I recently posted two contests involving indices of first lines. I liked the response, so I've decided to take the last line of 20 random poems and ask you to write a poem ending with one of them. Please enter as many times as you like.
This is not a totally random selection. The lines all come from an anthology called Contemporary Scottish Verse (published 1970). I've tried to choose lines which I hope will inspire you. The original poems may be hard to find, for they're all fairly recent, but I'll try to give you a link to the original if I can.
Some lines begin with capital letters, and some with lower case. That is the way they were written. Please preserve the form. The length and structure of the rest of the poem is up to you.
1. You understand. That's all I have to say
2. And hers is when I welcome the blindness of night
3. And a lark flashed its needle down the west
4. If you see one red rose in the window
5. Who lay in a ditch, his mouth full of dying fires
6. From then on it was never the same
7. Count the years of their marriages
8. Over their American soft drinks, into their empty hands
9. waves lick at the rocks. You feel the wind bite
10. when stones in sky and water silently sing
11. and shrill among the leaves, my children impatiently calling
12. My father turns, with tears on his young face
13. So many summers, and I have lived them too
14. I'll breathe, and long past midnight, your last kiss
15. From time the souvenirs are deeds
16. the unpredicted voices of our kind
17. To pot the moon with a precise machine
18. The fox has slipped away in the dense wood
19. From the past's explosive dust
20. the ageing woman combs her hair
Here's hoping your imagination has been stimulated.
This is not a totally random selection. The lines all come from an anthology called Contemporary Scottish Verse (published 1970). I've tried to choose lines which I hope will inspire you. The original poems may be hard to find, for they're all fairly recent, but I'll try to give you a link to the original if I can.
Some lines begin with capital letters, and some with lower case. That is the way they were written. Please preserve the form. The length and structure of the rest of the poem is up to you.
1. You understand. That's all I have to say
2. And hers is when I welcome the blindness of night
3. And a lark flashed its needle down the west
4. If you see one red rose in the window
5. Who lay in a ditch, his mouth full of dying fires
6. From then on it was never the same
7. Count the years of their marriages
8. Over their American soft drinks, into their empty hands
9. waves lick at the rocks. You feel the wind bite
10. when stones in sky and water silently sing
11. and shrill among the leaves, my children impatiently calling
12. My father turns, with tears on his young face
13. So many summers, and I have lived them too
14. I'll breathe, and long past midnight, your last kiss
15. From time the souvenirs are deeds
16. the unpredicted voices of our kind
17. To pot the moon with a precise machine
18. The fox has slipped away in the dense wood
19. From the past's explosive dust
20. the ageing woman combs her hair
Here's hoping your imagination has been stimulated.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 4, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 300, Silver: 100, Bronze: 50, Honorable mention: 5 people
- Final notes: Let me say first of all that this was an incredibly difficult contest to judge. I've never had such a range of entries to a competition before, and believe me, it was difficult not to place so many qulity pieces of work. It amazes me how a list of words can inspire so much variety of thought in poets from all over the world.
In the end, I was won over by the sonnet The Imperfect Speakers, because it is cleverly put together and has a clear message.
waves lick at the rocks is an excellent, evocative poem, which bridges the gap between Scotland and New Zealand in a very spooky sort of way.
Paper Dolls was a late entry, and I like it a lot. And there should be some free verse among the finalists.
The honourable mentions are all excellent.
Thanks to all the entrants from the bottom of my heart. I loved reading your work. And I'm sure the poets who provided the final lines would agree.
Contest Winners
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by Mairi bheag 16 lines, 31 comments, on Apr 18 8:55 AM 2008. In Sonnet, Weird, Weird Sisters, Scottish
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4137879, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Women hold hands in the dark; identical Penelopes
Count the years of their marriages.by cherylline 38 lines, 6 comments, on Apr 30 9:28 AM 2008. In Contemporary, Contest
Bronze trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4137903, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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by Amera 19 lines, 15 comments, on Apr 18 2:42 AM 2008. In Contemporary, Thoughts, Tet Zayin
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Entries [33]
1 - 33 of 33
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Summer in the Swedish woods, my wife and kids breathing in the Nordic purity of pine resinby Bad Bill 19 lines, 6 comments, on Apr 18 5:18 AM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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I have to talk to you. Thought my last words are few.• Commented on by judge.
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My darling it has been so long Since I saw your handsome face• Commented on by judge.
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• Commented on by judge.
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by WonderingForever 29 lines, 2 comments, on Apr 17 10:02 PM 2008. In Lost Love• Commented on by judge.
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From then on it was never the same,
the tress were red and gold now there black as night.by Butterfly24 7 lines, 3 comments, on Apr 18 5:21 AM 2008. In sad• Commented on by judge. -
Remembering all those years ago the way you picked me that very first rose,by toomysterious 8 lines, 2 comments, on Apr 18 12:17 PM 2008. In love, thoughts, contest, Last Lines• Commented on by judge.
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18. The fox has slipped away in the dense wood• Commented on by judge.
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They say that when your dying life flashes before the eyes,
so the day I saw my mother came as no suprise,• Commented on by judge. -
In saddness and in faith I sit and wait byby notallowedtocry 31 lines, 1 comment, on Apr 30 7:59 AM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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You know me. I'm the one who talks to you,• Commented on by judge.
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For all unspoken, unplanted and tragic news that sweeps across the terminal visions
Views that go unheard and are versioned as 'just a ploby LeanneBridgewater 31 lines, 4 comments, on Apr 30 10:28 AM 2008. In Thoughts, Life, Society, Nature, Contemporary, Contest, Freewrite, Message• Commented on by judge. -
When thickly dense darkness weaves a magic texture A lovely light sparks before you in the leadby Purush 7 lines, 2 comments, on Apr 30 7:15 PM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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There are three words that lovers often use
Not meant as often as you'll hear them saidby cricketjeff 16 lines, 8 comments, on Apr 30 7:51 PM 2008. In Love• Commented on by judge. -
Brisk wilt, brittle knots
dreams of love carry• Commented on by judge. -
• Commented on by judge.
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• Commented on by judge.
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Comments
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Good Prompts!
Inspired...coming back later.
Good Luck!
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Awesome contest you have here. I have found a steady decrease in the inspiration-factor around these parts, but you have a great one here! Well done!
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Well, Keith, you've done it again - look at all these entries in less than 24 hours! Bravo.
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