idea on the scoring and watch for scoring tips...One thing I like is running feet, but when I see a person laboring to keep the meter it's not good. I can catch dropping the head or tail, but an annacrucis...I couldn't see it in a million years. Epitrite meter and paeons too complicated. I get lost. I'm more into the simple and straight forward.

Okay, here is mine. I generally don't do poetry. Now you know why. :-) Hope this falls within the rules, can't say as I really understood them, or the scoring. Some nice poems here, I enjoyed them all. jon Autumn J. M. Strother Leaves change colors, then fall to ground on cool gentle breeze. Crisp bright blue skies carry hints of cooler weather, yet to come. Animals scurry through forest bracken, storing food away, Ere cruel frost settles in to stay. Autumn days grow ever shorter as the season starts to wain, Leading into cool nights of gentle dreams. Amber sunrise, washes golden through leaves To paints my walls, peeking under eaves. Offer me not the other seasons please. Yes, spring is pleasant, and favored by some, And summer's heat, I care for not at all, While winter bites in the wake of fall. Evening skies clear, after a gentle rain, quenching earth and soul, while refilling streams. Breath billows now, like smoke from dragon's lair, As I walk dampened paths without care. Autumn. Season of my inner most desires, Season of my heart, which it inspires.

I wish we could edit posts. To PAINT my walls... grrr.

jstro, I like that a lot. Good job

Thanks. It seems sort of forced to me (probably because it was) but I really love this time of year and wanted to do it on Autumn. jon

The challenge here. . . ~is, I think. . .??? to make light work of Dark~ to send a passage flying /vieing for this space/ amongst all those here, ~trying. . .;) to write just for a Lark~