Poetry
Chapter II: The Optics of the Soul
The gallery smelled of varnish and dust, a kind of hideout for creative things. Ivan Nikolayevich stood still in front of the Magritte painting, *The False Mirror*. He felt like his fingers had been unwittingly strumming some invisible instrument. The eye in the painting was huge and never blinked. The swirling blue iris seemed like the sky overhead filled with clouds and completely unsure about answering questions. Encapsulated in the glass was Ivan's whirling stream of consciousness; he couldn't help but wonder if this eye was a portal, or if just the opposite was true, another trap entangling him in another dubious reality. He cycled through the question- is it more advantageous to know a real sheeple world, or to wish it to be something else entirely? Did it really even matter? He could see his own tired, bloodshot eyes in the glass and questioned what person he was in relation to the artwork engulfed in both separate mirrors. There lay two Ivans, one searching for dream awareness and another person desperate to meet the day, the absolute vacant spirit.
By LUCCIAN LAYTH11 months ago in Critique
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By Madhu Goteti 11 months ago in Critique
Fast and Dirty Editing - Pre-Prepared, Pre-Packaged Pleasure
So I thought as a last entry for the Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge, I'd partake in what I am calling "Fast and Dirty Editing". What do I mean by "Fast and Dirty Editing"? Well, rather than drill down into the dos and don'ts of writing poetry, or worry about the format (aside from any formatting rules that need to be applied) I am going to take an existing piece I wrote for the Tautogram challenge, but published it too late to be accpeted for the challenge, from a couple of years ago. I am then going to decimate it, without labouring over it too much, and go through the changes as I make them in this critique.
By Paul Stewart11 months ago in Critique
Beauty In The Mess
When I write, I usually tend to type the whole thing up on my laptop, and then make passes over the same document to edit. As a result, I am not in the habit of keeping my rough drafts. For this prompt I thought, where's something where I've left behind evidence of the process itself , both the beauty- the final product- and the mess that final product wouldn't exist without? One is not possible without the other, but it took some searching to find evidence of the latter anywhere.
By Raistlin Allen11 months ago in Critique
The Path of Hearts or Pentacles
βHey man.β Warren grabbed the forearm of his friend Matt, who was the beer bearer for the 40th birthday party. βSo, whatβs on tap tonight?β queried Warren. Always proud of his artisanal beer, Matt was keen to explain his choice of hops and malts to anyone willing to listen. He had pursued his dream and had landed on his feet, as head brewer for a local pub. He was always pleased to strut his stuff. As they spoke other friends celebrating their spring birthdays joined the party on the last day of May, 2025.
By Katherine D. Graham11 months ago in Critique
Getting Legless With Drunk Aliens - Editing A Winning Poem
For this entry into the Self-Editing Epiphany, I wanted to do something a little strange. Itβs easy, in some ways, to look back at pieces we know were flawed because they didnβt get well received or didnβt place in a challenge or competition. But what about those pieces that did have successβones that not only placed in a challenge but came first place? Could any editing, especially with time passed and experience gained since the piece was published, improve upon a winning poem?
By Paul Stewart11 months ago in Critique
Filtering Free Verse Poems Through Form. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Mainly writing in free verse, can make you think you are so much more free than writing in strict forms. But I have found that when under constraints of rhymes and rhythm, magic can happen. Imagery you would never have come up with yourself, lyrical music that makes reading a pleasure and a challenge to cut out the excess to find the true meaning you want to say.
By Dark Constellations11 months ago in Critique
Found in Translation. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
At first I scrolled past this challenge and didnβt even consider joining in on that one. And then, a little voice at the back of my mind reminded me of a promise I had made to myself at the beginning of this year β do more new things, even, and especially, the ones out of my comfort zone. With a little sigh, I scrolled back up, instantly knowing which excerpt to use. Yep, another "do more new things" moment that happened just over a month ago.
By Cristal S.11 months ago in Critique
Dervish: Potential Space. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Creative risk? I venture to rail against the theocracy that enslaves half of an entire population. How many da Vincis, Edisons, Hemingways, GΓΆdels, Mozarts, or Rembrandts are surrounded by the black cloud of divinely ordained propriety? How our world progresses at only half potential!
By Gerard DiLeo11 months ago in Critique
"The Fan" Gets Another Chance.... Honorable Mention in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Here is the original poem: There are some Challenges where I feel that the Vocal Gods are smiling down on me. There is work that I have produced that has brought out the best in me; sometimes it has brought out things I did not know existed in me. And I feel that I really do have something to say with this one.
By Kendall Defoe 11 months ago in Critique
What goes through the mind of an empty envelope?
Humans! Aah, the notorious ones gospelled with the prowess of pouring their hearts onto the folds of power, of unleashing the confinement of unsaid pain through the enigmatic flair of woven syllables through the crevices of their glistening minds.
By Hridya Sharma11 months ago in Critique
Raw to Remix- 53 & Me. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
The crows have landed, I see imperfection. Fifty times around the sun plus three more to rub my nose in it. Love yourself, they say, age with grace. But celebrities don't, so why should I? Botox and fillers- a facelift will do. Don't take age lying down, invoke skin resurrection. "You look good for your age." What the hell does that mean? Under eye bags, a deep forehead wrinkle leaves no secrets on my face. Social media spites me and forwardly invites me: To challenge Father Time with "Yeah, I'm about to get mine." Creams, potions, and diet, already tried it. So, I'm about to go in for hand assisted fixes and take a page from the famous. If you ask me later, know I denied it. This is all natural, don't you see; me at 53!
By Marilyn Glover12 months ago in Critique
