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Young Writers Society


April Madness 2019



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Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:25 am
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paperforest says...



Ack so sorry this is late, if you'll accept it I've got this:
Spoiler! :
chant to keep the world turning / these brief ages

we sit on the roots of ancient mountains,
grown strong on shells and bones and the push
of the earth turning within itself,
ground down by rain and wind and the sharpened beaks
of birds that did not yet know they might be birds,
worn smooth by an age of ice

time sheaves off in moments as of glaciers
slowly breaking into the sea -
wash up at the roots of an ancient forest,
new roots cradling the waves -
we sit in the riverbeds of canyons not yet grown
and the earth turns within itself
and we hold tightly for a moment to our bones
  





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Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:35 pm
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alliyah says...



Perfect - all entries are now in and the results for this round will be posted on April 27th when we'll find out which two competitors will go on to the Final Round.

Thanks everyone!
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  





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Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:36 pm
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Lib says...



This is exciting! Good luck to everyone! Just a thought: but what if there's a tie? On the last round? Will they re-do the round or something?
*insert quirky signature here*
  





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Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:43 pm
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alliyah says...



@Liberty500 good question. It's unlikely with 5 judges that there'd be a tie - each judge gives a score out of 25 based on 5 different categories for each work (besides the poems in the group they're in if they're still competing) and then those scores are averaged. So far we've had some very close scores, but haven't had to break any ties.

In the event of the tie -

either a gladiator-style combat would take place,
I would break the tie by executive decision,
or I'd ask the judges to try ranking the works rather than giving scores,
or all three!
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  





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Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:12 pm
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Que says...



Wow, now I really want to see two members of a tie facing off with poems about gladiators. XD It would be a fearsome sight!
Est-ce que vous parlez français?
  





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Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:49 pm
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Lib says...



Whoa! I agree with @Querencia, I'd def like to see that! XD
*insert quirky signature here*
  





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Mon Apr 29, 2019 7:01 pm
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alliyah says...






Apologies for the delay in getting the last pairing & results out!

From Group 1 of Querencia, fraey, and Audy
and from Group 2 of Ventomology, paperforest, and alliyah

your two April Madness finalists are.....

Querencia and Ventomology


Congratulations you two! And congrats to their opponents who put up quiet a fight, again we had some really close rounds.

These last two poets will face off in our Final Round using a poem that they've written in April that has not previously been judged. Because these pairings are being released a bit late, just try to get your last poems in by 10 pm (CDT) May 1 and the April Madness Champion will be announced in the first week of May.

Good luck Querencia and Ventemology!
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  





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Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:00 pm
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Lib says...



Woo-hoo! You guys have been doing a fantastic job!

Go, @Querencia! Go, @Ventomology!

I can't wait to see who wins! To be honest, I want it to be a tie. So that we can see the exciting part! XD
*insert quirky signature here*
  





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Wed May 01, 2019 5:32 am
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Ventomology says...



And here goes nothing. It's been great competing with y'all!

Spoiler! :
Image
"I've got dreams like you--no really!--just much less, touchy-feeley.
They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny
on an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone
surrounded by enormous piles of money." -Flynn Rider, Tangled
  





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Wed May 01, 2019 9:40 pm
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Que says...



Oops! This slipped my mind. :) It's been a super fun competition!! You guys are such good poets. <3

Spoiler! :
"sometimes we love the
non-native plants the best."
he tells me this as we
dig with trowels and
gather fistfuls of damp earth,
watching it trickle out
between our fingers.

the sun beats a rhythm
on my back,
something strong but soundless.
"even though they're
strangers?"
I ask this because
sometimes I wonder if
those plants ever wanted to
be here in the first place.
I ask this because
sometimes I feel like
a transplant, too.

he doesn't answer, but
presses a tulip bulb
into my dirty palm,
and I in turn
press it into the hole
I dug.

the whisper of wind
at the back of my neck
prickles against a
sheen of sweat and
brushes past my nose--
soft scent of pine and
dusky smoke of a
prairie fire--
and I think that
everything has to come from
somewhere.
Est-ce que vous parlez français?
  





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Wed May 01, 2019 9:42 pm
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alliyah says...



And entries are closed - thank you to our final poets! Expect the final results sometime at the end of this week. :)
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  





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Wed May 01, 2019 11:17 pm
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Lib says...



Ooooh, I'm so excited to see the results! Let's go! Both your poems were fantastic, @Ventomology and @Querencia!
*insert quirky signature here*
  





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Fri May 10, 2019 3:08 pm
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alliyah says...





Thank you for your patience in awaiting these results, the judges had a difficult decision to make with two fantastic poems! Thank you to every competitor who shared your poetry during this cycle of madness, and thank you especially to the judges who made this possible.

Without further ado, congratulations to....


Ventomology in Second Place

and our April Madness Champion..... Querencia!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  





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453 Reviews

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Gender: Female
Points: 925
Reviews: 453
Fri May 10, 2019 3:18 pm
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Lib says...



CONGRATULATIONS!
*insert quirky signature here*
  





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557 Reviews



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Fri May 10, 2019 3:31 pm
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Ventomology says...



Congrats @Querencia!
"I've got dreams like you--no really!--just much less, touchy-feeley.
They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny
on an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone
surrounded by enormous piles of money." -Flynn Rider, Tangled
  








Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.
— Maya Angelou