I have decided to run a contest to help design the cover of my upcoming poetry book. This is a coloring contest. If you are interested in participating in the contest, the download is below. If that doesn't work, you can send me a message through the chat icon below, or through my contact page and I will send you the file to color. I have a free download for subscribers in my March Newsletter.
Contest rules, the download, and some sample poems are below. Enjoy.
Contest rules:
1 entry per person
All entries must be submitted by July 15, 2021
All entries must have first name, last initial and email address
Anyone can participate
Semi-finalist selection will be August 2, 2021 - August 23, 2021
Finalists will be selected August 30, 2021 - September 20, 2021
The winner will be announced on Twitter and my blog October 4, 2021, along with the runners up, and honorable mentions.
Voting will be done by Twitter and I will send emails to Semi-finalists, Finalists, and the winner.
Contest Reward
Seeing your art in print
Cover art credit in my book
Poems from “Nothing to Hide: 365 Poems from the Soul”
Friend
My friends are few and far between
Outside of social media I mean
Most of my friends are family
To me that’s not a tragedy
Having friends, even online
Is a never ending gold mine
Friends will always be there for you
Returning the favor shows that you’re true
Who would you call for help at midnight?
Your best friend can set everything right.
A good friend will be there through thick and thin
A best friend will help you plan the break in
Having at least one friend that is real
Will help a wounded soul to heal
By real, I mean thoughtful and true
That’s all that matters to my point of view
A friend can be anyone you meet on the street
Or someone you only know through a tweet
The definition of friendship is broad and unending
Friends like gardens need care and tending
Remember your friends during this time
Give them a call, send them a rhyme.
Vocabulary
Words for speaking,
Words for writing,
Vocabulary makes your world enticing.
Bring your readers through the door,
Teach them all your Elder Lore,
Use your vocab, show them more.
Our worlds are wrought with what we desire,
Although some scenes may be quite dire,
Light up your readers, bring the fire.
Teach them something new today,
Enlarge their vocab, they will stay,
With new words they can play.
Take your vocab words to heart,
Learn even more, bring on the smart,
Write an extra special part.
Pup Pup
Our dog is a dope when he plays
He always seems to be in a daze
We’ll throw his toys in one direction
He’ll head to the opposite section
We shake our heads and laugh a lot
At this dog who don’t know squat
We’re trying to teach him to search with his nose
He’s getting better at it the older he grows
He has learned some wonderful tricks
He can play dead, and jump over sticks
He’s such a lovable, fuzzy dog
Especially when he hops like a frog
We still don’t know to what breed he should belong
They said Chinese Crested, but that’s plain wrong
He’s too big and fuzzy to be
A small, nearly naked doggie
A Cavachon seems more his type
Though he’s likely a mutt, that’s all right
It was love at first sight
This puppy was just right
His favorite time is when we’re both home
That’s his fun time, we play and roam.
Dart
I love to fling
Sharp little darts
At hanging boards
In fits and starts
I aim for bullseye
Most of the time
Although my aim
Could stand a climb
My games are
Cricket and 501
I played in a league
I had some fun
I won pins
That mean a lot
‘Hat Trick’ and ‘Low Ton’
Tricks I was taught
I have my own darts
From when I played
They’re purple and black
In a glittery shade
Throwing darts
Gives me peace
Having my own board
Would be a release
Where to put it
Is the question
I don’t want to hit stuff
During my session
Or put holes in
Drywall boards
I do want one
That keeps scores
It’s been a long time
Since I’ve played a game
Do I remember
How to aim?
Jump
I jump at every little sound
That clangs and bangs in the background
My nerves are shot, my heart pounds fast
Any more scares, and I won’t last
I need to chill myself out
Before I face a full burnout
When I search for the sounds, of course,
They never seem to have a source
It feels like I’m losing my mind
To search forever but never find
The source of all the noises I hear
It’s all in my mind, I fear
No one hears the things I do
It’s enough to make one blue
Still I doggedly press on
Till my future, final dawn
I will last, I will keep living
Full of hope and thanksgiving
Stigma
It’s hard to have any life
A stigma adds lots of strife
“It’s phantom pain, all in your head”
I feel like I’ve been run over in bed
“There’s nothing wrong that I can see.”
Something’s not right, pain won’t let me be
“It looks to me like you’re a drug seeker”
While I sit here, the pain makes me weaker
Not all doctors believe what you say
They’ve never had to live this way
Learning more about other’s pains
Will help us wipe away the stains
Mental illness shouldn’t be feared
So what if it makes us a little weird
Everyone had their own little quirks
The point is, to do what works
Only together can we wipe stigma away
Teach the doctors, save the day.
I hope you choose to participate in my contest, I really want to see what everyone comes up with.