I tried an acrostic! It was surprisingly fun!

hiding in the depths of every dark

ocean, is a slow current that will always

push upwards, but

eventually you must see the sun and swim for yourself. 

--
Lonnie

Thank you, Kitten! I didn't expect this, not with so many amazing poems by other people. But I'm happy! And everyone else, honestly, you did fabulously.

Okay! Next prompt is x. As in the letter. As in, "x marks the spot" or "solve for x" or whatever you want it to mean. And I love creative interpretations!

Judging date, hm. Maybe poems can be due June 6th, and I'll judge on the 7th? That gives you two weeks. Happy writing!

Here's my poem. It's not great and probably goes way too fast, but here it is! 

Nothing~

with one swift, clean movement,

the paper was covered in a large X,

staring at you in the face,

whispering all your failures to you

you scribble over the defeat

and crumple up the smudgy 

paper in frustration

the voices in your head

remind you that you're not good enough

and you never will be

with your head in your hands,

you can't help but give into the harsh words

and let them sink in

you can't suceed

you're nothing

you're a disappointment

you are terrible at everything

you will never be what others want you to

the voices rise,

but you refuse and stand up

you grab a sheet of paper and

work, not letting the words sink in

you add a large X on the back of

your paper and smile,

showing how hard you worked 

you won

you proved them wrong

you defeated them

then you pressed your pencil down

onto your to-do list

and placed an X on it.

Victory. 

XXX

is what she said,

right at the end

of her text yesterday;

What does it mean?

He wondered, frowning,

X as in a mystery, unknown?

X as in found, and then marked?

X as in variables in an equation?

X as in the letter, or a code?

X as in "go away" or "no"?

All the while, she too wonders;

How will he respond

to that XXX,

a mark that represents 

her hidden kisses.

Why me? 

I have so many answers,

so many solutions,

I am not one thing, 

no, I am thousands.

And yet you still get me wrong.

I wish I could tell your teacher I distinctly remember

equaling 64,

just a few days ago.

But she insists I am 62.

This  is not right.

I do not know who 

or what

I am.

Shouldn't I, of all people,

beings,

things,

know what I'm like?

But then I realize I do.

No number can sum me up.

I am x.

Do people not worship x?

I am powerful

I am  strong.

I am not 64, 

nor 62.

I am always there when you need me.

When you've lost a thing, 

I'll find it.

x marks the spot, as they say.

It's not amazing, but I haven't entered a contest in a while, and I just wanted to. 

Ignored

I languish in a pool of my own tears, staring at the gray sky, ice cold like my heart

People pass right by without seeing me, without acknowledging that I’m here

It’s only a matter of time before you forget I’m even a member of the alphabet

It’s all fine and good for you to use me colloquially

X marks the spot

Solve for x

But I used to be so much more, a noble, distinguished, powerful 

letter

As you forget my identity, my nobility, just remember this:

I’m sitting in my dark corner and staring at you with red eyes.

I’ll get my revenge.

Thank you, everyone who submitted poems! They were all quite inventive, probably 'cause the prompt was kind of vague. Anyway, here are the results:

Honorable mention: Jaybells. Your poem had this dreamy, solemn feel to it, which really drew me in. You highlighted the versatility of x as a letter, and the reveal at the end wrapped up the poem neatly. However, I felt it was a little less descriptive than some of the other poems. Overall, great job!

Third place: WordSong. Your poem was haunting and melancholy, with a happy note at the end. I felt like it could apply to so much more than just the letter x, which really gave it meaning. Again, not as descriptive as a few of the others, but I liked the concept a lot!

Second place: Kitten. Wow! Your poem was really colorful, as well as being deeply emotional. I could feel how angry x felt at being ignored. The first line, especially, struck me as being very expressive: "I languish in a pool of my own tears, staring at the gray sky, ice cold like my heart." My only (tiny!) problem with this was how it felt a bit repetitive. But it was a beautiful concept!

And first place: Spellbound! Awesome job! Your poem really felt snappy, rhythmic, and also filled with conflicting emotions. The "voices in your head" were clear and had a fast back-and-forth going, almost like a battle for control over your mind. Well done and congratulations!

Sorry if this feedback seems a little short. I... didn't want to bore you, I guess? 

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