Apologies for the lateness, but I finally did it. In this contest we have two finalists, one of whom is the merit winner. I've divided them into two phases of the moon.
Waxing Moon: TackyCrazyTNT
I am what they want me to be,
A figurative white page,
They could need a source of light
And I'd steal my brother's rays.
Or sometimes in me they see
A face that's looking down,
My face, that is, eyes opened wide,
Mouth twisted in a frown.
On other days they do insist,
A woman's on my skin,
Trapped up high in my domain,
Punishment for her sins.
They have declared me magical,
A source of mystery,
Turning men into gray wolves,
On some shadowy eve.
If they wish me to captivate,
I'll readily comply,
Inspiring men to create art,
Eyes fixated on the sky.
They choose to honor me once a year,
Baking themselves cakes to eat.
Though I work so very hard for them,
I've never once received a treat.
For though I try my very best
To please them as I pass,
My brother always comes first, it's true
That nice guys finish last.
If I can use the Chinese terminology, this poem exuded a sort of passive-aggressive yang that I haven't really seen associated with the moon, traditionally viewed as the yin to the sun. I really liked how you tied together so many different mythologies and lore about the moon and coalesced it into this poem. Although it ends with a bit of bitterness, I think you do a good job of painting a side of the moon we don't think of often...the dark side of the moon.
Waning Moon: JereN
At dusk she wakes,
at dawn she sleeps.
Stalker of the night,
as pale as a sheet.
Comfort to some,
terror to others.
Worshiped by one,
feared by another.
Lady of the dark,
sometimes so shy.
Luna is her name,
the traveler on the sky.
This poem, on the other hand, was more yin in its message. Although the rhythm isn't perfect, I feel the short lines and briefness of the poem reflects the simple beauty of the moon itself. In some areas she is ghostly, apparition-like, but I like that the last stanza puts such a viewpoint as misunderstood.
So who came out on top? In the end, I feel that JereN's poem showed a greater aesthetic in its restraint and a better mastery over the overall portrayal, although Tacky's poem was perhaps more technically able. Therefore, JereN is this contest's merit winner! Please contact a mod for your merit.
This next theme will be a very open-ended but rather challenging one, because for the first time in a long while the theme will be to write in a certain form: the haibun. The haibun is unusual in that it is the combination of a short prose section with a haiku. If you would like examples of haibun and a link to a tutorial, you can see this link. Good luck to you all! Submissions will be due on October 21. I look forward to reading your poems!
