When darkness fell
And all seemed lost
When the world became ruin
And evils triumphed
When the last hero that stood
Crumbled into ashes like the rest
You opened your eyes

The wreckage which was once
A shining civilization
The ground where castles were built
And kingdoms prospered
You now stand upon

The legends whispered your name
Every fallen hero has now become
The stars that make up your constellation
And with their powers coursing through your veins
You will avenge them all

There is no place for fear in your heart
No doubt in each step you take
No dangers will make you fazed
Because the world is counting on you…
Valiant one

sorry this is kind of late and for not submitting anything the last few contests – i’ve been in a bit of a creative rut lately :/ anyway, here’s my poem~

coming of age & falling apart

we were arsonists in the rain,
trying to love the world the way
you’d try to kiss someone who’d 
given you a split lip,
believing the only kind of bravery was
the kind that came with broken bones. 
we were the nuclear youth 
retching from the radiation, 
swallowing glitter and coughing up blood,
telling ourselves this was it,
nevermind the nicks and scratches
from hanging on too tight.
when the dust settles, what’ll be left
but gray hairs and radio static? 
you’re sick, i think, but so am i. 
we’re sick but so’s the world. 

I’m extending the judging date to February 26th in case we get a couple of extra poems! If not, I’ll just judge these two.

The courage of the strong- inspired by “The Star Spangled Banner”

One night
1814
Fort McHenry
Was Attacked
By The Brits
They Shot Bombs
Attacking
The fort

The brave
Kept the flag up
No surrendering
Not for anything
We want freedom
Even for death
That is courage
That is brave

Britain keeps trying
Shoot down the flag
It’s still up
America is holding
The flag
They try
All night
To keep the nation’s flag
Up

After hundreds died
Defending the flag
The Britt’s surrender
Our flag is still 
Standing
We’re strong
We won
Our flag still stands

Oh my gosh you guys you’re such amazing poets– Judging was really difficult this time! But here it is~

Third Place:

Thalorwin! This is a good interpretation of the theme! It’s very relevant and inspiring, and it has a happy air which lends some fun to the topic. It’s also nice how it tells a story. The title is particularly nice, and a bit thought-provoking; “The courage of the strong” ties in nicely with the theme, but it also adds to the feeling of triumph, since the courageous ones in this instance are also strong. Or one could interpret it to mean that courage gives strength. Overall, good work :)

Second Place:

pangolin! This was honestly such a difficult decision. It’s a spectacular poem – consider yourself basically tied for first. From the title, which fits perfectly with the rest of the poem, to the lyricism of “we’re sick but so’s the world.”, it fits wonderfully into a flux and flow of ideas that come together in just the right way. I’m always amazed by the way you pull off non-rhyming poetry; the lines are just the right length, and there’s a cadence and a pattern to the way the words come together even though there doesn’t seem to be a strict rhyme scheme or meter. Every message and idea is delivered with sheer grace, and the next one follows on in just the right way. The ideas themselves are so well-woven; I love the line “we were arsonists in the rain,” which sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It’s all truly gorgeous – you’re such a gifted poet <3

First Place!

Moon Wolf!! I really, really love this poem. It’s simple, brilliantly so, and every word fits perfectly into its place to create the image of the hero. I love how the poem’s subject stands apart from other brave figures – the idea that “Every fallen hero has now become / The stars that make up your constellation” is perfect, as well as the concept that this hero is different, and will achieve what others have not. The way you interwove the despair of the present with the hope of this protagonist’s rise is also amazingly evocative and compelling; the way that, when everything is going wrong, “You opened your eyes” is so stirring. And then the ending is perfect – the introduction of the theme with the words “Valiant one”, and the whole ring of that phrase, is truly incredible. This is an amazing, amazing poem. Congratulations, you’re the next judge!

Congrats Moon Wolf!!!!!
I sort of just like,

Thank you so much! Seriously, all the poems were amazing, and I’m surprised that I won.

The next theme is eclipse, since there’s an upcoming lunar eclipse. I’ll judge March 12th, but extend the date if necessary.

Parhelion
Midnight in the day, watching as the stars align
upon a cosmic stage, ever silent and divine
Tarnished silver mask, once shone with iridescent rays
your face, begone;
suspense holds the audience in sway
A waltz through light, and void, magic sings to Incan drums
shadows distort, waxing through orchestral hymns
Billowing fire, your hair flows across the night
I take your arm, as we dance o’er the frigid sky.
Power gathers in the air
Imagination stirs, to life
in this celestial masquerade, the world lies mystified
Feel the balance shift before our eyes;
Yin and Yang gradually unite,
those watching down below, stand awestruck as we fly.
Countless hearts now beat ensnared, tension rises to the high;
Radiant halos gleam, as your disguise, is cast aside…
Dazzling aura all revealed, my limbs of ice cannot sustain
the heat burning crimson red,
and I take flight like a dream.
Equlibrium reasserts its reign,
our drama draws to a solemn close.
You shining as you were,
I slip away unknown.

Alright, first entry of the year! Eclipse is a very special theme for me, in fact. The first username I ever adopted on the CB was Eclipse, and that was, um, six-ish years ago when I discovered Kyngdom and all the forums for the first time in my life, back when Agent Winter and company were still around.
On topic now, I obviously chose to write about the solar eclipse, which is more visually stunning, and the personal challenge I set up for myself was to incorporate as many real-life elements that occur during solar eclipses that I knew of, because art comes from real life. In addition, the lines of this poem vaguely follow the melody of the song Walking in the Air by Cecile Corbel which has been playing in my head for the past three days, so briefly listening to that may help with grasping the rhythm.

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