I want to see societal poems about the Afghanistan and Iraq war. For or against I don’t care I just want to see something other then what I have been reading lately.
Options:
1. Write from the perspective of the soldier American or otherwise it doesn’t matter nor does it matter if you were there or not, I just want to get a feel for what you think these warriors are going through.
2. Write from the perspective of the civilians caught up in this conflict again you need not have been there I just want to know your thoughts.
3. Write an opinion of the war for or against, I doesn’t matter which I just want to know if you care.
Rules:
Free write please
Vulgarity - Soldiers cuss you may use it but don’t make it your whole poem.
Erotica – No thanks, again soldiers do think a lot about sex but as a means to an end a release if you will, if you do use it try to keep that in mind.
Bashing – It will not be tolerated, please leave constructive criticism
Commenting on the other poems - Do I expect it? You bet your ass I do, you place a poem in hopes someone will acknowledge it, please be courteous enough to do the same.
Spell check is a must.
I am not an English teacher I am not a great poet but I do know what I like so I will be judging from that perspective.
Pre-writes - Ok folks have been asking to allow pre-writes and I have been convinced, pre-writes will be allowed.
Options:
1. Write from the perspective of the soldier American or otherwise it doesn’t matter nor does it matter if you were there or not, I just want to get a feel for what you think these warriors are going through.
2. Write from the perspective of the civilians caught up in this conflict again you need not have been there I just want to know your thoughts.
3. Write an opinion of the war for or against, I doesn’t matter which I just want to know if you care.
Rules:
Free write please
Vulgarity - Soldiers cuss you may use it but don’t make it your whole poem.
Erotica – No thanks, again soldiers do think a lot about sex but as a means to an end a release if you will, if you do use it try to keep that in mind.
Bashing – It will not be tolerated, please leave constructive criticism
Commenting on the other poems - Do I expect it? You bet your ass I do, you place a poem in hopes someone will acknowledge it, please be courteous enough to do the same.
Spell check is a must.
I am not an English teacher I am not a great poet but I do know what I like so I will be judging from that perspective.
Pre-writes - Ok folks have been asking to allow pre-writes and I have been convinced, pre-writes will be allowed.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on November 17, 2007
- Rewards: Gold: 300, Silver: 200, Bronze: 100, Honorable mention: 15 people
- Final notes: Thank you all so much for entering my contest, this was only the second contest I have ever created and needless to say it was a difficult contest to judge some of you who received an HM really deserved better, I will be creating a contest for poems with HM wins only soon, please look for it and I encourage those with HM’s to enter. Again, thank you for your wonderful entries.
Contest Winners
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 3569804, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 3597822, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 2941158, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I wake to the early morning light, Once again sand in every crevace of my body,by Beyond Broken 43 lines, 3 comments, on Nov 3 4:59 PM 2007. In War, Soldier, Thoughts
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3490762, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I’ll tell you what happened; What happened too us.by Hypocritical Oath 10 lines, 4 comments, on Nov 3 6:52 AM 2007. In Life, Personal, My own style, Message, War Honorable mention
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while the oppressed of the oppressed
wait behind doors ...by waydownuponjoy 63 lines, 35 comments, on Jan 5 5:33 AM 2007. In Contemporary, Message, Humanity Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
I lay here in my weathered hole
I pray dear Lord to search my soulby Misty Melody 11 lines, 17 comments, on Feb 27 9:20 PM 2007. In Spiritual, Society Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 1597201, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I kiss my wife, / the start of another day, / off to work, / all is OK. / I see my neighbor as I walk out the door, / he waves hello as I wby Sinnastarr 36 lines, 19 comments, on Jul 28 11:19 AM 2007. In Thoughts, Contest, Dark, Life, Pain, My own style, Lost in thought, Sadness, War Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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When your reflection breaks
you look into the shards of the mirror• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
the world is a strange place and life has a hidden face• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Gold trophy winner
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I sometimes write about Vietnam,sometimes The Troubles re the sectarian war in N.Ireland and recently my mind has been on Hiroshima and WW2,after reading the speech that pilot of the enola gay left,stating he never had any regrets nor one sleeplessness night after taking 100,000 lives,I am not making this political but sharing a perspective in that the only thing I am sure of anymore is that the repercussions of war remain raw long,long after ceasefire,for the soldier and for the civilian.Good luck with the contest,am bookmarking.You may get more entries if you open this up to prewrites though
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No pre-writes?
Not even for a topic as important as this?
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I came here by coincedence. I read an entry by one of my favorite writers. I chose not to leave a comment, even though I usually do. I have been to war before. There are things I would talk about. Some hold humerous moments and then others where seriousness was an understatement. i know I pass out my rations to the women and children we passed by in the fields when I was in Iraq. I remember breathing the black ashes in the air when I was in Kuwait. I remember sleeping in a minefield for three days where the ordinance was marked by pink tape. I remember how some of the people I know and went to war with came back cold and others came back thankful. I rarely ever talk about being in a war. I have a friend that has known me for over three years and only today did they even know I was in a war. I forgot what triggered the conversation, but she was surprised to find out I was in the military and served in battle. Only two sentences were stated and then the conversation was changed to something else. I'm surprised I even spoke about it this long. I admire your contest and those who enter. I think the thing I doubt is that if someone can actually put themselves in the shoes of a soldier who has served in a combat theater of operations or currently serving in one. They can imagine scenarios, but until it happens there cannot e a true measure of emotions. It's like being taught a subject in a classroom with equations on a chalk board and proving theories correctly out in a field. I'm not trying to bash your contest in anyway for I think it provokes much discussion that is always needed to keep people active in the society in which we live. I just know from my own war experience, I just rarely talk about it. My brother and I was over there about the same time in the early 90s. I know we maybe have talked to each other about it maybe about three times in seventeen years. It was only after today when I watched the services/parades on television for the veterans, did I think about writing about some of the experiencs there. Of course, I thought about taking the lighter side approach where there were times ne could laugh at some of the predictaments we were in as a unit and even as some individual roles. I remember being told by a captain..."Sergeant Bare (real name extracted-lol), I can't believe you flew over 10,000 miles to go shopping!" He meant that as I found time to go shopping in the middle of a war, but that was before we were involved with the ground war. I do like to shop as I did the night I boarded the plane from Fort Campbell to haed to Saudi Arabia, the night the air campaign was launched. One of the items I purchased was a small black and white 5.5 inch screen TV/Radio so I could keep up with us in the war. Another item was a portable shower (which came in super handy as I filled it with 5 gallons of water and placed it on the Humvee's hood on a regular basis to be heated from the sun). Now you have some type of perspective from someone who served uring Desert Shield/Storm, but may not what you were seeking as I chose not to place an entry. Good luck to all in the contest and I hope you as the host receive different perspectives you may be wanting as entries.
Ted E -
That person has commented to me as an IM so graciously and would like to know more. I recently wrote a poem based on the generic experience of going, but I would not feel right putting it in this contest for it has won a trophy. It's my belief if a poem has won a trophy of bronze or better, then it should be retired to that contest. Like I said, that is something I have for myself and don't impose it on others. I do like them to stay in my own contests I host if I awarded them a trophy out of respect for that contest and for others who may have wanted to see the winners. Sorry for going on and on. Good luck all!
Ted E
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3505102 -
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I like you have never talked about the war to anybody, it just doesn’t feel right, one of the reasons I don’t talk about it is because everyone wants to think of you as a hero as if what I did was something worthy of the name hero. I’ve never seen it that way I was there because I was a marine and I was ordered to be there yet I fought to protect my friends and comrades, my family if you will. I got a letter from a friend who had to return because of a family emergency and he wrote back telling me how he was greeted at the airport by a crowd and reporters, you see we are from a very small town, he joked about the royal treatment he received, yet having grown up with this guy I could read the discomfort between the lines. Perhaps the discomfort lies in knowing that your friends are still over there fighting and dying. Who knows, I caught myself getting angry when I over heard two guys speaking about the war arguing the pro’s and cons about it, one commenting that we couldn’t afford to have the troops return “because” as he explained “imagine all those soldiers being discharged at the same time, why it would ruin the economy” I became incensed my friends are at war to protect America from terrorism these guys are at the mall worried about their pocketbooks. Why did I start this contest? I suppose I just wanted to prove to myself that others consider the true consequences of the war the young men and women fighting over there. I imagine my young cousin coming of age to an old war and having to go through what I had to go through while I shop at the mall, will I be worried about what the potential disruption his return will make in my life or will we look at each other with knowing glances and sit quietly watching some sports show. He asks about my experiences over there, I just rub my leg smile and say nothing. Perhaps some day I will find the courage to tell him what it is I saw and did over there……funny how I still find it hard to say Iraq.
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I can tell you understand exactly where I'm coming from. I have talked about the war (The first Gulf War) in a previous poem and here at your contest than I have basically have in the past seventeen years since going there. About those guys in the mall talking about the economy side aspect, you will always have those people who will never understand. It's why we have a military to protect the smart and not so smart in the first place. Everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of a soldiers labor. I have no regrest for volunteering for the war I was in and almost sometimes wish I had a video of everything I went through to let someone know what hard life could be when they start talking about piddly stuff. I know about the hero aspect of it too. I know there were soldiers who were highly decorated and deservingly so. I have never looked at myself as the hero, but the fallen soldiers. They are the real HEROS in life to me. From one soldier to another, I thank you for your service and honor to your and my country. I always reenlisted without any bonuses. I did it for the patriotism. I have seen a lifetime of things to make me value the time we get everyday to treat it as precious. If I would have to live in a cardboard box, I would still find an optimistic way to appreciate the freedom that has been granted to me. Good luck with your contest and your comment to mine
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THank you for the gold position and congrats to silver & bronze.
I'd also like to say thank you for the oppertunity to enter this poem ... I've never been to war so I can't give you a take on the effects of it .. All I can say is that wars should only be fought to aim for a better world, not for collateral gain .. that is if wars should be fought at all.
TTFN -
Thankyou so much for the Honourable Mention and congratulations to the trophy winners.Thankyou also for the inspiration of the contest
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