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Contest Winter 2022/2023 Poetry Contest Voting Thread

Which poem do you like best?

  • Poem 1: "Skin to Bone"

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Poem 2: “WHAT’S THIS? – Nightmare Before Sotek”

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Poem 3: "The Sentinel in the South"

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • Poem 4: "Unyielding"

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Poem 5: Song of the Old Ones, Kroxigor Chapter

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
Scalenex
Slann

Scalenex

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Winter 2022/2023 Poetry Contest has begun. We only have fivepoems and you only get ONE vote, so read these carefully before voting.

They are fairly short so I recommend multiple readings. For me personally, I think it helps to read them quietly to yourself and then read them out loud.


Skin to bone

I thought I found a way out,
I evaded capture up to now.
But I don’t know how
I can’t keep running flat out

I hope someday I make it out of here
Even if it takes all night or a hundred years
Need a place to hide, but I can’t find one near
Want to stay alive, but all that drives me is fear

Running through the Jungle
Looking for a better place
Fighting an internal struggle
A voice in my headspace

‘We will tear you skin to bone,
If you do not return our sacred stone!’

“WHAT’S THIS? – Nightmare Before Sotek”

What's this?
What's this?
There's blood everywhere
What's this?
There's ashes in the air
What's this?
I can't believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
Wake up, Kweek, this isn't fair
What's this?
There's something very wrong
What's this?
There's lizards singing songs
What's this?
Everybody seems so happy
Why am I tied so stiffy?

What's this?
What's this?
There are lizards throwing heads
taken from the piles of dead
There's a glyph on every window
Oh, I can't believe my eyes
And in my bones I feel the warmth
That's coming from inside
the offering altar
What's this?
They're hanging rats’ furs
While Tehenhauin tells a story
Roasting skavens on a fire

What's this?
What's this?
There's nothing underneath
No bells here to scream and scare them
Or ensnare them, only little lizard things
Secure inside their land

What's this?
Oh my, what now?
The scent of fear is missing
Good feeling all around
Instead of screams, I swear
I can hear music in the air
The smell of burned flesh
Is absolutely everywhere
This fire is filling me
I want it, oh, I want it for my own
I'm going to know
I'm going to know
What is this Sotek that I will meet.

"The Sentinel in the South"


Beneath shattered gate of ancient make

Stands a statue cursed by the world’s fate

Frost rimes its scarred scaled hide

Slow heartbeat thumps in time to bide


It has stood since the polar gates fell

In the South against a daemonic hell

A final command from masters now lost

Patient and loyal caring not of cost


Beastmen with fur glittering white

Used to come here to glorious fight

The statue would move, and slay, and crush

‘Til ground was turned to bloody slush


No more do they come for war

And the statue waits ever more

For one day the green moon shall fall

A horde of darkness shall come to maul


The world will be lost in shadow and flames

But for the ancient Saurus, it’s duty remains

Frozen muscles will warm and fangs will bare

And slay what emerges from the Chaotic tear

"Unyielding"

The jungle is filled with trees old and strong
Their roots thick and branches long
They have seen and withstood it all
Heard the Saurian roar and Skinks call

Time has passed, yet here it stood still
Cities obscured, overgrown by vegetation
Ancient artifacts, slumbering in the heart of a nation
Protected by Slann and there unbending will

A calling from days gone,
a plan they will not stray from,
dedicated to a single purpose:
Rooting out every piece of Chaos.


"Song of the Old Ones, Kroxigor Chapter"

Praise be the Old Ones and all that they form

Fourth of the First, stand mighty Kroxigor

Tall as a mountain, as strong as a storm

Industrious, loyal and strong and so much more

In peacetime the burdens of labor, their shoulders will bear

Spawned among Skinks, Kroxigor protect the small

In wartime, the flesh of their enemies, their claws will tear.

Among all First, Kroxigor stand mighty and tall

Simple of mind, they completely focus on every task

Enduring and strong, eager to work

In peace or war, they do what the Skinks ask

No deed is too great or small, their duty they never shirk

Against their foes, a Kroxigor never yields

For their friends, Kroxigor are living shields
 
Poem 1 "Skin to Bone" by @Imrahil

Poem 2 “WHAT’S THIS? – Nightmare Before Sotek” by @Killer Angel

Poem 3 "Sentinel in the South" by @Y'ttar Scaletail WINNER!

Poem 4 "Unyielding by @Imrahil

Poem 5 "Song of the Old Ones, Kroxigor Chapter" by Scalenex
 
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These are all great. Only one vote, so will have to think carefully, though unfair advantage goes to What's This- as I had started a draft called the Nightmare Before Khornemas when I first had ideas to enter.
 
Ah, good. :)


EDIT: Indeed a diffucult decision. I've managed to tear it down to 2 candidates.
 
Last edited:
activity on this thread is winding down but the vote spread is narrow enough that last minute voting can theoretically change the outcome.

I enjoyed all the poems, I do not know enough about poetry to feel confident making deep criticisms of any of these.
 
The winner is @Y'ttar Scaletail.

Appropriately he only won by a nose.

Thank you to everyone who entered.


Time for some shameless self-promotion because if I don't want shamelessly promote myself, who will?

I am pleasantly surprised my poem almost won. Anyway, I've written a lot of poems with that formula.

Here is the Song of the Old Ones as it stands now.

I have chapters for Slann, Sauri, Skinks, Kroxigor, dwarves, and ogres/halflings.

Eventually, I want to add chapters for elves and humans. Maybe chapters for the actual Old Ones and anything else I think of.
 
Scalenex said:
I am pleasantly surprised my poem almost won. Anyway, I've written a lot of poems with that formula.
Click to expand...

Well you had my vote. It reminded me a lot of Treebeard's account of all the peoples and creatures of Middle Earth. :)
 
I should note that my vote went to "What's This" and I'm mildly surprised it didn't sweep the contest.

Maybe the entire world isn't much of a sycophantic ueber fan of Nightmare Before Christmas as I am.
 
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