With only 2 judges this time, there was a split decision on the winner again (similar to what happened previously with just 2 judges for TWC #5 lol)

First Place
untitled poem by graham
and
Baptismal by cambion

I will be forwarding the prize of $31.50 to graham (1/2 of the $63 due to it being a split decision) and the other entry to cambion will wait until he provides a PayPal should he wish to receive it. If he doesn't provide any address to use within the next 2-3 weeks, I'll forward the rest to graham instead as there's no point to not award the full amount to someone to pay the entire prize.

Thanks to both writers for their entries and great job to everyone. I received a total of 4 entries, although I was unable to read one of them due to not following the contest rules to put it into the body of the email or a text file (I dont have Word 2008 and cannot read docx files due to this).

I am providing the 3 entries I could read as follows:

---

graham's entry

As a means of introduction:

Listen:

Space for rent. Your ad here.


My name is Graham Isador, the prodigal son of tradition and crackers.
I am eighteen years old and would rather not be.

Blink.

My entire life, culture, opinions, soul were bought on books, records,
websites.
For six easy payments of mistrust and dignity this could be yours!
But right now it’s mine, and I don’t mind that.
Hornby and Gavin call it the best years.
I call it my teens.

When I was five I wanted to be a power ranger.
Nine a police man.
Twelve an anarchist.
Sixteen a martyr.

Now I just want to be. There isn’t nearly enough time for that anymore
though; as I waste my days in a school, a coffee shop, a basement, a bar;
playing a big city life in a small town. I rotate the things that are
still here to make it seem as if none of the pieces are missing. A lot of
time spent, shooting, and filling blanks. She hasn’t minded, so I pretend
not to. I’ve always had a strong appreciation for vertigo. It keeps me
grounded.

Giving up and growing up haven’t really been that different.

Cough.

The most important thing to remember when ordering a green tea is that
it’s tall, medium build, brown hair, with a battling sense of arrogance
and insecurity, five sugars and no milk. Milk just fucks it up. That’s not
shock value. It’s just how I see it.

There is a time and place for subtlety and articulation.
Describing myself is not the time or place.

If you’re so enamored I still have some room in the back.
The front rows are reserved for a dog named Jodie and a girl named Cassie.
She’s in California. I don’t recall what colour her eyes are but mine are
grey.
If you turned her sideways she’d disappear. I like that.

Capitalism, though the ism people like most, is organized exploitation.
But you and I have always run on cheap oil and profit.
So it goes. We’ll learn soon enough.
The right don’t get it and the left have it wrong. I hope, I think, I know.
But there’s still a hole where a phone was thrown.
A pint of Guinness to make me strong.
A light that never goes out.
And another pattern forming.
These tunes in play in my head and when no one's looking I sing along.

Twitch.

Sometimes I try and get the insides out.
Other times I’d rather not.

I wonder if they talk about me, and if they do what they say.
“A writer with no direction, a poet with no muse, a liar, a cheat, and a
loser”
Not that I’d care. I just really want to be noticed.

Really. For real. Forever. Ever Ever? Really.

Every line I’ve ever written has never really said what I’ve wanted to say.
Every mic I’ve sang into has never been loud enough.
My voice cracks when too many people listen.

I am over prescribed and under the weather.
My parents tell me it’s a phase. They’re okay.
It may be a phase. I don’t see them enough to know.

Trust me.

I’ll say sorry if it’ll make you feel better.
I’ll apologize if I can have my way.
That’s childish. You’re childish.
Time out. Wait your turn.

I wait a lot under a thousand calories a day!
Terrified of ending up past thirty two.
Round. Right round. Sideways. Like a tape deck.

Just flip a coin to get some head or tell tall tales.
I’ve made a habit of learning how to kill time.
I commit its murder daily.
And despite it’s death it doesn’t ever stop.

Ever Ever? Really.

---

cambion's entry

Baptismal

Last night I heard the raillery
of all the cities cease,
and the silence turned to terror
as the moon became cerise

Soon, the earth began to quake
and a fire did upheave
And fearing for my life,
the city I did leave.

To the mountaintop I fled
throughout this wretched night
But, when I arrived there
I found little respite

Still listening, impassioned
by the terror that I heard
I sought to discover
the source of what occurred

Perhaps, some unseen enemy
whose wrath that we had spurred
Or, I thought, calamity,
of nature's we incurred

But nothing that I fancied
rang true within my mind
And on a stump I idly sat
Answerless and blind

In time, the terror lessened
'til when the sun appeared
the silence was unbroken
and the smoke had all but cleared

I realized what happened then,
and with a wettened eye
I stood atop my mountain
And watched the world die

---

susie's entry

"Scream Surge"

The storm swirled;
The gust of wind
wasn't whispering.
It howled its raging ego
there for all
to heed its warning.
It let out a bellow -
Screamed incessantly.
Harsh fear crept in,
like the terror of wrinkled,
old eyes seeing death.
Then, it was gone
into the
abyss.

Hey, those are great!  Congratulations to all.