Ten-by-Ten Poem Contest
Sponsored by Eighty Six the Poet
Your challenge: build the best ten-by-ten poem you can. Ten lines of ten syllables each. One-hundred syllables in all. No rhyme scheme is necessary, but the choice is yours.
Your writing prompt is simply: “Animal”. Do you dream of being an animal? Are you afraid of any particular animal? Do you know people who act or look like animals? Anything animal related.
I want strong images, imaginative descriptions and, please, no weak syllables. You get one-hundred. Make them count. I want to be surprised, moved, impressed and humbled. Hook me with your first line and slam the door with your last.
“I’m not a poet. I can’t do this.” Nonsense. If you write other styles, this will be good for you. You should approach every piece of writing, whether a business proposal or whimsical story, as if every word counts and you have a precise space to fill.
“I can’t do this. I’m not a writer.” Also foolish. Everyone uses words and most of you can count to ten. Someone will win this thing but no one will lose. You might learn something about yourself. My wife is writing a ten-by-ten and English isn’t even her first language. You can do this.
I wrote a post on writing ten-by-tens on my blog if you need some help. Also you’ll find a section with a few of my own. http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-write-ten-by-ten-poem.html
I want volume and variety. Give me writers of all backgrounds and poems of shocking range. Make it impossible for me to pick the best one. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity and best use of the form. If every line is not ten syllables, I won’t disqualify you, but please be precise.
I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my Cathartes Aura Series, which is written entirely in ten-by-ten form.
Translucent, the hawk banks through the blue sky.
The sun glows in its feathers, cream and gold,
Each quill back-lit. Turning broad smooth circles.
Wings flat across its back. Eyes like bullets.
Until it stops. Dead still. Time paused. Airborne
With weight and wings just right in the current
To be frozen in space as the trees weave
And the white clouds float on by. Target locked,
It descends: one hundred yards, fifty yards,
Fifteen and none. Claws pierce squealing rabbit.
From Cathartes Aura on the Road from Nowhere
Chapter Five, Verse Two
Prizes:
3rd Place: An ebook copy of “Cathartes Aura and the Apocalypse Zoo”
2nd Place: Ebook copies of “Cathartes Aura and the Apocalypse Zoo” and “Cathartes Aura on the Road from Nowhere”.
1st Place: Your poem will be published at the end of my next ebook. Also, ebook copies of “Cathartes Aura and the Apocalypse Zoo”, “Cathartes Aura on the Road from Nowhere”, and “Inside the Skull of David Priest” plus the “Cathartes Aura for Life” package, which includes everything Cathartes I will ever create. When I finish CA3, it’s yours. When I write all ten, they’re yours. When I get it in print, it’s yours. If I can ever get artists together for the illustrated coffee-table version, it’s yours. And I’ll get you tickets to the movie. No timeline for this package.
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Here is my 10×10 (I assume we are to post them here)
The fiend appears silently from its cave.
It taunts me, twitching and then still again.
I crouch down low, eyes wide and unblinking
as I prepare to pounce, to trap, to kill.
My muscles tense, I await its next move.
Time no longer matters (it never does).
I wag my tail once. Twice. The fiend retreats.
I uncoil. Lunge. Loose my claws to capture.
It’s gone again, Concealed under cushions.
Someday soon I will kill my master’s hand.
Yes, and that's great! :)
On the Rafflecopter you can choose the enter so that you get 25 points towards winning the eBooks as well. Thanks!
We'll call you entry #1.
Great start. If this keeps up, it will be hard to choose. Just the sort of thing I'm looking for.
I thought the same thing!
Thank you! It was a lot of fun to write :D
Slinking along the dirty forest floor
I follow the scent of hunger's relief.
My belly churns knowing satisfaction
is just a few meters away. I stop.
My prey is suspicious. It senses me.
With no time left for subtlety, I leap.
Teeth bared, claws extended, I launch forward.
There's no time for my prey to escape me.
I am the fury and ferocity
of the forest. My hunger is sated.
I like the 5-5 split. Interesting choice.
We’ll call you entry #2.
Everyone’s feeling predatory. I have one coming tonight: Wanna Be a Fish. A change of pace. Thanks, Pav.
I could do another one!
There once was a woman from Nantucket…
Wanna Be a Fish
Wanna be a fish. Have a slick fish head.
Spread fish jam on my fish bread. All is good
'Round my bowl today. If I don't like it
I'll swim away. To big and dry out there,
Too many numbers, letters and sounds.
Rather be a fish. Bubbles for my friends.
Swim a loop that won't end. Shiny treasure chest.
Castle of my own. Plastic kelp full grown.
And if I was a fish, I'd be the best.
Not bronze. Not silver. I'd be a gold fish.
(Oops. This is hard. One 9 syllable line and one 11. Let's try again. Who's idea was this, anyway?)
Wanna Be a Fish
Wanna be a fish. Have a slick fish head.
Spread fish jam on my fish bread. All is good
'Round my bowl today. If I don't like it
I'll swim away. To big and dry out there,
Too many numbers, letters, symbols, sounds.
Rather be a fish. Bubbles for my friends.
Swim loops that won't end. Shiny treasure chest.
Castle of my own. Plastic kelp full grown.
And if I was a fish, I'd be the best.
Not bronze. Not silver. I'd be a gold fish.
An animal took space inside my head.
It would pounce while I was quiet in bed.
Beastly brute subtly created doubt,
bleak feelings that I would be best without.
Foul creature slinked up insidiously,
stealing my courage while snarling at me.
Clawing at the fabric that is my soul,
the monstrous thing almost swallowed me whole.
I quelled this vile villain and brought it death.
Then my spirit awoke to claim its breadth.
Good to see someone rhyming. And what rhymes with "insidiously"? Nice work.
You chose the metaphorical animal. The variety is already making me quite happy.
Thank you for your kind comment. It's my first 10×10 and I enjoyed the challenge!
We’ll call you entry #3.
Slither forward just a bit. Closer now.
I feel the heat call me to continue.
Up through the dirt, I venture out alone.
Each muscle works together to move me
further along my chosen path. So Close.
Soft fluttering blades of grass wave me on.
Into the heat I am beckoned by some
unknown drive. Silken dirt changes to hard
bumpy stone. Heat greets me from above and
below. Crawling and Slithering I boil.
Tragic death of the earthworm. Drawn by the "unknown drive" to boil on the pavement. Aren't we all?
(You know on the first read I though it was about sex.)
Hi, Coral –
I entered Rafflecopter on BunnysReview, and left my 10 x 10 comment there – but I seem to be the only one. Is that ok – or should I move it here?
Patricia
Post it here too so we can read it!
Ok, here goes:
An-i-mal!
Did your Dad watch The Sesame Street Show?
My Dad always watched kid television,
and was entranced by Animal on drums.
My Dad played drums – not like an animal!
Although there were times when the
resemblance
was something to be very embarrassed about!
At least in the eyes of sixteen year old.
An-i-mal! An-i-mal! An-i-mal! Wild!
“Dad, please come back inside and watch
golf, or
hockey, baseball – closer to MY desire!”
(Coral – try not to enter me twice!!!)
Patricia
Too funny Patricia! I was an Animal freak too…what am I saying? I still am :0)
I forgot to put in directions, but I would prefer it here BUT we will canvass the others that are helping to make sure we get all the entries!
Been thinking for a while about starting "La Isla", an apocalyptic novel, or stretching "Inside the Skull" into a novel. But I've decided to get to work on Cathartes Aura 3. 100 ten-by-tens. Chapter One is already finished and on my blog under "Cathartes Aura at the Last Call Mall". I pledge to get the next two chapters done by the close of this contest.
One of the best things about a 1000 line poem: you know just where you stand. You know how long until the finish. You know when you're at the midpoint and need to build to the climax. You know exactly when to finish with a bang.
I've discovered than I need to treat this thing just like school. I need homework. I need assignments and deadlines. Can we put together an online place to post our goals and deadlines? I find that once you make such things public, you have to get them done. Sitting alone by yourself, you can always make excuses and procrastinate.
CA3. Done by the end of summer. Put it in your pipe and smoke it.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WritersConfession
We started doing this to document our work process.
With a baby and a toddler and a job, this is being a very difficult goal to reach. The whole thing done by the end of summer? I can do that. Anything done in the next week? I'm struggling to complete much of the second chapter right now. Seems I can never get writing started before midnight. I know just where I want the story to go and exactly how I want it to end, but building the individual stanzas is tricky. I'm free-writing about characters and dialogues. I really want to write the tenth chapter now, but I need to build to it. I need more hours and sleepier kids.
Working the late-night shift. CA3 16% done. 6 verses into chapter 2 and through a tough part of the plot. I found myself laughing at myself. Some comedy in a serious story. Keeping the blog updated:
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/cathartes-…
First two chapters done and on the blog. Can't keep the book out of my head and that's a good sign. Would love your feedback. Good to be writing 10x10s again. Love these characters.
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/cathartes-…
Here is my submission — thank you for making me write today :)
She assailed tonight, his incessant cries
channeled through the air, elaborate pain
her silver sharp tongue, preparing to leave
mother of despair, red showery rain
injecting his skull, tenacious torment
caressing its cells, injury ingest
the taste of his death, the wanting of life
inhaling his smell, the end will confess
she steals his last breath, he holds her last glance
her heart a deep growl, a husband’s last dance
Lamina
Liquid glass, shattered, swirling harmony,
streaks of white, pure sin, tears never-ending,
splash of black, tired soul, entwined discord,
a dance, silent and sleek, breaking in waves,
merging, moonlight reflecting, lost, despair,
seeking an opening, tiny fissures,
fractures in space, in time, in illusions
of for now and always and forever
and eternity. And they glide away.
Swans. Mates. Lost in a lagoon. Man made lake.
I love all the entries so far. This is going to be a hard contest to judge… I'm thinking of trying to write my first 10×10 too just to say I did it. lol
You know, Coral, you pretty much have to or spend the rest of your days living it down. Pavarti's already done two. My wife is doing one and English isn't even her first language. 86 excuses.
I could do another one if it will help guilt Coral into it :)
Careful. These things can be addictive. I wrote over 200 last year. You'll find yourself speaking in 10 syllable lines. Soon you won't even have to count and it's spooky.
I can see where that would happen! I'm sort of a straight to the point writer anyway. Okay… I'm THINKING about it.
LOL
Dead Kitties Don't Purr–sounds obvious, right?
I wrote that book with Kismet in my lap
Or cradled in my left arm, or in his cage
Healing a shattered leg: the first cruel clue,
Had anyone known. But what if we had?
He was tiny and black and purred so loud
Even when the big tom pinned him to groom.
He stopped growing early, and then grew weak.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis,
The dry form, took my purring sweet baby.
Ooh, you pulled the dead kitten card, but you pulled it well. Love the details about the tom grooming and the verb choice "groomed".
Love the juxtaposition of small words in conversational lines with the technical three word line at the end: "Feline Infectious Peritonitis". Kind of drops the axe.
Terrified of the creature that's so near,
It's sly, cold demeanor that hovers – leers.
It's majestic face that shows no disgrace,
Walking around at a leisurely pace.
A facade of infinite peace within,
A perfect exterior with no sins.
But i know the truth that beneath it lies,
A cheat – unfacable self it denies.
My biggest fear's the animal that's near,
it's here in the mirror where i see him.
I just put all these poems on my blog at:
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/may-2012-1…
And everyone's links, but I don't have yours. If you'd like me to include a web address or email, contact me.
Darling David – you have the wrong website for me :) Can you use http://www.fightingmonkeypress.com?
Thanks!
Pav
Pav's address updated. New poems from K Frahm and the Russells on the blog.
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/may-2012-1…
2 days left. Let's finish up strong. No one said you can't write another, especially if you're saying: "Damn! These are so much better than mine."
air cold and sky blue rising fast to meet
the fluttering flight of the late sparrow
tufts of down so soft and white grace her neck
a sacred choker keeping her prisoner
her eyes glitter from streetlights on the path
quickly darting from shadow to shadow
as darkness begins its slow trek to night
haven must be found before wings are clipped
down drifts like snowflakes as hands squeeze her neck
only night witness to her final flight
What a fun format!
Don't Need No Silver Bullet
Its behind me I can sense it's being.
I have no need to run this time, I'll wait.
If it wants to rip out my heart, too late.
Another's surgically removed it.
With the heart, he filleted my sense of self.
Now I can hear the low guttural growl
Its close to my shoulder, so patient, still.
I turn to face the yellow-eyed wolfman.
He's disappointed my heart is missing.
He shrugs, pads away, and leaves me alone.
All of the entries here I have posted on my blog.
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/may-2012-1…
If there are any entries anywhere else, let me know at forty3times2 at yahoo dot com.
For those of you (my favorite people) who are still perfecting and polishing, you have three days.
Black and tan and white and adorable.
Lick, lick I must be a delicious mix.
We have a one-way thermal dynamic
relationship. Tucked into my side, I
stroke her velvety soft ears while working.
Her little paws go pat, pat on my leg.
Liquid brown eyes follow me wherever
I go. Are you going to fill my bowl?
Excited to see me when I get home.
This little dog hates to be left alone.
There my first 10×10 NOT an entry! :)
So my hubby is the real poet and I challenged him to do this because he usually doesn't hold to any format but rhyming. Here is his NON entry. hehe
five inches tall and as mean as can be
his victories in battle are just three
he lowers his head and charges his prey
if you don't move you will not get away
he sits in his cage and makes noise all day
he won't shut up no matter what you say
roll him out of doors and he'll play with friends
bring him back in when day comes to an end
he has attitude and a temper see
put that to the side he belongs to me
Who cares what you think? I am jungle king.
I rule. I lead all creatures around me.
Hard work, snoring under acacia tree,
Rolling in the dirt and lying lazy.
I shake my head. Twirl my golden brown mane .
I roar. Big white teeth spark. Show my power.
Mates catch big dinner. I eat first. Best parts.
Cub comes close. I snap. Nothing for you yet.
Meal's over. We're all full. Time for desert.
Go round my harem. Mount them one by one.
Let it be known that I typed this in for Jaja and I corrected her correct spelling of "dessert". I switched it to a misspelling by mistake. Think I'd know better.
Just to make you all feel comfortable, I've made more mistakes in this contest than anyone else.
You are lucky that I have ten fingers
I dread this 10 by 10 job that lingers
my creativity is all stopped up
I'm on line four in this 10 by 10 cup
So I sit in a cool cafe today
with two days left to find something to say
Oh my- I have no poetry inside
the empty headed poet wants to hide
but I think I thought enough for today
Ended the poem with nothing to say!
Submitted to my Facebook page under the wire, so I'll allow it.
Great job, everyone. I'm very pleased. We're getting to work on the judging this weekend.
Thanks everyone for the entries. I'm quite happy. We're getting to work on the judging, but I welcome feedback from you.
What was your favorite poem? What did you learn through this contest?
If you want my specific feedback on your entry or any piece of writing in the future, just ask. My major goal for this whole contest was to meet some people and improve dialogue.
I'll have Chapter 2 of CA3 done this weekend with the rest of it coming soon after. I'll keep my blog updated.
I would love some feedback on mine, here or privately or wherever. I have just starting venturing out from behind my dusty medieval tomes this year and sharing my writing so… yes please.
I'll get in touch with you next week when I'm done with the judging. I'm happy to help.
We’ll call you entry #4.
We’ll call you entry #5.
We’ll call you entry #6.
We’ll call you entry #7.
We’ll call you entry #8.
We’ll call you entry #9.
We’ll call you entry #10.
We’ll call you entry #11.
We’ll call you entry #12.
In no particular order, my top three pics are:
#3
#6
#10
Also in no particular order:
#2, #7, #10
But frankly I loved reading them all!
I know, me too!
#6, #7, #8, #9 – in no order
This is the first time i have ever put anything i've written online so i'd appreciate any feedback/criticism anyone could give me.
in no particular order, my favs are #2 #7 #9
I really like your 10×10. You've painted a rather nice picture with your words. You're in my top three :D
Thank you very much.
Just added as an extra prize: digital music by my man DnW from the Dead Beat Society. The winners will be announced swiftly.
An awesome experience. Thank you all. I believe everyone including myself has grown a bit. Some have moved into foreign territory. Others have broken out of a shell. I have begun moving forward on Cathartes Aura Three and am trying to have a more professional and successful year.
To those who've asked me for in-depth feedback, I'll be contacting you soon. I'm always happy to talk writing.
In return, I'd be happy to receive feedback from you. This is an open invitation. I'm keeping my blog updated as my work moves forward. Let me know how you feel.
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/p/cathartes-…
And the first place winner is:
#8 by Amber Green
Some of the strongest imagery and the most emotional. Used strong verbs, physical details and varied rhythm. The medical/technical aspect of the ninth line contrasting with the sentiment of the tenth is what sealed it for me. Strong finish.
GRATS! You receive all of @86ThePoet ebooks PLUS your 10×10 writing will be published in his third installment of Carthartes.
@86ThePoet picked some other 10×10 writing that he liked during the contest –
#4 by Pavarti Tyler
Sensual, physical details mixed with the very foreign element that is a worm's mind. The surprise of the animal's suicidal drive. Lots of deeper intrigue about blindly yet willfully crawling toward your own doom.
#11 by Kathe Frahm
I feel the resignation and apathy of the heartless speaker and feel the approach of the wolf-man, whose silent and disappointed departure makes for a surprising close.
#7 by Sharon Mamolo
Soft imagery and silky diction give this poem a graceful feel and a somnolent tone. The love between the birds is strong and soothing.
# 10 by Kriss Morton
Striking fast motion. Sharp language contrasted with downy descriptions. A dark, demonic feel about the doom of the bird.
Thanks to all the judges who helped.
Eighty Six
Author of the Cathartes Aura Series and the David Priest Project http://www.eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cathartesa… http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0070KG5XE
Congratulations Amber and all the other winners! This was fun.
Congratulations, Pavarti, Kathe, and Sharon!
Beautiful words!
Patricia
Congratulations to all the winners!
Congrats to all those who were brave enough to enter – and congrats to those who were chosen as winners & runners :) Well done!
Thank you. Kudos to all the entrants.
Sorry about the lateness, but here are some final thoughts on the contest:
http://eightysixthepoet.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-x…
Thanks, everyone, for making this thing a ton of fun. I want to do another short writing contest. Any ideas?
Shterni and Kriss, I haven't forgotten about you. Kids, job, writing, lawn. You know.
Shterni, I need a contact address for you.
I wanted to email you, but I have no address for you, so I'll leave my critique here.
I like the introspective look into the difference between a person's "perfect exterior" and the "cheat" that lies within. I would like more specific details, stuff I can see and touch. I believe adjectives are not as strong as nouns and verbs. You use a lot of adjectives. I would rather see how the character looks and moves, then see how that differs from the things he does.
I rarely use rhyme myself, but it can be effective. I like near/leers from the first two lines. I'm not sure why line ten does not rhyme. Often I think end-rhyme forces the author to select from a very small batch of words. Your rhyme choices are still pretty strong, though.
But don't be afraid to break up your line endings. The phrase does not have to stop where the line stops.
You can create a lot of power
By ending a line on a strong word
Or ending mid-line. Short. Staccato. Change rhythm
And bring it back again.
Good work. I'm always happy to help, though my time is limited. What are your goals as a writer? What are you currently working on?
Thank you so much for getting back to me – i only just saw this.
Writing for me was always in order to organize my thoughts and have it clearly written in front of me, therefore always very introspective.
I randomly came across this 10×10 competition and decided to challenge myself to write one since I've never attempted one before – and it was a good challenge.
This was the first poem i have ever shown to anyone that I've written so it was a scary thing for me to put it online.
Even though writing for me is very personal and most of the time nobody is ever going to see it, i still like to challenge myself to attempt things I've never done before.
Rather then choosing a topic to write about and then writing, i usually just write about something that is going on internally at that moment.
Mostly i do use rhyming, however, recently i did challenge myself to write a poem that isn't in that form – i'm not exactly sure how that turned out…
I am extremely grateful for any feedback i can get and thank you for this i have found it really helpful!