Actc: 2014/12: Contest Titles (2) And Info For December Challenge Comments

COME ON ph, PUT MY LAST COMMENT BELOW, PLEASE!

WINNER: JOHN WESTLAKE aka Profanisaurus. CONGRATULATIONS! And thank you to all the participants. I am still running a contest for ACTC 2015/01 on my site. The suggested titles are White On Black and OOPS! . Bri Edwards aka part-time 'contest manager'. :) bri ========================================================== NOW: Let me suggest that perhaps in February 2015, this contest NOT continue as a contest, but instead evolve into a showcase for interested PH members who wish to share one of their poems which they are most proud of for one reason or another. I am pretty sure that many members have poems on PH which seem to be overlooked, as I DO. This is easy to understand, given the huge number of poems on this site and the large number of members (though how many really active members there are is a mystery to me) . And i am primarily considering poets whose English is at least very good, though all poets would be welcome, using English or another language (with or without translation) . I have NOT discussed this with the founder of this current challenge contest, Brian Johnston. Perhaps he could continue with the ACTC competition and I would start my own monthly showcase, with NO title and NO topic limitation, and perhaps NO length limitation. WHAT DO OTHERS THINK ABOUT MY IDEA?

VOTING COUNT SO FAR. TWO DAYS LEFT TO VOTE! BRIAN J. = ZERO : ( [brian, there's still time to vote for yourself! ! ] JOHN WESTLAKE = 3 :) :) :) [voters: bri edwards, abekah emmanuel, darlene walsh] SAVITA TYAGI = 1 :) [voter: diane hine] AKHTAR JAWAD = 0 : ( DARLENE WALSH = 0 : ( DOUGLAS SCOTNEY = 0 : ( ABEKAH EMMANUEL = 1 :) [voter: savita tyagi] BRI EDWARDS = 0 : (: (: ( ===================== total votes caste so far: 5 (five) [two days LEFT! ! ! ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p.s. voting is over in the december ACTC contest on my site in two more days. brian johnston asked me to take responsibility for the january contest as well, but i've gotten a late start on that, so the january title and other information is not available yet. when it is, it will appear in my new poems section and start with ACTC. again, i plan to suggest two titles to choose from. bri :)

I enjoyed all the poems this month. Hope to see you all again next month :) Brian It's a very nice story, about history in general and about Brian's own history. And a somber warning for our future. Yes, history (past present and future) is really God's Story (Godstory, I like the word - better than herstory) . A very thoughtful poem (more story than poem like many of my 'poems') . John I love libraries, and the symbolism, history of the universe over all time is huge. And each of us a tiny book, a small story, within all of that huge history. When I first started reading, I was thinking it was about predestination, but when I saw 'their book' I knew I was wrong. While the physical universe has been set in motion and will continue as planned until it's fulfillment, each of us is our own unique story. Tiny (almost but not quite insignificant) but still individual, each of us is our own tiny story, living with so many other tiny stories within the history of the universe. Savita A very short but inspiring random thought. Akhtar A very hopeful history of the future. It is nice to think that 'He has made us worthy of His Perfection.' I hope your poem comes true, unfortunately my confidence in human nature is not so positive. I believe 'He' will in the end find us much less worthy of 'His Perfection.' Douglas I don't know enough about Australia to fully understand your poem, and for that I am sorry. I do get the feeling of uniqueness that is Australia. Australia does things the way they want, not how everyone else does it, and that is very nice. Your poem has inspired me to learn more about Australia. Bri As always, very entertaining. Not happy you intentionally left out Elves (you do remember I'm part Elf lol) . I like your confidence in each of our futures (and you should really be nicer to your self even if that is where we are all eventually headed lol) . Abekah I think this poem has a more realistic picture of futures history. There will be great things happening, but it will be tarnished by our real human nature. Thoughtful and well written. My vote this month goes to John (did I say I love libraries) .

well, haven read various comments and witty criticisms by various astute poets, I think, the webmaster is doing a great job, but as to why my poem was refusing to be posted is kind of a mystery to me. Has the contest master (PhD) now taken bribe from the opposition party to disqualify me? ..haaa...I guess not, at least, not when I have a copy of the US constitution in my library.. Whichever way, it seems, we have been a bit timid in our voting this election month, but I think the Christmas seems to have had a great impact on the contest last month, as the contest master was busy looking for Ghanaian singles in the US...(jokes) .....On a more serious note, I think, this is the best time for me to cast my vote, and i therefore vote for John Westlake (though I believe strongly in women empowerment) .

well, haven read various comments and witty criticisms by various astute poets, I think, the webmaster is doing a great job, but as to why my poem was refusing to be posted is kind of a mystery to me. Has the contest master (PhD) now taken bribe from the opposition party to disqualify me? ..haaa...I guess not, at least, not when I have a copy of the US constitution in my library.. Whichever way, it seems, we have been a bit timid in our voting this election month, but I think the Christmas seems to have had a great impact on the contest last month, as the contest master was busy looking for Ghanaian singles in the US...(jokes) .....On a more serious note, I think, this is the best time for me to cast my vote, and i therefore vote for John Westlake (though I believe strongly in women empowerment) . His portrait of the future is interesting.....well done, all contestants!

MY VOTE: My vote is cast for JOHN WESTLAKE, and not because he (sort of) promised to share cash with me if he wins 'big' at Lotto! see his poem: 167. If I Ever Win Big On The Lotto congratulations! though i can't 'guarantee' a win HERE either. thanks to you and the others for sharing. bri :)

COMMENT on ABEKAH EMMANUEL’S poem: What I would like most to know is: “How come ”this title” was Abekah’s suggestion in the first place [[ I borrowed it, and then gave a second title choice of “Oops! ”, which no one chose to use; I would have, but I wanted a challenge ]]…. BUT Abekah’s entry was received just “under the wire”/ “just in the knick of time”/”at the (almost) last minute”? ? ? I guess he was just testing the tolerance of this month’s “contest master”? AND, furthermore, he asked my opinion on his poem, which I was glad to give. That’s why I added the bit after his poem about it being a legal collaboration. So far Abekah has received the only vote cast. I hope more votes will be cast! Not that i wouldn't want him to win. It doesn't cost ME anything. Some rhyming. Check mark. Some thought. Check mark. I like movies. But, as I’ve already told him, today would be closer to yesterday [not tomorrow, as he wrote] IF he wrote the poem BEFORE noon; he must have written that AFTER noon. Like Akhtar, Abekah is optimistic, it seems, about the future. Notice how close those two names are (in use of letters) ! Are they the same person? ? Well, WAIT A MINUTE! ! ! ! As I review further, farther into the body of the poem, I see I had forgotten how dismal a picture he, Abekah, eventually paints for the future! YIKES! ! ! The worst of which is a foreseen disregard for the great words of Bri, Brian, “or” Diane! ! good grief!

COMMENT on DOUGLAS SCOTNEY’S poem: Another (4th) continent heard from! An international contest. Soon a 5th one will appear, and we’ll only be missing South America and Antarctica. Maybe I could move to Brazil this month and we could send Brian Johnston to Antarctica. Douglas, your confidence is overwhelming! My “home boss” claims she knows of a farmers market where you can buy just one egg, and she feels the good old u.s.a. has a machine for toasting just one slice of bread at a time. Have you tried putting it on a fork, over a burner? I can remember using the fork trick as a kid, not always with satisfactory results. Maybe YOU could move to Florida. There are a lot of old people down there who probably only want one toast and one egg. A bit of rhyming, which I always like when it is good, which this is. And you managed to get “o” into ¾ of the line-ending words! But you seem to be encouraging an Australia which embraces “even” numbers (and maybe some sort of equality aka “evenness”?) , but you just want one toast and one egg? One is an “odd” number, isn’t it? I never was great in school.

COMMENT on DARLENE WALSH’S poem: I’m having trouble with the third line of the poem. I wonder if this busy poet meant something else. It seems like ”history” and “future” may be getting mixed up; or is it ME? And unlike some thinkers, I think the future’s history is all that has already happened, BUT NOT ALL of the past necessarily influences “what will be/que sera”. I noticed that Darlene’s interesting rhyme scheme is the same as Akhtar’s, which I said was not too familiar to me! What a coincidence. I’d like to know the history of this Challenge contest, especially if Brian Johnston is taking the reins for January. Anybody else interested? I could handle it again I suppose, if old Brian is too hung over from New Year’s Eve!

COMMENT on AKHTAR JAWAD’S poem: It took me two or three readings to appreciate and understand this (almost) completely. I’m still not sure about “UNO”. I Googled it. University of New Orleans, a pizzeria’ name, or a card game? ? ? Or did you mean “UN”, as in United Nations; that I’m a little familiar with. Is the physical/mental in-the-flesh “man/woman” evolving into such a better creature/caricature, OR are robots taking our place? Anyway, it sounds too good to be true, but who knows what the future will bring? And if there really is a God, it will sure be nice if She gives Mankind more time to get its act together. This poem, besides dealing with important Earth issues, manages to be optimistic, and intelligent [not that I’m saying the other poems aren’t! ]. Will the threat of global warming and rising sea levels, more people may be able to do their seafood-gathering right outside their front doors! And it has an interesting, if not too familiar (to me) , rhyme scheme. The only real doubt I have(other than UNO) is that, except in the first stanza, it seems to be telling the future more than speaking of the “history” of the future. BUT, in the Challenge, we have a lot of leeway, and this poem certainly works for me.

COMMENT on SAVITA TYAGI’S poem: I can’t decide if this is brilliant or silly, or both. There does seem to be a little humor in it. Twin what? ? But that’s one of future’s problems: OVERPOPULATION! Yes, the present is most certainly having “labor pains”! ! And the past had its share as well. I DO wonder what Savita’s “thought X” was/is/will be.

I thought I had read all the poems when I glanced at Abekah Emmanual's poem and realized that I haven't read it. Great poem. enjoyed it very much. I my vote goes for it 100/oo.

COMMENT on JOHN WESTLAKE’S POEM: I didn’t get the part about asteroids, but, otherwise, the first stanza is “cool”, “neat”, “fine”, AND “groovy”. I wonder what the movie will look like. What John aka Profanisaurus does with this unusual (to me) approach to the ‘topic/title” is very entertaining. A few little typos perhaps? , but I hear he types on one of those tiny electrical devices I would never want to have to use. Remind me to never try running off with THAT book! TOO DAMN BIG!

COMMENT on BRIAN JOHNSTON’S POEM: So I looked up the origin of “history” and found for the most recent origin/etymology? : “from Old French estoire, estorie chronicle, history, story. Now, Brian I think was trying to be funny [leave that to me/Bri] when he mentioned “herstory”. So. would the etymology of that word be “erstoire”? I don’t find that. I’d rather be in league with libelists? than rotting in Hell, even though I probably will be anyway; rotting in Hell, that is. I never “signed s up for life's emerging courses”! ! ! ! they were FORCED ON ME! Who, in their right mind would sign up? “And Eden's garden's apple changes to a human pearing” …………. is this line supposed to be some kind of religio-scientific pun or something? ? ? better luck next time, pal. but others may override my sentiments! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! it could happen. bri ;)

ok. the poems are ALL SUBMITTED; late-submitters shall have to bribe me in order to have me post them, but they are not eligible for the super prize: the accolade WINNER. NOW VOTE, IF YOU WISH. BRI :)

SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT! YESTERDAY I TRIED TO ADD ABEKAH'S POEM TO THE END OF THE POEMS' SECTION ABOVE, IN MY ACTC POEM BUT SO FAR IT SEEMS I'VE ONLY MANAGED TO ADD IT AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO MY poet's note! let me try that again! bri: (

Dear Mr. New Commissioner Of Elections, Are you telling us that you had forgotten to read well your instruction manual? ...But you were carefully vetted and so you were aware of the mantle you were picking, didnt you? haaaa! .....yes, the contest master role is not easy at all, and so we shall try as much as possible to bear with you in order that you may discharge your duties effectively. While we are bearing with you, we shall also think of some ex-gratia packages for our contest masters this Christmas, at least some cheap pizzza and coke will do....so keep it up....we are firmly behind you.... A.E

This contest manager spot ain't as easy as i had hoped it would be! It may have something to do with recent problems PH has been having AND/OR my inexperience on computers in general and in PH in particular. For some unknown reason, therefor, i have trouble adding poems from competitors and having things stay the way i THINK i typed them. Perhaps that is why Brian Johnston broke up the contest rules and info, and the entered poems section into two poems. In any case i really want to keep everything in ONE HUGE poem, on ONE PAGE on my site, so i shall persevere. Please let me know if you spot any problem areas worth mentioning. THANKS. bri edwards :)

December 10th: poems submitted and posted so far, by poets: Brian Johnston John Westlake Savita Tyagi Akhtar Jawad