Sex Without Love
How do they do it, the ones who make love
without love? Beautiful as dancers,
gliding over each other like ice-skaters
over the ice, fingers hooked
inside each other's bodies, faces
red as steak, wine, wet as the
children at birth whose mothers are going to
give them away. How do they come to the
come to the come to the God come to the
still waters, and not love
the one who came there with them, light
rising slowly as steam off their joined
skin? These are the true religious,
the purists, the pros, the ones who will not
accept a false Messiah, love the
priest instead of the God. They do not
mistake the lover for their own pleasure,
they are like great runners: they know they are alone
with the road surface, the cold, the wind,
the fit of their shoes, their over-all cardio-
vascular health--just factors, like the partner
in the bed, and not the truth, which is the
single body alone in the universe
against its own best time.
-Sharon Olds
Let the poem inspire you
Free Verse Only
Left Align
Reasonable length
1500 points
Closes May 6
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 7, 2007
- Rewards: Gold: 1000, Silver: 300, Bronze: 200
- Final notes: This was a contest full of wonderful poetry, I truly enjoyed each piece and want to thank everyone who entered
and the winners are...
Contest Winners
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I liked to think I knew something special that night: / the poet, the woman, with quiet voice / and soft sby NurseChilly 39 lines, 46 comments, on May 4 9:50 AM 2007. In Love, Personal, Society
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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All it is - a dance, skin on skin / Bow played by fiddle in the night / Screams, not of ecstasy, but of / e m p t I n e s s / Sweat slick as snot, lubricates / But no gentle words to titillate / Does he know my nby WolfHeart 15 lines, 6 comments, on May 6 12:13 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 2886258, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [8]
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/ So I rebel against the hand of time / and throw down the gauntletto spite whatever Fates / may have tendered such an end; / I doby Peteskid 31 lines, 11 comments, on Apr 29 4:25 PM 2007• Commented on by judge.
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Comments
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hell yes.... especially as i heard her read this in the Museum in Manchester
I will have to pull my finger out for this one
great contest -
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Yes I remember that, I do hope to see something from you
thanks Gill
al -
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it still leaves me with a wonderful feeling even now, when i think of that night
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Being in NYC I've had the pleasure of attending readings by some of the truly great poets, unfortunately not Ms. Olds, someday perhaps... But I understand that feeling when I think back on some of those nights, I think they even help me keep writing today...
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that is an amazing piece of writing ... *cheers* m8 ... i'll have to buy another case, drink, and let the purity of the word flow ... (and that is not always easy)
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I think there will be more than words flowing over there...lol
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Excellent.
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Wow... That was an equisite poem, beautiful powerful... *Sighs wistfully* Oh that I could write like that... Ill put some thought into it, AJ, and goodluck with this contest. Did I tell you I finally scrapped mine? You truly are quite intimidating
-Ash -
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That's a nice way to put it...LOL
I think a lot of us wish we could write like the wonderful Ms. Olds
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Simply beautiful...you should get lots of wonderful poetry here too.
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she and Rita Dove are two of my very favorites!!!
I do not come anywhere near Sharon or yourself Al, but i will try possibly. I am just not as focused as Sharon & you. You two cast very big shadows!!!!
!!
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A big fan of Sharon Olds, but this is one I haven't read...definitely going to contemplate the possibilities and get in this one somehow. Excellent contest choice.
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great, plenty of time left I hope you get something in
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wow x beautiful x makes me think of the two sides, confident, or shy? one can have sex without hesitation, just for fun, whereas the other needs to know they care for the person they are goign to have sex with. i love it!
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A quite inspiring piece you've chosen. I will see how the poem settles in my thoughts and have a word about it with my muse in a while. If nothing comes of it from me, I do wish you a bounty of entries to chose from...
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thanks, but now you have my expectations up... lol
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Whew. I was worried it was over, Im working on something for this now. Like right now. I will post it as soon as its done
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OMG
I just read that poem for the first time last week. It was an assignment for my college English class. I fell in love with that poem. I will definitely be getting in an entry for this.
becca
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glad to hear it
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Too late to enter? Can ya deduct points for being late by a few hours? it took me awhile to bang this one out. I love Sharon Olds, but I guess I'm too late.
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Thank You!!
I'm soo glad NurseChilly won this one, it was hands down for me, after reading it. Excellent choices in placing al. Thank you for hosting, and the caliber of poets here, was well worth the read!
Kathleen
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whoaaahh... well strike me down... thank you Al...
big grins -
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i think you cheated...
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thanks, Al. congrats to Gill and Darcy. and a hearty well done! to all the other fine entries.
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Thank you so much, dear Al! Great entries, especially from my darling Gilly...it is was an honor to emulate the great Sharon Olds and also be a part of this fantastic contest. Again, thank you!
Hugs
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