"Open Space A to Z Contest

Mon Oct 4 05:52:57 PDT 1999

Dear Open Spacies:

And now for something completely different

It's a contest, right here in the open space and you may help select the winner, as well as enter as many times as you wish.  Read on.

As some of you know, I dabble in poetry.  One exercise that poetry teachers often assign for young or inexperienced poets is this.  Write a poem of only 26 words using the letters of the alphabet, in order, with each letter being the first letter of a word.

For example...

Always be careful
Doubt every force
Gathered here in jealous kisses
Let my nearness only press
Quiet, restful stretches together,
Useful verities will x-cite you zealously.

Okay, so I cheated on the "x".  It's allowed for that one letter.

The challenge/contest:

1.  Write an alphabet poem, in the style exemplified above, describing open space.  The title, if you include one, may or may not be part of the alphabetic scheme (your choice).

2.  Author of the best entry will receive a free copy of John Adams' just-published new book,
"Thinking Today As If Tomorrow Mattered" (a fresh exploration of how people and organizations can change their consciousness to help save the planet from environmental deterioration).

3.  You may submit more than one entry.

4.  You may submit your entries in any language as long as you also supply an English translation (which does not have to be alphabetical).

5.  After a suitable period of time, I'll compile all the entries into one e-mail and publish it here.  Listserve subscribers can then submit their votes as to the best one.  Top vote-getter become the winners.  I get one vote, too.

6.  VARIATION: If you prefer, submit your entry in reverse-alphabetical order.

7.  Why am I doing this?  I want to promote John's book, I like promoting poetry, and I think it'll be fun!

8.  NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.  If you have never ever written a poem, so what!  Take a whack at it.  It's fun.  It's good for the mind.  And it tickles the funny-bone.

9.  You may cheat on th "x".

To help get you thinking, here's a (non-eligible) alphabet poem on open space I did the other day. (I incorporated the title).  Yours, of course, will be better.

Agendas Beckoning

Circles debut effortlessly.
Fresh gists,
Honored in juiciful knowing,
Loosen miraculous, new, open passions,
Quenchable, really,
Since time undoes vexatious worry.
X-tend your zone!

C'mon now  give it a try!  Win the prize!!

Ralph Copleman

>From  Mon Oct  4 12:02:22 1999
Message-Id: <MON.4.OCT.1999.120222.0700.>
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 12:02:22 -0700
Reply-To: bjpeters at amug.org
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: BJ Peters <bjpeters at amug.org>
Subject: Re: Knowledge Management
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I find this discussion most interesting and am reminded of what T.S. Eliot
said years ago
<blockquote>"Where is the life we have lost in living; where is the wisdom
we have lost in knowledge and where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"</blockquote>
In harmony --BJ
<br> </html>

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