OSLIST poetry contest

Tue May 4 17:44:56 PDT 2010

Great OSLIST Poetry Contest 

Greetings all:

Once again it is time for the Poet Laureate (me, this time) to issue an
invitation to all to participate in the Great OSLIST Poetry Contest. As the
current (and very outgoing - grin) Poet Laureate, it falls to me to extend
the invitation. 

As you no doubt know, the title of OSLIST Poet Laureate is awarded to the
winner of the Biannual OSLIST Restricted Form Poetry Contest. Anyone may
enter this contest, and all list members have an opportunity to vote for the
winner. The winner becomes the OSLIST Poet Laureate for the next six months
- holding space for poetry on the OSLIST by sharing and / or inviting poetry
- and is also responsible for organizing the next contest.

Restricted Form means some described form or boundary for the poem.  Past
contests have been inviting haiku, or each line starting with a new letter
of the alphabet, or a poem about five things at your desk, a poem in a
certain form about the senses, or about nature, or about Open Space.

Some rules:

1.     The topic of the contest, this year, will be either about the
grounding or soaring nature of OS or both. 

2.     If you write your poem in your own language which may not be English,
please do add a translation in English.

3.     Due to the various OSonOS's going on this month, I have decided that
you have until May 31st at midnight eastern daylight time to send your poems
to oslistpoetry at gmail.com and the OSLIST. 

The Process of Voting:

After that date I will publish [again] on the list the text of every piece
of poetry sent to me.  The poems will be judged by a vote of the OSLIST
members, and the author of the poem that attracts the majority of votes will
become our next Poet Laureate, which includes the honor of holding space for
Open Space poetry for our list for the next 6 months.

A little history of the contest, from Chris Corrigan:

"For all those who might be curious, the OSLIST Biannual Restricted Form
Poetry Contest started in the spring of 2000 when I issued the challenge to
the list.  Ralph Copleman actually began the whole thing with a contest in
the fall of 1999 (which I won) and so he is the "Poetry King" for all time.
I just claimed the "Poet Laureate" title in an effort to have some fun.  It
was something of a one martini idea, and I was out of gin at the time..."

The complete history is as follows - thanks to Anne Hiha for researching
this:

In '99 Ralph Copleman launched The 'Open Space A to Z Contest.'

His poems (2) - 

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.

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!

Chris Corrigan became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 1999 November - A to Z, 26
words

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

Chris Weaver became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2000 May - Relating to Open
Space in four stanzas of four lines, each containing four words   

OPEN SPACE

You have arrived here

before, burning for air,

surfacing in a circle

of early spring lakewater

with loons around you.

Did even the ones

who love you understand

why you stepped off

the dock into black

water?  The beckoning voice

was so soft: consider

the lilies.  We carve

that first time into

a monument of birdsong

and hand each other deeper

trust, easily, like sandwiches.

Jeff Aitken became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2000 November -
Triple-American-Haiku, inspired by Open Space.

huge pens and newsprint

like twigs and leaves on the floor:

fall forest clearing.

wall like wide canvas

bare, primed, awaiting wide strokes

painted by our hearts.

circle of welcome,

like setting an old table

for neighbors and friends.

Florian Fischer became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2001 May - Exactly 21 words,
and begin with the letter A.

anfang

am anfang war kein ende.

so ward entschieden

da anfang auf anfang folge

immerdar

vorbei-ist-vorbei bedeutet darum:

gib raum neuem anfang

- - 

beginning

at the beginning

there was no end

ever since they decided

beginning forever

over-is-over tells us

its time for a further beginning

Laurel Doersam became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2002 February - 5 objects
within your sight, let the space work, write

the space in my sight glancing into a mirror

I've turned into a Renaissance painting!

Picture this:

an extra thirty pounds adorns my thighs and torso,

my eyes are Mona Lisa-esque

(read that "no lashes or brows")

the only thing missing is the long, flowing tresses.

I do, however, have a very short,

snappy wig interwoven with a passle of white hairs -

it's quite a good rug, but ITCHY.  I'm still quite startled

every time I inadvertently glance into a mirror.

Audrey Coward became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2002 November - 10 lines long

TRANSFORMATION

Open space in your heart

Drill down

down

down

Past all fears

Let them go

Arrive in virgin open space

Where you become brand new

once again

and greet yourself as if for the first time.

Joelle Everett became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2003 April - Any length on
Peace or The Practice of Peace 

I'm breathing the smoke

of gunshots, mortars, missiles,

and oil wells burning.

I'm stirring in the night,

hearing children crying and mothers keening

It has the grit of desert sandstorm.

The night sky is torn by explosives,

cut by the arc of a missile.

There's no place far enough

to put my heart at ease.

Can I buy another chance?

I want to refuse to take sides.

I want to imagine a world

more spacious and more intimate.

I want the courage to buy

homes and meals and schoolbooks

instead of guns and tanks.

I want to be peace, wild and fierce and sweet.

Florian Fischer became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2003 November - I wonder . .
.

I wonder

I wonder

whether words will work

I wonder

whether wanting will work

I wonder

whether worrying will work

I wonder

whether voting will work

to get answers on

where to go and

when to stop and

how to stay

will worshipping work

or waiting for wonders

or is it simply giving welcome

to the wonder happening

already and continuously

as selffulfilling reality

not answering any question

about right or wrong

or how or where or when

I am to witness the wonder

and to stay wondering until

perhaps to my two words before last:

I wonder

Joelle Everett became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2004 September - Butterflies
and open space (Hosted by Jeff)

PORTALS

In the green heart of the wild wood,

Woodpecker is knocking:

at midsummer the air is as green

as light filtered through emerald.

Deer steps into a shadow

And disappears.

I sit by the water drumming,

open my eyes to Butterfly -

a flash of black and yellow

rises up in my face,

soars over my head and leaves me

drumming, enchanted.

Earth holds the weight of tree trunks,

heavy and unmoving,

but in the circle of the sky

leafy treetops bend and shake,

playing a wild game

with the wind.

The air is interlaced with open spaces,

this world and some other

lie as close together

as a leaf lies against the air -

a blink of an eye, shift of imagination,

will take me there.

And my heart is captured by longing,

restless with the thin veneer

over the surfaces of things,

watching for the moment of invitation:

a trembling leaf, Woodpecker knocking,

a new note in your voice . . .

The world on fire burns with a green flame:

I will not trade a precious moment

of the chaos, joy and pain

for a life with no surprises,

for a day with no time

to let you in.

Lisa Heft became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2006 February - Theme is OST; the
form is satire

I Am So Amazing

I invite them to crawl around on the floor

...and they do.

...and they kind of like it.

I invite them to post signs on a wall, run around the room like insects.

I tell them feet have laws.

The part they see me do is pick up their coffee cups - incredibly

skilled work, worthy of huge sums of money.

I ring a bell; they sit.  

I have such power.

Teresa Posakony became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2006 September - relates to
Open Space in some way and to include, reflect upon, honor or use the senses

Diving Deep

Are you ready?

No I mean. 

Are you READY?

The time is now

Hold my hand

Together we dive

Into the river of heart and soul

The water is deep and quick

All there is to do is trust the flow

Struggling makes no sense though

We don't know where the river goes

The choice is clear

Ready

Set

Wait a minute Let me catch my breath

Go. 

Karen Sella became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2007 May - Relates to Open Space
in some way and that includes, reflects upon, honors or invites images of
nature and / or the earth. (Hosted by Lisa)

Open Space for Cats and Dogs

I walk through fragrant blue sky

Bare feet on wet grass.

It is too cold for bare feet,

But my teachers have taught me well.

Who can resist a noisy yawn and a warm wiggle first thing in the morning?

To greet each dawn and each other with a curious heart.

To be mesmerized by the smallest motion.

To breathe the air, the earth.

To inhale the stories in each blade of grass. 

To forgo the coffee and drink the dew.

To listen for what can't be heard.

To bathe in light and nap awake in the middle of the day.

Is to arrive fully alive.

Forget the honey, taste the bee.

I have but one question:

When the butterfly lands on my nose, can I eat it?

Jeff Aitken became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2008 March - The personal, inner
experience of Open Space - the open space within the unbounded expanse of
heart and mind.

When my father died I grieved all year. 

But Michael Stipe was right that sweetness follows.

When it's over,

A cloud of feeling lingers, calls up memories, shows me the world with eyes

more raw, more open to this stark, leafless maple growing in the sidewalk.

And shows me to the work that's next to do.

When it's over,

We might start that lovely, awkward dance of hugs, and wait our turn to hug

Ralph, and Chris, Karen, Joelle, and Lisa, everyone who won and wrote and

read, and lay a wreath for Laurel on the earth.

When it's over,

we might stand in Harrison's circle with hands joined and faces outward,

hearts burst open to the horizon and the mystery of walking toward it, alone

and together, finding spaces snapping open like poppies.

Anne Hiha became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2008 October - Letters of your
Alphabet, an experience with open space that shook your life

Worldwide-Openspace Online: The consummate butterfly 

Awake

But no!

Cant be!

Did I really sleep through a whole event?

Easy.

First, lay your head down

Get nice and cosy

Head snuggled on the perfect pillow

Island of dreams

Just for a while

Keep those eyes closed

Let the world roll on

Magic moment.

No going back in, it's over.

Over?

Please, please what did I miss?

Quiet screen is adamant, you had your chance.

Right whoever's there

Sigh... Still... I would have liked to have been there

Up now

Vitality returned

When's the next one?

Xmas doesn't wait for anyone either

Yet

Zzzzz

Esther Ewing became OSLIST Poet Laureate in 2009 August - Deep bow to
WOSonOS 2009, any form

Pondering Open Space

I sit and wonder,

Why am I here?

What can I contribute?

Patience, my soul answers.

Patience, and wait.

All will come clear.

Other voices rise and fall,

Puzzled, but accepting,

Quietly I wait...

Ah, it comes to me:

Some contribute by speaking,

Others by being the deep, cool pool into which they make a splash.

I listen to their talking,

And gradually, patiently, I understand.

Ewing Change Consulting

Creating Success from Within

24 Phoebe Street,

Toronto, ON M5T 2Z3

Canada

Esther at EwingChange.com 

Toronto: 416-792-0971

New York: 646-963-3747

Cell: 647-224-0021

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