I am cursed for eternity
To be part of the galaxy,
One of the many stars
Circling around in life.
The night always comes
After the bright day,
And dark shadows grow
Beneath the sunlight.
Poisonous ivy roots
Stretch far and wide,
Beneath the flowers
Above spring frost.
Sweet chocolate ends
With bitterness in taste.
Yet maybe it is simply
A blessing in disguise.
To be a part of this galaxy,
To merely be one of the stars,
It is a blessing in disguise.

@Celine, your poem is so lovely <3 It gives off a vibe of being heartbroken but at the same time hopeful, and everything about it seems courageous. And @Woodwind, whoa :0 Your poem is absolutely breathtaking - it's beautifully written, and powerful, and as Hawkstar says kind of magical. You should be ranked among the Best CB Poets, honestly.

And here's my usual optimistic take on a pessimistic theme :P

is it a curse that when i don't see your smile

i feel like a bird who's forgotten how to fly?

is it a curse that only you know the way into my heart?

because i'm filled with memories of us lying together in the sun-sweet summer grasses,

stargazing with golden stars all around us (or were they fireflies);

of you telling me all your childhood secrets,

little stories that enthralled me,

of us dancing together, with no one to watch (not that that mattered),

your hands warm and secure around mine,

of us forging a new path, finding new hope,

because i'm filled with memories of us like a goblet full and overflowing;

because i'm forgetting that i've risked my heart,

that you're holding me safe, but if this ends,

i'll be falling (not in love, not out of love),

that i need you, and i need us, and i've fallen in love...

but nothing this beautiful can be a curse

Okay, I've got a poem written in only a few minutes. obviously not that great...

Curses

So many curses.

The words you speak,

The shrill voice of an

Inconvenient sorceress

Cursing 

The impeccable princess.

Curses

The fairy-tales claim

Curses

Can be broken

With a kiss,

A tear,

A fleeting queen of elves.

Curses

A full moon

Can curse you

Forever.

A soul-broken howl,

A sharp pain,

Your soul breaks.

Curses

Can’t really be broken. 

The ocean is full of plastic trash

Rainbow oil surfing the waves

Bird have fashionable necklaces

Made from garbage waste

Ancient jungles, forests and trees

Are hacked down to the stump

To build the steel buildings of cities

Stealing animals homes 

The pollution rising from the cities

In gas fumes and smoke

Turns the horizon opaque

Airplanes streak across the skies

Dragging white cracks in the blue

And the highways and roads plague the surface

In blackened scars

Healthy minerals taken from down below

Get turned into vile ones 

Leaking all over the world

Animals vanish

Languages become scarce

Blood spilled unnecessarily

The curse of humans

i wrote this and it fit so... why not. i'm not sure how much sense it makes and idk if it flows that well but i mean maybe i'll get feedback so ig it's worth it? the copepod part is about greenland sharks btw, idk if that's common knowledge. a bit dramaticized - it's not a big deal for the shark and idk how much it affects their vision - but. the formatting's might be a bit weird because of the slashes, there should be a full line break where there's an actual line break

~

douse your nails in the sea (more with salt than with water/splintered glass in every drop)

Exhilaration like sun glimmering on scales until 

the ocean won't come off/a barnacle, or curse

i just wanted this for a second/still

i just didn't want it to last 

and the thrill of the color/what could be 

is masked by familiar terror/thrill/terror/thrill/terror

i'm going under again/and again 

(my lungs burn with tentacles/burst with desperation/does anyone see me/

does anyone care?)

i'm still deep in the ocean of false expectations/not brave enough 

to stay 

or to pull myself out

the ocean (salt on open wounds/more plastic than plankton/the coral's all grey)

(reminder of everything i am/everything i can't be)

it's a beautiful color/but maybe it isn’t for me,

Not when wearing it makes you think of me like that -

the nail polish (can't let you see) will dissolve within days 

(if the copepod clings to your eye eats your eye leaves you blind/but it glows/and the glow attracts prey

leave it thanks? it only meant well)

maybe curses/parasites/expectations of checked boxes and smiles/broken promises

mean nothing (the ocean is dying and nobody cares, after all)

yet curses/and parasites/cling

take a million pills and they won’t go away/and i'll always be

one or the other in their eyes

i'm drowning

but not in the ocean  

thanks for all your poems and hard work! your talents made this a difficult decision.

honorable mentions 

Amethyst - you've captured a voice that's both elegant and earnest; the speaker feels honest without sacrificing careful and enthralling language. the sense of doubt and danger at the end, followed by love and surety, add such interesting new layers that make rereading such an interesting experience. 

AvaraStar - your descriptors are sparse and confident, adding intrigue to the otherwise enticingly mysterious poem. I almost feel like I'm being forewarned of something... like I'm entering a fantasy story with a dangerous and high-stakes curse-breaking quest! 

Hawkstar - this style of poetry --- listing several images then concluding with a shocking or resonant final line --- always urges me to reread... and reread... and reread. each time I reimagine these scenes and tragedies according to your appropriately and effectively harsh word choice. you refuse to muddle your message and insist on sending one that's clear and dire. as you should!  

fourth place - Moon Wolf - I feel so satisfied every time I read this; your meter and word choice are strong and lend to a really fulfilling reading experience. I love how sincere and reflective this poem is. the hopeful ending feels very earned and natural, and the last few lines are really beautiful!

third place - Celine - this poem has such a strong progression and excellent storytelling; it has a distinctly confident and careful feeling. you've also struck a masterful balance between flowy figurative language and straightforward prose, building a scenario that's both epic and relatable. and that last line is so triumphant and evocative!! I'm in love.

second place - Woodwind - this type of poem belongs to such a specific "subgenre" or feeling; one of equal amounts  of confusion and clarity. you refuse to mince words and apply odd punctuation with the hand of an expert.  it's a huge compliment and honestly one of the best I can give. you know exactly what you want and how to achieve it.

first place - Blackfooted Bobcat - to me, this piece feels like one that exists to create more of a mood than an image --- and man, is it a fantastically crafted mood. reading this poem with all the expert slashes and parentheses, I feel I am metaphorically drowning along with the narrator, steeped in all the icky pollution of earth and humanity alike. I want to examine each word under a different lens and interpretation; each motif and reference feels so unique and yet so seamless.

after far too much overthinking, the next prompt is forsaken. also i'll probably have some critiques in the judging too - if you would only like positive feedback that's fine, just say that with your entry! i'll lean towards positives regardless though :D i'll aim for judging on the 16th of this month i think?

ooh this is a cool theme! hopefully the formatting isn't messed up..

the anointed one

i was a saint until my prophecies sounded like curses // and the people screamed // firecrackers erupting from their throats // burning down my temple // crumbling the altar they laid for me // and a thousand hands grabbed at me // scratching my skin // tearing my silks // throwing my glittering crown to the dusty rain-starved earth

we gave you everything. this is how you repay us?

i was a prophet until i tried to speak and they covered their ears // and cast me out // so i changed my name and hid my face // and learned to live in a world that no longer venerated me // and learned to keep silent about the nightmares // of gnashing teeth // and blood spilling like molten lava // and a firestorm consuming the world // and i reminded myself there was no more i could do 

we should have known this would happen the moment that peasant child claimed to be touched by the divine

i was a martyr until they didn’t understand my suffering // and i wandered lost and alone through the wilderness // and anointed myself in small vernal pools // the cool water staining my cloak a darker blue // and i whispered my prophecies into the wind // and i couldn’t bear to close my eyes at night // so i looked up into a star-freckled eternity

fire blazes on the horizon. we should have listened.

i was a saint until the world burned // and then i became a god