On June 6th, I will be clean and sober for nine months. For reasons I don't even understand, I chose to go cold turkey during the worst two years of my life. And while I will be the first to admit that there have been moments of weakness and temptation to fall back into old ways, I am, at heart, defiant, even to myself and have been able to keep strong thus far.
So, this contest is primarily about when an addiction has lost its grasp on you. I am of the opinion that addiction can rear its ugly head in the form of a person, a drug, alcohol and various other systematic tools of destruction. But because I understand that every journey begins with a step, I also welcome poetry about addiction and the desire to break free from it, in general.
RULES:
1. I HATE rhyme. I feel like it takes more skill to properly exhibit emotion and create imagery than it does to make sure that heart, start and dart are all encompassed in the same stanza! Please, please don't enter an aggressively rhyming piece in this contest! It will be judged all the more harshly because I'm not a fan!
2. Spell check, grammar check and punctuate appropriately! Don't be sporadic and inconsistent. Go gangbusters or go home.
3. This is a serious subject for me. Be credible and honest in your piece. If you like, add some personal information in your author's notes regarding your struggle. You never know, you may make a difference in a peer's life without ever knowing.
As usual, trophies and points always stand a chance of going up before the close of the contest. I stockpile points for months on end and have been known to blow them all on a single contest, if moved to do so! I will comment on every entry because it's respectful and important.
Be brilliant.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on June 8
- Rewards: Gold: 400, Silver: 200, Bronze: 100, Honorable mention: 4 people
- Final notes: In this contest, I was gifted with a number of different perspectives and voices. I was challenged in some circumstances and agreed with in others. I enjoyed this one very much, finding it cathartic. I hope you all did too.
I did end up giving four more trophies than initially thought based on the level of brilliance I received.
Thank you to each and every one of you and the best of luck in your journey.
-Bean Sidhe
Contest Winners
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This is how it always ends,
never with any great fanfare• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item , it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Canteen of contentment,
utter happiness in sipping the sin.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
After a long affair
With a very jealous women• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 5375300, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Honorable mention
Entries [18]
1 - 18 of 18
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In a the middle of the
coolness of sobriety -- collectedby PurpleAnarch 51 lines, 2 comments, on May 26 5:32 PM• Commented on by judge. -
How easy it is to
place blame for overdoing anythingby Janice M Pickett 69 lines, 2 comments, on May 25 7:08 PM• Commented on by judge. -
30 words of addiction• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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How I remember her well-- She clears the darkness with a path of light. And brightens the most hideous night. There is no compromise- for tby roland halloway 34 lines, 42 comments, on Apr 23 9:44 PM• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Thoughts that cloud your mind with hate
let you feel the pain of death
as it clings to your intelligence,by Missmichelley 30 lines, 1 comment, on May 18 12:18 PM• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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You say you are sorry,
sorry for what?• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Erotic melodic envisioned mission
Amidst the mist of twisted listensby Unforgotten 12 lines, 1 comment, on May 26 6:38 PM• Commented on by judge.
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 10 of 10
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I'm addicted to my eating disorder.
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And that type of addiction is as hard to kick as any other. I have had my own problems in that area so please feel free to enter.
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I might enter since I just got to the point were my two main addictions, have no hold on me anymore, I feel so great, but I haven't been writing lately. I might try.
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This contest is open to pre-writes if you have something that you are particularly attached to. It's interesting that my writing has slowed significantly since I got clean...but I hope you will find your way back to this contest. Consider yourself invited!
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I write plenty of addiction/recovery writes, God willing I'll have 5 years on Oct. 1st. But I also rhyme and dont agree with you on your contention that:
"1. I HATE rhyme. I feel like it takes more skill to properly exhibit emotion and create imagery than it does to make sure that heart, start and dart are all encompassed in the same stanza!"
I hate contests that state they hate rhyme.
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Rhyme just happens to be something that I don't do well and can't really work with in my personal writing. That's not to say that I have never found a writer that rhymes that I couldn't appreciate. So, I guess my intention was to specify that IF you choose to enter a rhyming piece (and there are always a few), it should really say something and have emotional imagery to draw the reader in, rather than rely strictly on the author's ability to rhyme.
Please feel free to enter this contest but be forewarned that I do tend to judge them more harshly.
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Congrats to you on your achievment. I have a brother who quit coke cold turkey and has never used it again, it has been over 20 years for him. So it can be done.
Cheryl -
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Thank you for your kind thoughts. Your brother must be a brave man and a strong spirit. I'm proud that he walked away from that particular albatross. It can't have been easy.
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I'm happy for you to have overcome the consequence at hand. Thanks for sharing this, it helps many
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Thank you. My sincere hope is that we can all grow & heal with the help of contests like this & others. Addicts need to know other people have survived this struggle so that the light at the end of the tunnel becomes tangible.
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