Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

You have until January 13 to post a poem, and January 14-15 we’ll vote for which one we thought was best.

Please post directly into the topic and not a link. Please don’t use a poem previously used in this group.

Your poem can be any length.

This week’s topic is: Compass.

The rules are pretty loose. You can write a poem about anything that has to do with the topic. I do not care, but the poem you post must relate to the topic somehow.

Have fun!

Thank you to Mark for suggesting the topic!

"Moral Compass" by Fidel M. Love

Pick the brain of man
Tinker with his mind
and I think you'll find
his compass is broke
His conscience is, quote -
"Null"
There's a void in his heart
The concept of love comes as a joke
We are humanity
and yet, the most inhumane
A contradiction to the word
We covet ours
while others starve
in conditions too disturbed
Kill at will, lie and steal
and just wash away the blood
No need to cry..."why?"
Well, people die
and we walk away... "Because"
It's not our fault we're taught wrong at birth;
to take, to claim, to guard
Right or Wrong, we don't belong to Earth
It's just another thing for us to take, to claim, as ours

Hey there.
here is my try, I do not consider it that good neither that bad. let's give it a try. hope you like it :)
feedback is eagerly welcome.

Title: “To find a way."
Author: Ivan Alvarez

We run in circles,
We lost our trails.
Our compass has lost,
To a void we go.

We've learned,
We've grown,
And though,
Nowhere we go.

The path is blurry,
By dust is covered.
The eyes are clouded,
We fight the way.

We need a change,
The compass my Lord.
We need a guide,
We to boughs go back.

I'll give it a go...


LOST
by Ashley Marie Uzzell

Mine is broken
I hear the tinkle of the broken glass
Inside my chest as I run
I've lost my way
True North is a mystery to me
My compass is broken
The arrow spins wildly
I feel as one in a fog
I cannot find my path
Can someone assist me?
Can you give me directions?
But I soon realize that no, no one can
This is something I must do
I must fix this alone
I may cut my hands on the glass
Calming the mad spinning will be troublesome
I may fail, again and again
But I must try
I must learn to help myself
I must fix my own compass
So I can find my own path

While writing this my computer decided to stop working so I lost the original of this poem. I got super frustrated but I tried again. Hopefully this poem surpasses my original and hopefully you guys like it!


A Direction
By: Rachel E.

In an almost empty room
sits a compass upon a table
it's hand spins ever so slowly

A very old, withered man
sits and stares at the compass
he waits for the direction

Like a tape on fast-forward
people enter and leave the room quickly
something the man could never do
so he sits and stares

The people shake the man
they call his name,
their voices sounding like Autumn wind
yet the man sits and stares

For years the man has stayed
in that dark windowless room
nothing has ever changed

But it has been long enough

The compass begins to spin faster
becoming a blur
the man's eyes widen ever so slightly
suddenly the compass stops
and points to the corner of the room

Slowly, the man turns towards the corner
there a ghost of a woman stands
still as a statue
she is a beautiful oddity among the fast paced people

The man stands and walks to the woman
he hugs her tightly
and rocks them back and forth
as tears leak from his eyes

The woman pulls away and grasps his hand
she pulls him out the now locked door
and brings him outside

The man brings his hand up to block the glaring sun
but quickly lowers it and tilts his head up
it had been a long time since he had felt this warmth

Hands clasped tight
the man and the woman start to walk
away from a corpse,
a prison.

In the dark room sits a body
in his cold hand is a compass
his eyes are closed
for he never needs to stare again

He has found his direction.

Finding Your Compass Before It's Too Late
or Hiccup and Toothless Made Me See This
version 2

The wagtail flicks its narrow
tail feathers up and down
as it shuffles in jerks
on the bricks. Think of

early animated movies
in black and white. I clap
my hands and it feigns
a fright, wings suddenly

springing from its slender
sides, then gone again. It knows
I'm not the first human
to show a fake interest for

far too small a meal.
It isn't the first wagtail
I've seen that stood on mere
sticks for legs. It has lost

all its claws to some accident,
or to who knows what
desperate predator or perhaps
just a playful cat.

On sand, it would leave
no more than dots.
Now it insists on being
here, defiantly

navigating an invisible
maze on the ground
where I stand, so close
to speeding cars.

-o-

open for critique. thanks for the interesting prompt, Ryan! Happy new year to all you guys!

Here is my poem for this week contest:
(Thank you Mark for the amazing suggestion)

A thousand years poem
by Jocilene

“'I believe you knocked a leaf off that tree,'
said Dolorous Edd.
'Fall is falling fast enough,
there's no need to help it.'He sighed.
'And we all know what follows fall.'"
In “A Storm of Swords”, by George R. R. Martin

The horn has sounded
I've heard it ONCE,
I've heard it for the first time…
My heart has startled in daze

I opened my eyes,
Are they friends? Are they enemies?
I could not say
I turned left… I discovered it
Thrown in a corner…
The compass that has brought us here

The wait was too long,
So I could barely breathe…
I've heard it inside me
It could not mislead me
The compass of my heart

All of a sudden
I've heard the second one
TWICE… the horn has sounded twice
So I've stood frightened
I could not believe it

It was at this time that I've heard the third one
THREE TIMES…
A thousand years poem

I hastily grabbed the compass
And went on the run
On the run from the unknown.

Here is my poetry submission for the topic: Compass
Feedback is ALWAYS welcome!

North Star by Melissa Andres

Everything happens for a reason
Our lives are all mapped out
But how do we arrive?
What's the journey all about?

There is no signage
Placed along the way
Yet we need direction
To get us through the day.

You are my shiny compass
And my guiding light
Beckoning unto me
In the darkest night.

You are my North Star
My South, East and West
Now that I have found you
My heart and soul can rest.

Fidel, So sad and, unfortunately, very true for so many people. :( Well-written.

Ivan - Yes, so many people in this world are lost. Your line, "Nowhere we go" really stands out to me. We all have choices and a lot of people choose to go nowhere. Sad, but true.

Marie - Nice! We must each find our own path. No one else can do it for us. We can ask for guidance but the actual "doing" is for us and us alone. Good job!

Rachel - I liked this! I could see it being a story .. even elaborate further and work it into a short novel of sorts. A sad tale but awesomely done!

Jim - I love your description "early animated movies in black and white". You really have a way with words!

Jocilene - Wow! Very engaging! It sounds so professional and lovely. Everything just flowed so well. Super job!

Navigating Through Life


Comfort me when I am lost
Orient me along the path
Move me closer to my goal
Point me in the right direction
Assist me in the wilderness
Save me when I don't know where to turn
Show me the way home.

Melissa wrote: "Marie - Nice! We must each find our own path. No one else can do it for us. We can ask for guidance but the actual "doing" is for us and us alone. Good job!"

Thanks for the feedback!

Poem: Topic: 'Compass'

'THERE'S NO TURNING BACK' by Alex Morritt

One hundred and eighty degrees of individual choice lie ahead
Each compass notch a unique window to another world
The other one hundred and eighty lie behind in the rear view mirror
An amorphous wake of spent fuel and vapour trails

No time to prune the decision tree of past selections
Nor dwell on the regrets of yesteryear
To navigate safely through the maze of cloud banks and black holes
Buffered by icy winds of change
Requires focus and concentration
Split second timing and instincts as sharp as polished domed visors

There is an infinite array of possibilities
Any number of trajectories
But only in one direction
Reverse is not a menu option

Copyright 2015 Alex Morritt

Thanks, Melissa!

Jan - I like this! "Assist me in the wilderness" is a very nice line! Sometimes, just life by itself seems like a wilderness. We all need assistance from time to time. Nice job!

Robyn - Very interesting! I love the way this is written!

Alex - This really intrigued me! It seemed so lyrical. I loved your imagery of "decision tree". So awesome! Great job!

Melissa wrote: "Jocilene - Wow! Very engaging! It sounds so professional and lovely. Everything just flowed so well. Super job!"

Thank you Melissa for such compliment! You made my day and I'm glad you appreciated it. Indeed, I love this topic.

Melissa wrote: "Alex - This really intrigued me! It seemed so lyrical. I loved your imagery of "decision tree". So awesome! Great job!"

Thanks Melissa for your kind words :-) I liked your 'North Star' piece too.

Jocilene - You are very welcome!

Alex - You are welcome as well and I am glad you enjoyed my poem also. Thanks for the Friend Request! :)

Bearing
         by Guy Duperreault

In the centre of here
There is no point to pointing to there.
But I do it anyway,
I can’t find my bearing without trying to make a point.
And so I extend my finger.

And when I look there,
past that, past my straight finger,
I hope to find where I am here and now,
To know that here is where I can know where I can go.

In the centre of now is where I want to go.
But instead of looking to where I am
I follow my finger’s bearing
Even as it begins to shake
With the strain of being extended.

Wait! Wait! What was that I saw from the corner of my eye!
No, no, don’t turn, stop being distracted from the truth!
Keep to the point, keep to the point
Follow through, bear up under that strain,
Don’t allow the smell of the rose you thought you might have seen
Cause a change in your bearing!

From the centre of here,
Inside this invisible box I may or may not have made,
Is where I am struggling to leave.
Now I can’t see my finger that I no longer feel.
It is dark and my arm is tired
My eyelids keep falling
And my thoughts keep returning to the rows of roses
I may have almost smelled,
Once.

I must say I love this topic so much. I see thousands of ideas crossing my mind. I wrote two poems besides the one I've submitted here.

It lacks me words and vocabulary to comment on everyone's poem, but I have enjoyed all of them so far.

Fidel: It surprises me that the first poem on this topic was all but unrealistic or something we dream of. Sad, but true. Love it.

Ivan: I think it goes somehow in the same direction as Fidel. Unfortunately, There's a lot of people needing to find their compasses. Love it, specially the second stanza.

Marie: It think it is beautifully written. It is so clear and so true. Love it.

Rachel: I loved your poem from the first line till the last one. I agree with Melissa, this would give a beautiful short story.

Jim: I love it and I'm not sure if I can get all the meanings of it. Had to check some words ;) But it made me think about some topics I've learnt in my classes of american literature. Specially your stile.

Melissa: I love it. As a Christian my North Star is Jesus. But I'm kind of a dreamer as well, I'd like to say those words to someone. Beautiful.

Jan: I see it as a perfect pray. I love it.

Robyn: I love it so much. It is beautifully written. All is so perfect: the structure, the rhythm and the contends. Great job.

Alex: This is high philosophy to me. I could read it thousand times and still be delighted by it.

Guy: It is so beautiful. And there's a lot of philosophy in it as well. a perfect monologue. I loved the part: "Wait! Wait! What was that I saw from the corner of my eye!
No, no, don’t turn, stop being distracted from the truth!" It is very strong and gives another rhythm to your poem. The end of it is just amazing. Love it!!!

Guy, Very nice! I really enjoyed reading this. I especially liked the very ending. Wonderful job!

Jocilene, Thank you for the nice compliment on my poem. I am so glad you enjoyed it! I, too, am a Christian and consider Jesus to be my North Star as well but this can also be interpreted to be considered as a romantic poem for someone also! Glad you caught that! :)

Moral Compass by Fidel M. Love
The joyful way your poem described man’s fall prompted a complex response in me. I was smiling at how bad everything is, as is described in this poem.

To find a way by Ivan Alvarez
Ivan, this saddened me, as the narrator has lost his faith.

Lost by Ashley Marie Uzzell
Yes, this is where peace begins!

A Direction by Rachel E.
I enjoyed the path, the ambivalence this evoked, between the feeling of having wasted a life while waiting to become alive.

Finding Your Compass Before It's Too Late or Hiccup and Toothless Made Me See This by Jim Agustin
Jim, this is a beautiful and sad and hopeful poem that is complete. Excellent.

A thousand years poem by Jocilene
This made me smile. I don’t know why. I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling and the echoes within the writing.

North Star by Melissa Andres
Your poem had me feeling wistful for the simple truth expressed.

Navigating Through Life by Jan
This is a good and strong affirmation or prayer.

The Accommodating Compass and the Literalist Spaceship by Robyn
I laughed out loud. Nicely done!

There's No Turning Back by Alex Morritt
The last line made me laugh at the ambivalent truth of it. Is not reading the menu an option? Sorry, I seem to have inappropriate responses at times, and for some reason your poem reminded me of the Italian restaurant scene in and the improbability drive in the book (not the movie) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Thank you Jocilene for commenting. I am glad that my words resonated with you. It is a rather odd thing, I think.

Melissa, likewise, thank you for commenting. And I am glad that you enjoyed it.

Guy wrote: "Thank you Jocilene for commenting. I am glad that my words resonated with you. It is a rather odd thing, I think."

You are welcome, odd or not I enjoyed it. Philosophy brings up some oddity sometimes. :P And thank you for your comment, I'm glad that you enjoyed it as well.

So, this topic actually had me thinking of a rose compass and my interest in drawing mandala designs. But I think there is a lot more under the surface of this poem than that, and might mean different things to different people. Or maybe it won't carry across to others at all! I'm not sure I really know all I was trying to say here...anyway...thoughts and critiques welcome.

Rose Compass

a point
carefully placed
on a white expanse
slowly, carefully rotated
a segment
an arc
a semi-circle
around and around
completed, whole
no beginning
no end

the point lifts
to be replaced
on a tangential point
to begin the process again
slowly, carefully rotating
the white expanse
another arc
another circle
intersecting the first
at two distinct points

the point will lift
to begin the process again
another circle
will intersect the others
creating points of conjunction
distinctly sharp vertices
of an otherwise
unending shape

The Edge of Morality
By Michelle Esteves

The invisible line is distorted and blurred
Internal balance on edge
Waivering thoughts, tip toeing feet
Balancing the tight rope of life,
You are your judge, can you live with yourself
If you cross the invisible line?

The things that you hear
All the right and the wrongs
Fluster your inner world,
Can you conquer the guilt
And close off you mind
If you cross the invisible line?

Opposites perched on each of your shoulders
Whispering in burning ears,
Hold on to your morals, that's what's right
Or throw caution to the wind
What will you do, it's all up to you
Will you cross the invisible line?

Compass by Catherine Niedzwiecki Copywrite 2015

A painting: the Compass, Fernand Leger
hangs on the wall in my grandmother's room
in a nursing home in Texas, a bargain deal
I am told her father picked up the imitation after the war
when she was just a girl. Operation
Compass, now that is another story.
The artist made sets for ballerinas
and the automat, below the shutter-
a gastrocnemius, like a dancer's
or a soldier's perongue tongue on wheels around a mine-
probably the Compass helped Fortuna
navigate a Railway Crossing her first year
of marriage - a limited field, those days
past. Now, as she navigates the prospects
of death, and I - the fortitundious
lantern of these evolute breaths that cast
conceptive webs to obtain friendship in what
is unknown - misrepresented in us,
and fate, and the walls which just encompass
our lives like flesh - make no bones about art -
and the di colored cyma recta crown-
ing above these trials of hearts and quests.

I will set framed photos of the compass
on my mantel, the hill top of my wars-
oh, the salutes of little flags - the mounds
where sparks wooed my worlds.

and this artist died at Gif - Sur- Yvette - like my new last name. Thanks, David, at the State Bar of Texas. ~

TEST TEST TEST Hello, New to the group and just testing how to post.

Fascinating how a word inspires so many diverse thoughts. Here are mine: (comments & critiques welcomed)


I CAN’T LEAVE


I can’t leave now.
Who will listen to all my troubles ,
Giving advice so ridiculous I find my own solutions?

I can’t leave now.
Who will misunderstand me,
causing me to clarify until I understand myself?

I can’t leave now.
Who will tell jokes to make me smile ,
Or provide a target for my repressed rage?

I can’t leave now.
Who will annoy me with childish wit,
Thus justifying my feelings of superiority?

I can’t leave now.
Who will greet me when I come home,
Making me feel wanted and necessary?

I can’t leave now.
Who will ignore you when you come home,
providing me the comfort that comes from familiarity?

I can’t leave now.
Who will agree with me so I know I’m right,
and participate in my ‘folie a deux’?

I can’t leave now.
Who will disagree with me and be so wrong,
that proving it will banish all my doubts?

I can’t leave now.
Who will share my most precious memories,
reminding me of the joy, when all I feel is sorrow?

I can’t leave now.
Who will thwart my future plans,
preventing the need for courage to carry them out?

I can’t leave now.
Who will I reach out to in the darkness,
When quiet reflection recognizes ultimate aloneness?


I can’t leave now.
Who will hold me when daylight comes
And I still can’t escape the ugly truth?

I can’t leave now.
I don’t know where to go or how to get there.
You have become my compass.

Connie Idalski-Dole

Guy, thank you. I've missed our conversations.

You are welcome, Jim. Yes, me too. I have been much more mute for the last year or so. Mostly because of a general extra-busy-ness in life. I am barely writing even poems, these days. But have managed a couple now in a few weeks! Maybe things are looking up! :-)

Welcome Connie. And be sure to introduce yourself in our friendly welcome to the group page.

Internal Map

Which way to go?
The way the wind now blows?
Much easier it does seem
To swim along with the stream
Something has turned me
I am not sure what
A seed planted in an ancient spot
To resist the fads of the day
Pulling me from darkness along the way

Kristen - Very nice! Your description of the compass was lovely! It makes you think of all the intricate works and how they come together to form a purpose!

Michelle - I liked this! It really makes you think. We all know right from wrong but some people choose to cross that invisible line with barely a thought. Nice job!

Catherine - There's a lot of history in this and it's quite evident that is something you are proud of because you did a wonderful job! I liked the line, "I will set framed photos of the compass on my mantel".

Connie - Wow! Such emotion packed within mere words. I just want to reach out and hug the person in the poem! Excellent job!

Robert - Love your title! Of course, I love the poem as well but the title just seems to sum up so much and really explains it all. Good job!

Connie, I had to re read your poem a few times because it was so impactful. I personally can remember times in my life when I had similar feelings and thoughts. I believe so many people can relate to what you wrote. Loved it!

Robert wrote: "Internal Map

Which way to go?
The way the wind now blows?
Much easier it does seem
To swim along with the stream
Something has turned me
I am not sure what
A seed planted in an ancient spot
To res..."


I really like this poem Robert - it's a bit different than your usual style, short but a complete story in one stanza - a nice take on the title.

Fidel wrote: ""Moral Compass" by Fidel M. Love

Pick the brain of man
Tinker with his mind
and I think you'll find
his compass is broke
His conscience is, quote -
"Null"
There's a void in his heart
The concept o..."

I liked your choice of the words "pick" and "tinker" because it adds truth to the whole piece. It makes the piece apply to every man, not just some.

Aweakin2 wrote: "Hey there.
here is my try, I do not consider it that good neither that bad. let's give it a try. hope you like it :)
feedback is eagerly welcome.

Title: “To find a way."
Author: Ivan Alvarez

We r..."

This really conveys a sense of confusion and disorientation.....the need for a compass. I have to admit however that I am not clear of the implication of the word "boughs".

Jim wrote: "Finding Your Compass Before It's Too Late
or Hiccup and Toothless Made Me See This
version 2

The wagtail flicks its narrow
tail feathers up and down
as it shuffles in jerks
on the bricks. Think ..."


Navigating an invisible maze....wow. That totally captures how it looks. I love the way you paint with words.

Robyn wrote: "A Fib sequence. Feedback welcome.


The Accommodating Compass and the Literalist Spaceship

It
spins
then stops.
The hands are
numerous, and each
points in a different direction.

I
gape
then scowl..."

I had never heard of a Fib Sequence. Yeah, now I have something new to play with! I like your humor.

Kristen wrote: "So, this topic actually had me thinking of a rose compass and my interest in drawing mandala designs. But I think there is a lot more under the surface of this poem than that, and might mean diffe..."

This poem reminded me of the feeling I have, even when things seem boring and repetitive, that it is part of a larger picture that is beautiful and endless. Well done.

I only commented to those requesting feedback. There were some other poems here that I really enjoyed.