This may seem like a ridiculous request
But if one is to hold a contest
Would it make sense to read the poem entries
Before deciding who wins the trophies
There are contests that bring out the best writes
Giving fellow poets insight
Into the thoughts and emotions from pen to paper
Encouraging opportunity for discussion later
I can see the excitement for holding a contest
On whatever topic
For I have held a few and loved it immensely
And made sure and commented on every entry
I have noticed on quite a number of contests
And heard from fellow poets
That there poem was not read nor commented on
They are Uber Members so they could not be wrong
~They have that extra benefit~
The judge(s) do receive powerful entries that come in
But what about the ones that never get read~
~Again
Some people write to just release and express
While others love the competition while the rest
May just have the poem that they had already written
Wanting to share ideas that mean a lot to them
The poem volume can be overwhelming in size
But should those that have entered be penalized
If the poem had no chance in Hell~
~Well
If the reading entries become a chore
Why hold a contest if the process is a bore
And if the judge already has the winner picked
Before the other entries have come in
~More power to them
At least have the courtesy and respect
To say to the others regarding their poem
~I got it
Even if there was no chance using ESP
To win a prestigious trophy This IS NOT a whine but just a request for improvement in one area~Contest judging...I don't expect to win...I enjoy the process and the release....I (along with others) just would like the courtesy to be read if an entry was made...The expectation is not a mile long comment to each poet but at least let the person know it was received~ I can imagine there are others who have not even had their entry read and obviously their work not recognized or acknowledged...It takes effort and time to write a piece~Time is valuable~Why waste the poets time by not even reading the entry...Just a thought
~Contests..This is not American Idol or is it...Is Simon in the house?~
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I am so naive that I didn't really recognise that this happened. Someone actually gives trophies to friends without reading the poems? How very very silly. If anyone does this, just don't enter their contests again. Pointless and sad.
Good column: a better poem than some of the contest-winners, and not even listed as a poem.
Edited on Feb 21, 9:41 because ''. -
Thank you for reading this and what got me peeved was that the judge did not read the other entries either for I noticed that the winners were on the persons favorites list on the judges page~Which is fine if the poem fit the criteria but they did not~And the judge changed the criteria hours before the contest closed to allow prewrites
I am not saying I deserved to win but if the requirements are there and then changed at the last minute~That is poor planning and it not fair to the other poets who submitted...Where is my soapbox~LOL
I can understand that the person's name may get missed because I am an Uber and can see who reads but if I am not the only person who has not been read~Then it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out~LOL
Appreciate your comments sweetie and wish you the best always~ Keep on writing and inspiring~I am really critical on which contests I enter for some of the same judges who bend their own requirements keep throwing contests and what is the purpose of entering~Waste of my time and brain power~ I would not want to waste your brain power either
Appreciate ya and you take care ok~Big hugs
and much love~Desire 
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If I could applaud your poem again I would.. I agree with you the "judges" should comment on every one of them before "judging" the contest to make it fair.. I mean i just commeneted on this one guys poem (I wont go into that) but he was complaining and my mom showed me this one.. and reall I agree.. "judges" seem to lean more over to their friends then read the poems themselfs.. good "write" i guess i'll say even though its better than good..
i better get to bed though before my mom kills me hehehe jp mom.. hehe well yea i really do agree with you.. i just hope some of those "judges" read this poem one or twice..
Frozen Fears -
I especially like 'hell/well'. A pause in which to raise the eyebrows. Hehe.
Well put.
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i just had this happen to me and got the pop up on the screen saying the contest was over, i never got a comment on my poem for the judge. not that i expected to win, but i do like others feedback on my work i took the time to enter the contest,even if it was a prewrite the poem ment something to me when i wrote it and it still does. i did expect a comment on my poem if they didnt like it a nice poem wasn't my type would have even been something nice. but enough rambling. your point was made very well in this poem and one alot of us can relate to. i'm glad you this poem up for all to read, i do hope all ap poets will rad it and see that as poets we are all sensitive people and do deserve to be recognized for our efforts when we enter a contest. wonderful job desire and very well put, thank you so much for posting this one!
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I had that happen once.... entered a contest and knew she didn't read it bc I have uber to check... I confronted her and I got cursed from head to toe... argh. I agree some improvement in that area would be nice...
Excellent write by the way
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Very good
Contests. I do try to use them as inspriration only but now and then when a really good poem comes along I do go back and see what the top 3 winners are like. Too often I don't like any of them. But then again, I'm not the judge.
I would certainly hope the judges are reading all the entries.
Well written.
John -
very good
What can I say?? This "poem" is Very insightful! LOL. You actually really did do a very good job of putting this into poetry. Being new here, I really had no idea what all goes on in the contests. I thought that the contests was a good way to get comments on your writing so that you could know where you needed improvement. I guess it will take me a while to figure this site out and just who and where is the best place to go to for constructive critisium. Thank you for writing this poem. -
I am fairly new to AP, and have entered in a few of the contests, but I really cant comment on the thing in which ya'll are relating to. I would think that each poet(who is holding the contest) would have the decency to judge, AND read through all the entrys. Perhaps I am a little nieve to what a contest is about, though I know things are not always as they seem. I would like to think that those holding the contests would have the moral character as a poet to follow through with what they had started? I did notice a whole lot of complaining about one challenge that had you pick some words and go to old poetry and write a reply to one of the poems it related to. I was thinking if you dont want to do it, dont whine about it just keep on trucking until you find one you like. But then again I who have been here only days, probably doesnt know half as much that goes on here as ya'll do. I do however support your belief in this write. At least give us a chance!!! Or make it clear from the start!!!
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I agree with you Ms. Desire, if you hold a contest, should make a comment on each and every write, people like to see that comments left on writes, wether they liked it or not, still nice to get comment, might improves one writing ability or even encourage to keep writing, wonderful attention getting write Ms. Desire, very tactfully said and so truly sated... JP *s*
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Thanks Brida and I love the one hour contests for I know I will get read and the judge appreciates the entries~...woot woot....I have pulled some poems out of contests because of the comments that were on other entries~Crude comments~Not constructive at all~And then I have read some that inspired me to hold a contest and emulate that judge~What a great idea that person had~ So I learn from everybody~LOL
YOU keep on writing and inspiring sweetie~Appreciate ya~Big hugs and much love~Desire
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Thank you so much for your comment and I so agree~ I have felt a tad frustrated for I worked hard on a piece to notice it was not even read...Fine I would tell myself but the winner did not even follow the guidelines set in the judges requirements..ugh...LOL
But I now look at the requirements and remember those that did waste my time and not enter them again~News travels fast~LOL
Thanks so much again for your comment..Best wishes to you always~Keep on writing
Big hugs and much love~Desire
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FINALLY someone with the guts to come out and say it!! I hate when people do that, I've enetered in so many contests on my other name, and like...alot of them have never been read, or commented on...Well...I wouldn't know it was read or not, but even so...if it's being read by someone, at least comment on it! Or the judge too, like....don't hold a contest unless you're gonna read all of the entries...It sucks, and it's gay. But GREAT column! I agree 110%!
~ Kati~
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I agree 110%!!! I find it is a lack of respect to the poet's effort, time and talent. If the contest holder is too lazy to read the entries then is better that he/she opens a 1 hour contest, avoinding the chance to get too many poems on his head! It is easy to say that his/hers contest was a success if half of the entries didn't get a small glance.
Very good point here Desire 'The Voice'!!!
Mari
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Desire,
I loved that you put your feeling about this in a poem and you did it so well to boot.
I love the contests myself becasue they either challeage me or inspire me to write a new poem or send in a prewrite that just seems to fit. I don't enter contests to just win, even though I do admit it feels nice if you do. but then on the same hand I can feel just as good not winning but having a nice comment from the judge too.
Even though sometimes what you say is not obvious, it does feel that way at times when the judge does not leave even a one word comment.
What I have found that helps me on this matter (even though I have been here just a short time) is I tend to only enter contests that are well thought out and presented well. (Which are more persentage wise, a case where an adult is the judge or adult thinking young person).
I personally have not ran a contest, but I do plan to. But only after I have a contest I feel is worth running and on a subject I want to read about. (I think those are the major keys to not being bored when running a contest)
Again I must say, I loved your poem not only for it's style and grace, but how you put into words something that was bothering you without it sounding like a down right slam. -
Oh UB~I may have to write a separate regarding what you speak about changes in the requirements...LOL
I entered one awhile ago and the requirements were no prewrites then a few hours before it ended..Prewrites accepted...What the hell...
Then there was one that said maximum of like 30 lines and one poet wrote a novel..About 60lines...That person won...Now what kind of bologna was that...I don't expect to win..Would be nice but that is not the case...Just clarity on what the judge wants...It can be tricky to write when there are a zillion choices and the judge picked one that was not one of the choices...LOL
Where is my soap box...
But I will be back~I need a drink
and much love~
Desire
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Thanks Des~I can understand making comments at the end and you have always acknowledged every poet..Bravo to YOU~ I have noticed that some have not and don't even after the contest has closed~ It does not take long to say thanks for your entry or something~ This has happened to me but to young poets who have entered and may not have won but wondered if their poem was even read~For no comment or nothing was left~Only to some poems~Can be a tad frustrating to some~
Appreciate ALL you do Des and keep on writing and inspiring~
Big hugs and much love~Desire
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Thank you for your voice my dear~Appreciate the comments~Woot woot
Keep on writing~Big hugs and much love~Desire
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I should be thanking you...Thank you for your voice and I should have written this a long time ago~Thanks a bunch and best wishes to you
Big hugs and much love~Desire
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:gives Desire a high five: Oh I know this one. I love it when I work and put all my feelings out onto a page just to have it ignored. I mean I can talk to my kids and be ignored, I don't need that if I've entered a contest too! Great job here Desire, I couldn't agree more.
~*Misty*~
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Well, this has been the recent debate over "contests". I, personally miss the days when they were called "challenges" and there were no such things as trophies given out. I imagine if there were no trophies right now...less people would be entering contests...and there would be a lot less of this nonsense going on. When people used to enter Challenges...it was because they were exactly that...Challenges. The end result was not a trophy on your page, but it was the knowledge that you rose to the Challenge. Most of the "contests" are a joke now. Let's see...Enter any kind of poem you want, I just want feeling...WTF is that???? ...Write me a poem about cutting....Ummmm, excuse me, but what exactly is the challenge here? I am lucky if i check the contest section once a month anymore...every once in a while one will catch my attention because it seems to me a challenge. One thing i can assure you, Miss Desire...when i host "Contests"...they will always be challenges...and all entries will be considered. None of this...I'm gonna pick em cuz they're my friends business...
Hey, here is a better one yet that i've seen. Someone sets up a contest. THEN...they get a whole bunch of entries. THEN...they suddenly add in that pre-writes are allowed...after it's already been running for almost two weeks. And THEN...a friend of theirs who enters a pre-write after they changed the rules...WINS. Amazing isn't it? lol. So, when someone changes rules like that after a contest has already been going on...i think it says clearly to those who have already entered that theirs definitely didn't win...or the person holding the contest wouldn't need to add more rules for other people to enter. I find that to be highly disrespectful to people entering. But then again, all that you speak of falls into that category as well.
Good points Desire!
UB
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I read every entry as it comes in and send a little message acknowledging that entry because I never comment until I judge. I'm not sure but maybe that uber thingy that tells you who read your poem is as accurate or I should say as inaccurate at the who's reading what at the bottom of preferred members page. I've seen myself on the bottom as reading a poem that I might have read two days ago. Might not be able to go by that but I hear you loud and clear D.
Desiree
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*thought i mean
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If the reading entries become a chore
Why hold a contest if the process is a bore
And if the judge already has the winner picked
Before the other entries have come in
~More power to them
i sooo agree to this!
i *hate* it when a poem doesnt get read by the judge when entered into their contest
and i always intensely dislike it when the author of contest gets a lot of entries and then whines about how there is too mnay of them and he/she/it cant read all of them and he is sorry and bla bla...that's very very sad.
very good though
=)) -
THANK YOU! finally someone says something. i too have felt the anger of not even being commented on after posting for a contest. noone really ever expects to win i dont think, but i always feel that at least one person will read my poem, if noone else evr will. THANKS AGAIN. -cat-
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