A C P C - 2015/05 New Challenge Poem/Title Contest - Info Poem by Brian Johnston

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NEW CHALLENGE POEM/TITLE CONTEST
- - - - - TITLE FOR MAY 2015 - - - - -
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The May contest will take place on my site. Sorry that various problems interfered with an April Contest which never materialized. Other PH poet's who are interested in helping with or hosting this ongoing contest please let me know. The new challenge for May is to write a poem from the perspective of an actual historical character or even a literary fictional character if you chose. Any poetic form is permissible.

My own entry this month is based on the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. My poem's author is Orpheus and the he is writing a good bye poem to Eurydice after he has just lost her for the 2nd and final time.

Previous rules published will be adhered to. Only one entry per poet unless you co-author a poem with another poet. In such a case the major and minor roles must be clearly discussed in poet's notes.

Any poem received before midnight on May 31,2015 will be considered a valid entry. Late entries may be posted but no votes for them will be counted.


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Contest Entries Begin Here....
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My Name Is Simply Orpheus

My name is simply Orpheus,
Could you be my Eurydice?
What curse the parent of this fuss?
Though blind I feel that you are there,
My eyes like pools of saltern sea,
Still I hear music in your hair,
Vibrating strands, chords on my lyre,
That charms the bitterness in me,
And still can set my soul on fire.

God’s DAMN the Gods that took your life
Damn serpent, flesh that gave me name!
Pale muse, lost solace, soul mate, wife,
What care I if Apollo dies.
The sea extinguish sun’s bright flame!
The God’s care not for human cries,
Their intrigue plagues the firmament
Are Whores that ply for only fame
With human blood apparent rent.

The voice she loved has caused my fall
From love to such obscurity …..
The jealousy of Gods is all.
Though lyre and music won her heart,
The Shades command eternity,
With hearts like ice and faces dour.
All action just poor player’s part,
That struts and frets for but an hour,
On stages only Gods can see.

Brian Johnston
April 5,2015

Poet’s Notes:
A love poem from Orpheus to Eurydice that he composes after he has lost her a second time just after almost rescuing her from Hades and before his own death.



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My Name Is “Kong”: Wrong! ….. [movie ‘monster’; From The ‘monster’s’ Mouth; A Bit Long; For Brian Johnston’s PH May ‘contest’] - Poem by Bri Edwards

Hollywood made, of me, a movie …..
some thought scary, others thought groovy.
In it I was called “King Kong”;
boy, were those people ever wrong!

“Skull Island” they called my land.
Boy, those people were out of hand.
I’ll tell the truth, if it be told.
I’m descended from men of old!

Back before “Man” ’s current state,
I came from creatures very great.
We did not use the word “creatures”;
we used NO words, nor had we teachers.
We were a flawless race (so we thought) ….
until near-extinction was once brought.

We used no words. We lived in peace.
Happiness we felt would NEVER cease …,
until the month of those Deadly Rays …
which brought an end to happier days.

We were not unlike you totally,
but unlike you ….. we were war-free.
We had plants and other kindred life.
We lived peacefully; we had no strife.

Then rays unlike those from the sun ….
began to strike; we tried to outrun …..
them.
As I said before, we used no words,
no words for lizards, palms, or birds.
But I “speak’ NOW with words …. you do know;
from my spirit, they NOW do flow.

The rays brought …. to some, Death.
At first they just slowed my breath,
but I and others began to grow,
becoming what Hollywood did show.

I’d NOT looked like “Kong”, the ape,
but slowly my body took his shape.
What had been the creatures, least,
became monstrous growling BEASTS!

But still we lived in peace,
like sheep in fake wolves’-fleece.
[To YOU, fearsome was my outside,
which, my good nature, did hide ….
from your eyes.]
And our lives became extended;
FEW of our lives have ended.

I was centuries old when you came …
to “Skull Island”. What a name!
You little people came; you CAME!
“Skull Island” has never been the same! !

First there were half-naked little men,
who came by canoe, I know not when.
They lived in fear of our race, and ….
FEW of them ever saw my face.

Many more years then went by …
before more came, we knew not why …
at first.
They came by ship to our shore …
with guns, nets, and a whole lot more.
These men wore MORE clothing,
but they ALL deserved my loathing.

They caught me in a trap of rope,
and since then ….. I lost my hope.
My hope of freedom! I was lost …..,
THOUGH I’d survive, at any cost.

It took scores of men ….. to get me..…
into the ship’s cage. We went by sea …
across thousands of miles, and came …..
to New York City, a place of shame.

“Shame” because I was displayed …
for all the people who PAID ….
to see “King Kong”; what a show!
My new-found anger soon did grow …
by leaps and bounds.
Then one day I got so, SO mad.
The people made me MAD; they HAD.

I found a weak spot on my cage,
and shook the bars in fits of rage.
They screamed “Look out for the Ape!
The bars bend and he’ll escape! ! ”

Escape I did, but where to go?
Police scrambled; whistles they did blow.
Some shot at me; the bullets stung.
Back at them I threw my dung [my “poop”].

The rays had made me TOUGH;
handgun shots were NOT enough …
to stop me.
I roamed the streets; people ran.
Over cars my legs did span.
I was angry; my teeth I bared,
but deep down …. I was really SCARED!

I had lost my people AND my home.
Through a strange city I did roam.
And I was hungry and thirsty too.
If you’d been me, what would YOU do? ?

Around me now buildings SOARED;
I’d lost NOW my room and board.
I was hunted like a wild beast.
Upon my blood, men wished to feast!

Or so it seemed to me that day …..,
so I fled, till at last …. I was at bay.
I had nowhere else to flee but UP,
but I’d climbed since I was a pup, i.e. ….
a baby.
I chose the tallest building of all,
the Empire State Building; it was TALL.

Up I went from ledge to ledge,
with hands and feet on each window edge.
A woman screamed to see me. Well ….,
YES I DID grab her, and I did (her) smell.

BUT I really meant her NO harm,
and gently lowered her by her arm ….
back through the window into her room.
THAT’S when I heard the first queer BOOM!

Then I saw flying machines come.......,
like “Skull Island” insects [some].
Each had a small man inside,
and bullets began to pierce my hide.
These were not JUST bullet stings,
but HOLES caused by the machines with wings …
AND machine guns.

I roared in rage, and PAIN too.
What, oh what, could I then do?
My end was near; I could see …. IT.
THEN I grabbed one plane in my angry fit.

But more flying machines came,
and bullets did more than just maim.
Weakened, in shock and losing blood,
I fell to the pavement with a THUD! .

[What they knew as “King Kong” ….
died that day; it was so WRONG ….
that, for being “different”, I had died.
They killed my body, but NOT my pride! ]

My skeleton’s displayed in a museum,
along with my brain, for all to see ‘em.
My hide is mounted on a frame ….. to mimic me,
and displayed at an Explorers’ Club, NOT for free.
My soul has returned to MY LAND,
and by tropical breezes now is fanned ….
for Eternity.

(May 6 & 7,2015)