2nd Halloween Poem Contest – AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Picture courtesy of: https://youtu.be/FgvfRSzmMoU

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Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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The jury has decided!

Today I’m writing representing the Jury of the 2nd Halloween Poem Contest 2016.

The winners of the contest are:

 

V. M. Sang with “Hallowe’en”

Micki Peluso with “Scratches”

Kim Solem with “Nightmare at Walmart”

(The names and poems are arranged in no particular order)

 

 

Thank you so much for your amazing poems, winners! You will get an email today.

Our three winners of the contest can choose one of the offered e-books.

1. E-Book of “The truth she knew” written by J. A. Owenby
2. E-book of  either one of the set of four “Brilliant Disguise“,  “A Good Girl“,  “Criminal Kind“, OR “Sins of My Youth“, written by Mary Ann Edwards
3. E-book of “The Vampyre Blogs – coming home” by Allan Krummenacker

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

It was a difficult decision for the jury. But we had a lot of fun and want to thank all poets for their wonderful poems.

 

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2nd Halloween Poem Contest – Last group of submitted poems

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

 

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Jack-o-Legend written by Jimmie Verte

Once upon a time,

A nasty, greedy rummy,

A Regretting daredevil

For Eternity

As drunkard as foxy,

Jack was in a bar and

Jostled the wicked one

This has been his mistake,

How this will never end,

The serpent approached him

Proposed fiendish favors

Against this blacksmith soul,

About to succumb,

Before following him,

He asked for a last glass,

The devil granted him.

Stingy Jack made

Leviathan turns into coins

To pay the Tavernier

Although he kept them with

A cross in his pocket,

He possessed him on hand.

He used his position

For a proposition:

Return to his freedom,

A decade in exchange

After the acceptance

Jack released Lucifer

Ten years later,

Leviathan made his return

To take Jack away to hell

The man approved then

Pointed out a fruit tree

For the inferno guard

To bring him an apple

Satan climbed to the leaves,

Jack engraved with a knife

A cross in the tree bark

“Never take me to hell”

The devil granted him.

Once Jack’s life had ended

In the purgatory

Neither heaven nor hell

Opened to the sinner,

Neither Satan nor Saint Peter

Let Jack enter.

From this moment on

The Blue Marble was his cell,

Burning coal in a turnip,

Jack roamed through the night

Next Halloween,

You are going to remember,

Candles in your pumpkins,

Candies in your pockets,

This Irish legend, friend

Of Jack of the Lantern.

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Poem written by Annette Rochelle Aben

It comes upon us, fast and furious, this spooky time, some take so serious.

When trees become hallowed places for bats and ghosts and body-less faces.

Of course, there are those who would have you believe that this special day is one they could take or leave.

That may be all fine and dandy but no matter what, they’ll show up for the free candy. So be sure to carve an extra gourd or two and put a few slimy toad stools in a witch’s shoe.

Leave the candles burning well to ward off the fright of this once-a-year, my goodness, vampires are near…  Halloween night!

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Thank you, all poets for your participation.

Stay tuned!! The Jury is going to decide very soon who the three winners are!!

2nd Halloween Poem Contest – The Deadline is close!

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS!

Dear future participants of the 2nd Halloween Poem Contest,

Please keep in mind that the Deadline for submission your poem will be

October 31, 09.00 pm Central Standard Time

 

This means, you only got a few more days! I’m posting once again the rules, the Deadline and the prizes, the poets of the three best poems can win:

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Every author and poet are invited to participate and deliver a “Halloween-Poem” to my email address: aurorajean.alexander@aol.com, together with their picture (and, if possible, a link to their website and/or blog).

There are a few rules to follow:

1. Your poem needs a Halloween theme.
2. Your poem needs a minimum of 99 words.
3. Your poem has to be delivered to my email address until Halloween, October 31, 2015, 9 pm Central Standard Time.
4. Please avoid violence, bad language, and sexual content within the poems. It would be disqualified.

Every poem that meets the rules and is delivered within the deadline will be published here on “Writer’s Treasure Chest” together with the provided picture (and, if possible, link).

The contest starts October 10, 2016 06.00 am and ends October 31, 2016 09.00 pm Central Standard Time!!

Please, deliver your poem and your picture to my email address within this time frame, neither earlier, nor later. Poems arriving outside these 3 weeks will be disqualified.

aurorajean.alexander@aol.com.

There will be three winners in the 1st Halloween poem contest. Each of them is free to choose from the following prizes:

 

1. E-Book of “The truth she knew” written by J. A. Owenby
2. E-book of  either one of the set of four “Brilliant Disguise“,  “A Good Girl“,  “Criminal Kind“, OR “Sins of My Youth“, written by Mary Ann Edwards
3. E-book of “The Vampyre Blogs – coming home” by Allan Krummenacker

I’m very grateful for these excellent authors to offer one of their books as a prize in this contest. Thank you!

 

We’re looking forward to your poems! Write away, ladies and gentlemen, we are ready!

A. J. Alexander

 

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2nd Halloween Poem Contest – Third group of submitted poems

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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Your Animal Side by Angela Kay

I hear everyone has an animal side.

What is yours?

What is mine?

No one can really know for sure.

Could it be repulsive in the dark, silent night?

Save me from this frightening thought.

I saw a creature enter my room last night.

Could it be what I think?

This is not a story because I saw it.

As horrifying as it is, I believe I saw your animal side.

It’s not ordinary.

Do you want to know what it is?

I saw a big shadow on the wall.

The eyes were blood red in the mirror.

I saw gruesome fangs.

The creature howled at the round moon

And tore into my soft, clean flesh.

I fought back, teeth sharp and hungry

Our animal side has gotten the better of us.

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Written by Kevin Morris

Walking through the churchyard on Halloween.

A peaceful scene

With only my dog and the dead

(the latter inspire no dread),

To provide company as I stroll home

Alone?

 

A russle in the bushes.

My heart rushes,

It’s irregular beat

Out of time with my feet.

I would be a fool

To conjure up some ghoul

Would I not?

Yet this is a graveyard plot …

 

My pace quickens

As the darkness thickens.

Soon

The moon

Will disappear.

My home is near.

Why this fear

Of shadows of the mind?

 

I can find

No logical reason

For my brain’s treason.

It is our own kind

Not the rotten dead

That should ingender dread

In the rational man’s head.

With all that said

I long to be alone

In my brightly lit  home …   

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2nd Halloween Poem Contest – Second group of submitted poems

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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Nightmare at Walmart by Kim Solem

Forget a haunted house

Or an old cemetery

I know of a place

That’s far more scary

 

Want a real fright?

Visit a Wal-Mart

On this coming

Halloween night

 

There you’ll find

Lots of creatures

That desire to do

Bad things to me

And horrible ghastly

Things to you

 

Like ghosts and ghouls

And wicked witches

Behind the counter

At Customer Service

 

Don’t have a receipt?

You best be nervous

That hag with unkempt hair

Is nasty and vicious

 

You also need beware

Of rabid werewolves

Lurking in housewares

Not even vampires

Armed with silverware

Dare venture there

 

And in the pharmacy

Crazed Psycho Suzies

And strung out zombies

Hyped up on Sam’s Candy

Will make you score them

Some chemical therapy

 

Worst place to stay away

Is the games and toys section

Where insane killer clowns

Wait for unsuspecting children

 

So unless you want to

Witness the disturbing

Hear the bloodcurdling

And observe the unnerving

 

Best not do any shopping

At Wal-Mart on All Hallows’ Eve

Or you’ll see things disconcerting

Troubling unsettling and distressing

Things no one else will ever believe

 

And in fitful slumber turbulent

You’ll forever be cursed

With terrible haunting dreams

That can never be thwart

Of your Halloween nightmare

At Wal-Mart after dark

 

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Things That Go In The Night an old crone recollects…. by Kat Everitt

 

there are things that go bump in the night

leave then an never come home

o, they are illusions and delusions

they are denials and projections

shadow hands on shadow walls

an yes, there was that spider

it went into a crack that wasn’t there

when I went after it with the kleenex

an there was the panther named Bill

from my childhood who was a poem

of his very own an a friend of the

niece of the emperor of China  – sure,

I was scared when he was right there

by the chicken coup o, all the little ladies

were clucking their heads off an feathers

were flying but yes, gone, he was gone

by the time I loaded Dad’s rifle and Dad

came down stairs an said what in the hey

are you doin’ down here, Sissy? and I

was not sure. o then, I ate too many of

them kitkats an kisses an candy corns an

snicker bars an’ three musketeers yep, all

my favorites an’ my costume got all ripped

an’ stinky with sweat an’ sticky with candy

but, o my, it was Hallow’s Eve, child, an’

I was a young un like you here, an it was

all for fun ‘cept Brother got spanked for

toilet paperin’ Mrs. Brighton’s trees, well,

‘cept for that, o, we used to have big huge

scares, and lots of fun, an magic, yes, child,

I did and I do, believe in Magic.

why, don’t you, child? don’t you?….

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The Beauty of Halloween’s Ugly Side by Chimezie Ihekuna

It was a special good evening…

I was about to enter the right of wining…

So I engaged my mind in deep thinking…

The inspiration led me to singing:

 

‘’Though I thought she was near

Decorated pumpkins she wear

“Jack-o-Lanterns!” she hear

Her scary face not mere

Playing tricks she spare

Her horror brings fear

Lighted bonfires she dare

Her costume colors the white bear

At night, the vampire in her is brought to bear

Her Ghost travels in time’s fare

Her witch-wizard identity she pair

This is seen from her two-eye rear’

She’s beautiful when her ugly side is seen, my dear!’’

 

‘You sang well about me’ a voice whispered

‘Me?’ I wondered, looking around the place to find the whisperer

‘It’s me… The Beauty…that has its shades of ugliness’ replied the voice

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I asked, looking confused

‘Though what makes the Hallo in me makes you Win’ it responded, a bit louder

‘I’m your companion for the day…Halloween!’

(The Voice Disappeared)

‘Oh, it’s Halloween!’ I consciously remembered

‘Now I know why I must win’

Later that evening…

I deliberately made The beauty of the shades of ugliness my companion…

By simply appreciating Halloween’s Conviction.

 

 

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2nd Halloween Poem Contest – First submitted poems

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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Hallowe’en by V.M. Sang

The moon has hidden her face tonight
Turned away from the Earth.
The clouds are scurrying away in fright
From what the night may give birth,
For tonight the veil is thin.

The wind is blowing the leaves around.
They hide in crannies and nooks.
Cowering, shivering, hope not to be found
By phantoms, ghosts and spooks,
For tonight the veil may tear.

Build a bonfire, create some light.
The spirits are afraid.
They like the shadows, shun what’s bright
And lurk within the shade
For tonight they cross the veil.

Ghouls and spectres, wraiths and shades
Return to Earth tonight.
We’re filled with dread as daylight fades.
The smallest sound will give us fright
For tonight the veil has gone.

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PERFECT by Cindy Smith

Halloween has arrived
I thought it never would
Extra time to prepare
So I guess it’s all good

My costume is perfect
That cool trophy is mine!
And I’ll get lots of treats
With no curfew this time!

Later I’ll eat candy
And admire my prize
I wish time moved faster
Need sunset not sunrise!

Finally its time to go
Just need to grab my sack
No NO this cannot be
Please someone take it back

I can’t pick up the bag!
This is truly not right
I’ve done so much planning
Please let this be my night!!!

Popcorn balls and candy
There will be none for me
Perfect costume a waste
I’ll not win the trophy

Must practice up my “boos”
That’s all that I can do
Perhaps since I’m a ghost
I can scare a few of you!

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SCRATCHES by Micki Peluso

 

A scratch, a scratch, upon my door

Something out there wants, implores

Old dog snoring, fat cat sleeps

Incessant racket—no relief

 

Alone with these ungodly sounds

I tremble as my fears unbound

Not cat, nor dog, can sense or hear

The scratches, scratching that I fear

 

It’s Halloween Eve, spirits seek entry

As hideous Ghouls stand as sentry

Ghosts, goblins and their kind

Spasms of dread pulsate my mind 

 

 Scratches dig deeper, louder still

Drawing me to it against my will

Trembling, I reach for the lock

No! My mind reaches out to block

 

The subliminal urge to heed the call

Quaking, bracing back against the wall

I smell fetid odors of evil’s spoor

And scratching, scratching at my door

 

Lured seductively, I lift the latch

Confront a terror that knows no match

Succumbing to the horrific task

It’s two feet tall and wears a mask!

 

Night sky lit by blood-red moon

Face to face with an irate raccoon!

Its beady eyes reflect a glare

Unafraid, it stands tall and stares

 

I draw a breath, deep with relief

Twas just a critter gave me grief

Yet nights may come; how soon, how near?

When it returns to refuel my fear

 

And the hideous scratch upon my door

No longer animal—so much more

The coon dashes off across the lawn

Innocent creature, perhaps . . .

Mayhap, the devil’s spawn

 

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 All pictures are provided by the respective poets. Please respect their copyright. Thank you. A.J. Alexander 

 

 

2nd Halloween-Poem Contest – Jury introduction – and Start Up

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

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JURY:

I am honored to announce that the following authors have agreed to participate as judges in the jury who will decide on the winners of the contest:

1. Author Mary Ann Edwards
2. Author Jennifer Owenby
3. Author A. J. Alexander

 

Thank you, authors, for your effort to be part of this contest!

 

There will be three winners in the 1st Halloween poem contest. Each of them is free to choose from the following prizes:

1. E-Book of “The truth she knew” written by J. A. Owenby
2. E-book of  either one of the set of four “Brilliant Disguise“,  “A Good Girl“,  “Criminal Kind“, OR “Sins of My Youth“, written by Mary Ann Edwards
3. E-book of “The Vampyre Blogs – coming home” by Allan Krummenacker

I’m very grateful for these excellent authors to offer one of their books as a prize in this contest. Thank you!

 

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START UP!! OCTOBER 10, 2016

Every author and poet are invited to participate and deliver a “Halloween-Poem” to my email address: aurorajean.alexander@aol.com, together with their picture (and, if possible, a link to their website and/or blog).

There are a few rules to follow:

1. Your poem needs a Halloween theme.
2. Your poem needs a minimum of 99 words.
3. Your poem has to be delivered to my email address until Halloween, October 31, 2015, 9 pm Central Standard Time.
4. Please avoid violence, bad language, and sexual content within the poems. It would be disqualified.

Every poem that meets the rules and is delivered within the deadline will be published here on “Writer’s Treasure Chest” together with the provided picture (and, if possible, link).

The contest starts October 10, 2016 06.00 am and ends October 31, 2016 09.00 pm Central Standard Time!!

Please, deliver your poem and your picture to my email address within this time frame, neither earlier, nor later. Poems arriving outside these 3 weeks will be disqualified.

aurorajean.alexander@aol.com.

We’re looking forward to your poems! Write away, ladies and gentlemen, we are ready!

A. J. Alexander

2nd Halloween-Poem Contest

Picture courtesy of: http://preventioncdnndg.org/eco-quartier/eco-tips-for-halloween/

 

 

 

 

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It is a great pleasure for me to announce the

2nd Halloween-Poem Contest

on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’.

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Every author and poet are invited to participate and deliver a “Halloween-Poem” to my email address: aurorajean.alexander@aol.com, together with their picture.

There are a few rules to follow:

1. Your poem needs a Halloween theme.
2. Your poem needs a minimum of 99 words.
3. Your poem has to be delivered to my email address until Halloween, October 31, 2015, 9 pm Central Standard Time.
4. Please avoid violence, bad language, and sexual content within the poems. It would be disqualified.

Every poem that meets the rules and is delivered within the deadline will be published here on “Writer’s Treasure Chest” together with the provided picture.

At this time I am unable to introduce you to the jury since not all authors have yet replied. I will do so as soon as they all agreed to be part of the jury this year.

The contest starts October 10, 2016 06.00 am and ends October 31, 2016 09.00 pm Central Standard Time!!

Please, deliver your poem and your picture to my email address within this time frame, neither earlier, nor later. Poems arriving outside these 3 weeks will be disqualified.

aurorajean.alexander@aol.com.

We’re looking forward to your poems!

A. J. Alexander