A chance to win

Photo Credit – Cheryl Empey

Verse 1

On some days my thoughts have difficulty forming

So once I begin writing my stanzas don’t make much sense,

but my experiences with past rejections gave me resilience to never accept stagnation,

Every time I was declined by what I had to offer, the more I felt more alive to bring them something even better,

Understanding that I cannot and will not relinquish my vision of reaching my writing on a larger scale

In this case a poetry contest,

My desire for a chance to win a grand prize would fill me with exhilaration,

but that is not the type of glory I’m chasing,

money is received, stolen, lost, and spent but can be easily replaced,

However, the determination for me to extend my abundance of writings to the masses

who I’ve never crossed paths with will

ultimately bring me more meaning and purpose to keep on writing

 

Verse 2

Walking as a lone traveler consoled by the heart of the city

I’ll hold onto nothing but my integrity even if my pockets remain empty,

As I contemplate upon frozen river banks

and appreciate every day the golden medallion returns to the sky after heavy rainfall,

I return focus to my notebook as I can’t help

but stare at the calendar as the days dwindle,

Realizing I’ll have to submit my work before the final deadline,

My pages are all covered in soaked ink

Which go through many trials, from being crossed out of existence

To finally reaching an end where the stanzas live up to my expectations,

The time is now for me to embark on an experience of being among contestants

Who eagerly await for a grand prize publication,

I have nothing to lose, but everything to share

 

Opportunities wait for no one

So I’ll have to always remind myself

to take the initiative to seize the ones in front of me immediately

because there is no guarantee I’ll gain them back

If it’s not the right opportunity, I’ll move on because another one will come along

and I’ll prepare myself to be ready so I can find another way to get a chance to win

 

• As mentioned in the piece above, I’ve entered myself into a poetry contest. Specifically the Frontier Chapbooks contest. It took me almost two weeks to curate my “greatest hits” of narrative and free verse poems into 25 pages. The fee to enter is not an issue to me, considering the fact that my writings will be laid upon many minds and souls. I had some difficulty coming up with titles for the chapbook, but I came up with a few and finally decided on one that speaks true to my writing process. The title is “Writing until I reach corners of the page: An anthology of unspoken tales“. Lastly, I would be grateful if you all would wish me luck. Win or lose I’ll live with results and will keep on writing because this is what I love to do. One way or another someone will resonate with my writings and will possibly reach back to me with something I might not have foreseen. At the end of the day I’m not expecting any handouts or asking for help unless I ask for it. In the meantime I’ll take my time into eventually self publishing a full length poetry book. Lastly, I’ll continue to look down at my notebook as I cerebrate new ideas and look forward to consistently put out weekly content on an amazing platform. Now that’s a real celebration.  Thank you for reading and peace.