Our writing challenge this month to Southern Christian Writers Conference members was to write a poem about a topic we all know a lot about. They were tasked with writing a poem about writing.
(April is National Poetry Month, so we thought it was especially appropriate to have a poetry challenge. Learn more about National Poetry month HERE.)
We received an abundance of wonderful entries, and had a difficult time selecting our winners. We were especially pleased with the variety of poetic styles both in the submissions and winners. We ultimately chose these five poems, and want to give the writers a hearty "Congratulations!" for their winning creations.
Our top selections are:
1st place - "Untitled," by Susan Hester
2nd place - "A Life of Their Own," by Shannon Leach
3rd place - "Like Honey," by Jessica Brinson
Honorable Mention - "Buried Under Dead Ideas & Deadlines," by Beth Rayann Corder
Honorable Mention - "Bigger than You," by Alma Jones
We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did.
"Untitled"
by Susan Hester
There are times I fear I’ll stumble
Surely fall between the lines
And lose the battles I so earnestly wage
As if my soul were ransomed on each page
But then you touch me
And I am filled
With all the strength I need
To go on
“A Life of Their Own”
by Shannon Leach
First spoken, sentence taught.
A little girl learns her words.
Demanding the swing at recess,
She finds power in being heard.
Chatting at lunch, talking back,
Consoling a heartbroken friend.
She discovers words written to song,
Emotional poetry helps her mend.
Childhood torn, unexpected story,
Abandoned inside and out.
Her words the only power she has left,
To defend and silently shout.
Mistaken adult, broken heart,
Pain with nowhere to go.
Words that hurt and cover and hide,
The anger in journals she throws.
Redeemed, restored, healed, and heard,
Now the power comes from Him.
Words telling others they are loved,
No matter where they have been.
He gives a purpose to her pain,
She tells His story now through hers,
Telling others they are never alone,
Using only the gift of her words.
Words no longer trapped inside,
Now light that shines through rain,
From first word to last she will use them,
All for His glory, all in His name.
"Like Honey"
by Jessica Brinson
They say speak even if your voice shakes but my voice shakes until my vocal cords are raw and my throat swells in pain. Words do not flow from my lips like a gurgling stream. Words become trapped in my heart roaming and wandering until they find a new way out.
Words do not flow from my lips like honey. Words stick to the roof of my mouth and make it hard to breathe. They search for a new way out, beating against my skull and ribcage until poison leaks from them and drips down into my soul.
Words do not flow from my lips, but when they make the trek to my fingers, they find release. As soon as my hands find a pen, the words are flying onto the page as if I am about to run out of time. The words are blotted with ink instead of controlled by tone. But they are my words, and they are free.
I will never be able to stand in front of a crowd and speak the words that fill my chest. But give me a pen and paper and I will cover every inch in the words that spill from the depths of my soul. I will fill page after page after page and when my hand grows weary, I will let go and watch the wind carry the pages to the ends of the earth.
Words will never be able to fall from my lips, but they will continue to flow from my soul. My colors, my thoughts, my fears will always be able to be seen if you pick up the pieces of blotted paper that litter the ground around my feet and take the time to read the words that my heart continues to pump from my soul to the tips of my fingers.
"Buried Under Dead Ideas & Deadlines"
by Beth Rayann Corder
Recently, it occurred to me, that
writing isn’t what I thought it would be.
It often scares the words out of me.
While I love the writing process
of putting words to a page,
my work often looks like an alphabet maze
Intriguing ideas flow dreamingly
in the dead of night
only to horrify me in broad daylight
That’s when I secretly bury them
in my dead idea file
as they germinate into a larger pile.
Every now and then, an idea takes root
and my creative juices get a refreshing re-boot
Then, I commit to fertilizing that little-bitty seed
and settle into performing the writing deed.
Without giving much thought to my direction or time,
I soon find I’m haunted by a passing deadline.
But, with editing as my fierce new weapon
for keeping my writing above ground,
I’m no longer afraid to use it and no longer feel bound.
So, there’s really no need to worry,
I’m not frighten the way I used to be
by dead ideas or deadlines that try to bury me.
"Bigger Than You"
by Alma Jones
Sometimes you can produce
Something that is bigger than you
And you cannot understand or comprehend
The intricacies and woven thoughts that make
Up said piece, so you carry on with what you do
And wait for more inspirational thoughts or
Wait for release bigger than you.
~~~~~~~
The Southern Christian Writers Conference is an organization dedicated to providing information and inspiration to writers of faith. Our flagship event is the annual SCWC workshop, which takes place this June 3-4 in Birmingham, Alabama. Email scwritersconference@gmail.com if you'd like more information about this year's conference.
We host regular writing challenges, and would love for you to participate in them in the future.