OFFICIAL OPEN SPACE A TO Z POETRY BALLOT

[ralphsc]

Hi, Open Space Cadets,

Time to pick the winner of the A to Z Poetry Contest!

Here are all the entries.  Please vote for only one.  They're numbered
for reference.  I have dropped off the names of the authors so you won't
be swayed by emotion.  (Right.)

Some additional "rules."

1.  Vote by letting me know the number of your favorite poem.  You can
send a private e-mail to me at ralphsc at earthlink.net, or you can hang out
your vote on a return e-mail to the list for all to see.  All items below
qualify as either A to Z or Z to A poems.

2.  Lobbying for your favorite "candidate" is allowed.  This is because I
couldn't stop it even if I wanted to, which I don't.

3.  You may, of course, vote for your own poem.

4.  Remember, the prize for the winning entry is a copy of John Adams'
new book, "Thinking Today as if Tomorrow Mattered."

5.  Sumbit your vote by close of business, Friday, October 22.

6.  In case of a tie, the law of two feet will apply.  I don't know what
that means; I just like the sound of it.

Thanks go to all the brave souls who entered!  Here are the 15 entries,
numbered in no particular order.  (Note: some have titles, some do not.)

**********
Entry No. 1:

An Antipodean musing on ... Experiencing open space

About bold conversing, deep effortless flowing, giving heroic inspiration

joyfully, knowing loving mutual nurturing opens playful quickening,
respectfully

showing that unifying voices wither xenophobic yahoo zealots.

Entry No. 2:

REFLECTIONS AT THE END OF A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL MEETING

Answers beckon.
Circles determine experience
for growth -- holistic & inspiring.
Journeys, knowledge & license
make new openings possible.
Quiet reflection seeds transformation,
unearths visions,
wishes & x-cellence...
<Yawn>
Zowie!

Entry No. 3:

Facilitators's thoughts preparing for OS

        A beautiful circle
        designed especially for gifted, hopeful individuals
        joyously, kindly, lovingly,
        moving now
        openly, passionately quite richly spiritually
        toward uniquely valuable wonderful xens

Entry No. 4:

Amazing beings come discuss
experiences freely; gathering, hopes
ideas, joyously, kindling lavishly monster NOWs
opening perspectives, qualifying, releasing, &
setting transition to unchained ventures. Welcoming
x-citing youthful zing.

Entry No. 5:

Ascending beyond constricted diatribes
Enlightening fear-gripped henchmen
Igniting jaded knotted leaders
Mountaineering new open precipices
Quietly restoring space to
Understand, value, wish
X-citing your zuchini

Entry No. 6:

EXPLAINING OPEN SPACE TO A NEOPHYTE CLIENT

A basic concept designed effectively for groups.
How interesting!
Just kindle learning, maybe not overtly perhaps.
Quite risky sessions take unbelievably visceral whirls.
Xenagogues yoke zealots.

Entry No. 7:

Arriving Babies Crying Delicately Eagerly Fearlessly Gnawing Haunted
Intricate Juxtaposed Kittens Lying Meowing Needily On Perplexing
Questionably Ravish Sisters Talking Uncharming Verses With
X-traordinarily youthful zombies.

Entry No. 8:

Amid bright collaborators
Designing effective forums,
Generate hearty insights.
Jubilation!
Know--less's more.
Nature operates passionately, quirkily, regeneratively.
Stay tuned!
Unified voices will x-press your zeal.

Entry No. 9:

All bewildered --
complexity, diversity, even flagrant griping.
Hoping integration joins knowledge, love
  making new opportunities, possibilites quite real.
Saving time, understanding values,
  waking xenophobic yes-people...
Zounds!

Entry No. 10:

AN INVITATION...

announcing bigger cyber discussions
encouraging forum-germinating help
inviting joining, knowing, linking
moving now onto posting
quickly
resources, stories, tips, unfolding...
visit www.openspaceworld.org!
x-tend your zip!

Entry No. 11:

Zenlike........ yoking xray Wisdom,
Venerable unbound tao,
Seers rejoice,

Quiescent possibilities open now,
mellow luminescence kindled,
Jeweled imaginings herald.....
Graceful footings, eloquent designs,
Community, being alive!

Entry No. 12:

Awesomely beautiful; clustered dreams.
Ever flowing, growing
Harvesting inner journeys
Kindred laborers mind no ominous perils
Quickly recognizing soulful transactions
Users voice wisdom's xenia
Yea zealots!

Entry No. 13:

HOLDING THE SPACE

A brilliantly choreographed dance emerges.
Faces glow happily.
I'm just keeping low, minding nothing,
observing people, quietly ruminating,
studying things,
until various worldly x-periences yield zonally

Entry No. 14

Thriving In Open Space

A bountiful collage
Dialogue enters freely
Glorious, honoring, intuition, joy, knowledge, learning
Members new/old participate, question, relate, share, theorize, unify
Victory, wisdom x-ult "yes, ZAP!"

Entry No. 15:

Dare to Facilitate Open Space!

Against best counsel,
Dare engagingly,
Facilitate!
Get help in just knowing Love matters!
Now Open-positively-quite-remarkable-Space today!
Undo victimhood,
Wildly x-perience your zest!

That's it.

Poetically yours,
Ralph Copleman

>From  Sat Oct 16 13:58:04 1999
Message-Id: <SAT.16.OCT.1999.135804.0400.>
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 13:58:04 -0400
Reply-To: abc at interlog.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Audrey Coward <abc at interlog.com>
Organization: Audrey Coward and Associates
Subject: Re: OFFICIAL OPEN SPACE A TO Z POETRY BALLOT
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Thank you for the fun. Poem#is missing the last two words -your zenith