WE HAVE A WINNER!
After much reading and deliberating, the Simon & Schuster Canada poetry panel has selected a winner. Many thanks to all those who participated in Simon's Write Stuff Poetry Contest.
CONTEST WINNER:
The Bullet
Force back down
The pain and the sickness
Here comes the bullet
Ripping through air
And now, tearing through flesh
Finally meets its match
in muscle and bone.
Crimson escapes
overwhelming fabric
and knees give way,
bringing a human frame to the snow.
The black drape empties eyes
Concealing cold winter in its cloak.
Enter, demon.
Appeal to a darker side
With a friendly guile.
Drag me to hell.
Aaron,16, Mount Pearl, N.L.
HONOURABLE MENTION:
An Artist's Dream
I only dream of you,
And oh what a dream
it is.
It haunts in daytime
and devours in night.
Each morning I wake
more tired than before
It seems this should kill me,
But you make me so alive!
Snaking tendrils sounds and colours
Woven into every thought.
You are my freedom, my escape
Yet you are everything blocking my way.
You are my art, my music.
Every brush stroke, every pen stroke every note
This fills my heart,and shatters it,
Each time with cold indifference.
I only dream of you
and oh what a dream it is.
Katie, 14, Kingston, ON
If you’re between the ages of 13 and 18, you’re eligible to enter our write stuff poetry contest.
Just submit your free verse poem (100 words or less) to audrey@simonandschuster.ca.
Contest ends February 28th, 2009. Winners will be announced in the first week of March.
All entries will be posted on the blog.
The winner wins a complete Ellen Hopkins library.
The Storm
Heavy rain falls from the darken clouds
Thunder sounds and lightning strikes
Fogged from the temperate air
Boom. Crash. Bang. Flash.
All so vivid in ones’ eyes
No escaping these happenings
They’ll last for a while
Crimson drops will be drawn
By force and by self
Winds exasperate from all around
Casing and catching
Swirling around in every direction
Coming from here, coming from there
Stared at by marbles of black
Trees are falling and flower breaking
It’s all lost in a sea of power
Corrupted with sweet glory of hell
Soon it will be over
But the damage has been done
Roots pulled out of the ground
Left with the results of the horrorResults of the storm
Jessica, 15, Prospect, N.S.
The Bullet
Force back down
The pain and the sickness
Here comes the bullet
Ripping through air
And now, tearing through flesh
Finally meets it's match
in muscle and bone.
Crimson escapes
overwhelming fabric
and knees give way,
bringing a human frame to the snow.
The black drape empties eyes
Concealing cold winter in it's cloak.
Enter, demon.
Appeal to a darker side
With a friendly guile.
Drag me to hell.
Aaron,16, Mount Pearl, N.L.
Pictures
Open the door, ours eyes draw their swords
watch our hands shake.
I follow you through
glimpses of pictures, my old self, a mask
I smile down, telling no story, and showing no thoughts
A shame, is it not, that I grew my own brain?
that I know now of the world
Some at least, of the goods and the bads
the things that balance the scales
But as I sit here with you, I find them tipping back
you smile
I walk out the door, to a face on the wall.
Mirrored back, I am whomever I choose, for today.
Vinette, 14, Spruce Grove, AB
The Day I Found Out
Isn't it strange
How someone you know and love
Can turn into
A stranger you hate
You loved what knew
Now you hate the unknown
You hate what you know now
Don't you wish you could change it?
Erase what you know
Life would be so much simpler
If you never found out.
Stephanie, 17, Lake Country, B.C.
My Island Life
Living on an island,
in a bay,
in the ocean,
Can be isolating,
confining,
lonely.
Away from mainlanders,
Apart from cities,
Alienated from society.
Living on an island,
in a bay,
in the ocean,
Can be liberating,
Can mean freedom,
Can signify security.
Away from the hustle,
Apart from the bustle,
Alienated from haste.
I live on an island,
in a bay,
in the ocean.
I like my island in the ocean.
I find it
invigorating,
refreshing,
exhilarating,
serene.
My home!
Brandon, 17, Tancook Island, N.S.
Forever
When i said i was fine,
I was actually lying.
I lay awake at night, remembering things,
I probably shouldn't.
Instead of letting you in,
I pushed you out.
And now, the only person i can blame is me
... It's my own fault.
There's so much i want to say,
But so little time to do so.
Because you won't give me the time of day,
So now, I'm wracking my brain.
When i find my strength,
To honestly tell you,
I won't hold back the tears anymore.
I just want you here...
But while i sit all alone,
That will be my time to figure out,
Just what i want to say,
What to say in every way.
I won't give up,
Because i know that we're meant to be.
You and Me,
Forever.
Taryn, 17, Chatham, ON
Float
Serene, I float.
Waves crash against me,
Washing away my worries
My fears.
And though this relief is temporary,
It's relief. It's numb.
I welcome this nothing
This bliss.
With open arms
Kissed by the sun,
I am content to float.
Comfortably warm,
I go under
The salty brine of the ocean
Invades my senses
And I no longer float.
I fly.
Chandler, 15, Canmore, AB
The Telephone Is Black
The telephone is
Black.
It sits there,
Laughing at
Me,
With every hideous ring
It throws about
The room,
Letting them
Bounce off
The walls
Forcing me into
A rage.
I lunge for
It,
Anything to stop it’s
Hideous screams,
It’s torturous
Laughter,
And the mechanical
Grind of its
Methodic persistency.
I grip the smooth
Plastic
Handle tightly,
And lift it
To my ear,
I speak
“Hello?”
And before
I know
What’s happening,
The phone
Slips
From my fingers
And crashes
Upon the
Floor,
Smashing into
Unrecognizable
Pieces.
Just like
What my
Soul
Has become.
Megan, 17, Abbotsford, BC
The Asylum
Amongst the forgotten, shadows
Pour into my blackened mind.
Vague memories of
Life with easy joy.
Back to agony,
Images lost on my lips.
Skin chapped and broken
Arms locked inside
White-cotton insanity.
Bite back the scream,
Don’t break my chest!
The voices are taunting.
Candy coated promises
Followed by crimson tears
Treats down a dry throat.
Insane laughter,
Foreign to my ears and yet
So terribly, terribly familiar.
They summon me,
Them with their wiles.
The sirens are calling!
Little cord of red,
Dangling like a medal
Before blood-shot eyes.
Escape!
They told me I'd
Be safe with them.
Katie, 16, Maple Creek,SK
An Artist's Dream
I only dream of you,
And oh what a dream
it is.
It haunts in daytime
and devours in night.
Each morning I wake
more tired than before
It seems this should kill me,
But you make me so alive!
Snaking tendrils sounds and colours
Woven into every thought.
You are my freedom, my escape
Yet you are everything blocking my way.
You are my art, my music.
Every brush stroke, every pen stroke every note
This fills my heart,and shatters it,
Each time with cold indifference.
I only dream of you
and oh what a dream it is.
Katie, 14, Kingston, ON
Armored Fragility
Complications in life,
Leave you dark and empty.
Unaware what's ahead .
Life seems to pass you by.
In a blur, in a rush, in a blink of an eye.
Forget plans.
Forget goals.
Depression strikes.
With ease, and strife.
Leaving nothing but pain ,
Inside your longing,
To let go.
What once seemed so important,
Becomes so,
Dark and inconsequential.
Let it go they'd say.
Do they know what their aphorizing?
Continue on this path,
Of self destruction.
Krista, 16, Dawson Creek, B.C.
Undefined
It wants to forgive although deceived. It
regrets and forgets ; tricks and blinds the
conscience for a sudden instant, repetitively at
times. It takes over the mind and body.
Love penetrates with a mild body high that
fastens and tardies, but always keeps in
motion. Hard to find and impossible to
define. Love is not a word, nor feeling --
it's a state of mind that should not
be split in syllables nor shortened into
a four letter term. It's self-defined,
yet very often misunderstood.
Yvonne,17, Vancouver, B.C.
Alecia, 17, Thunder Bay, ON
Proverbial footsteps thump in perfect harmony
With my ever beating heart.
Never needing sleep,
They chase me for what I’ve done
They never catch up,
but they are one pounding thud behind.
Running won’t stop them long.
Facing them will
The thumping stops
And they think they’ve caught me.
I throw myself at the demons and fight,
Not throwing myself at their mercy like before.
They flee in terror,
My beating heart subsides
Leaving me in a calm shell,
To fragile to run in.
But its hard enough to walk
until I catch the life that ran away
Vicki, 13, Calgary, AB
Shattered dreams
Love disappointments
Been told that's life
Discover miseries
Lost hopes
Learn that you can't stop it
Broken hearts
Forever deaths
Time sets up disasters for everything
Peaceful enemies
Betrayed friends
But why does it always find me?
Hillary, 15, New Westminster, B.C.
Semiotic
You express yourself in images
and I'll express myself in words
We'll see how far we fall together
No one will ever know who we really are
It's all a facade, overrated
You're oh so jaded, beautiful in disbelief
The ink spills like blood across our pages
Indelible but all too easily washed away
Where are you now?
Can you feel my words?
That smile leaves something to be desired
But I've seen it before
You express yourself in images
And I express myself in words
We'll see how far we'll fall together
Because no one knows who we really are.
Helena, 18, Cobble Hill, B.C.
ChangeAll things
Come and
Go
All things
Come to an
End
By Chance
By Will
By Hope
By Death
Nothing lasts
Forever
Some things last
For awhile
But eventually they
End
Most people
Ignore that
Fact
Though
They take a
Chance
And
Hope
That their
Will
May save them but
Death
Is inevitable
Nothing ever
Stays the same
Things Fade
Change
Alter themselves
or
Disappear.
Shantal, 16, Winnipeg, MB
Bitterness
A blanket of cold, tired release has been laid upon me,
The aging misery has been set aside,
My fragile mind filtered,
To decide my final thoughts,
Beauty is once again reborn.
Forgiveness is questioned,
The vibrant echoes reminding me of my striking past,
The uncertain darkness is silent and still,
Only the voices in my head conflicting with the brutality of belief that has possessed the inner truth.
A spark of bitterness erupts into failure,
The spilled emotions creep up with no sympathy,
The pale imperfections eat away at my numb skin,
Feeling nothing but despair,
And vile,
Disgust.
Nikki, Calgary, AB
My Heart, Your Home
i opened up
you jumped in
and landed
in my heart.
did you look in the mailbox?
there was a silver key
pressed against the notes of long ago.
promise me you'll keep it for yourself,
it's safe in the palm of your hands.
don't hide it under the door-matt
i'd hate it if you were to lose it,
and i apologize for the mess inside,
been around since earlier this year.
it wasn't my intentions, of course,
messy was never the style for me.
i would've grabbed some Mr.Clean
but nobody was expecting visitors.
i ask, please get comfortable
with not much room to wander
it's small but aesthetically pleasing.
did you see the view from the kitchen?
'aint much, but the hills bleed with the clouds
and in the far distance
a tree standing strong and tall.
leaves that prick with sharpest of points
and branches fragile as bones,
does it remind of you of summer days?
i picture July sceneries in my mind
and i guess those images
flow through my veins, to the home in my heart.
would you like to stay?
the company is all yours baby.
and when the sun goes down
i'll come by and give you a visit,
we can tumble towards the stars
and small i love you's will help us there.
the sparkle in your eyes reflect the night sky
with a shade of blue so crystal clear,
i feel myself coming to a calm.
my lips shudder when they met yours,
finally the cold air feels so nice.
tingling with your skin pressed against mine
that is, 'till the morning sun opens its eyes
and shines the colors of my heart
i'll make my leave for today,
you can stay where you are,
i ask, please get comfortable.
Lucas, 17, Hamilton, ON
Please see complete rules and regulations after the cut.
SIMON’S Write Stuff POETRY CONTEST (“Contest”)
Official Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Contest may only be entered in Canada (excluding Quebec).
1. How to Enter. Log onto http://writestuffpoetry.blogspot.com and follow the directions to enter between 9:01 a.m. EST on December 1st, 2008 until 11:59 p.m. EST on February 28th, 2009 (the “Contest Period”). All entrants (and their parent/legal guardian) must have a valid email address. Contestants must fully complete the entry form by entering their name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and their maximum 100 word original poetry submission written in free verse in the style of Ellen Hopkins (the “Poem”). The Poem submitted must be in accordance with the Poem Requirements (see below) and all Poems become the sole property of Sponsor. When all required fields are completed (including confirmation that you have obtained consent form your parent/legal guardian to enter), click the “Submit” button to complete your entry.
Limit 1 entry per person/email address. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. All entries become the sole and exclusive property of the Simon and Schuster Inc. (the "Sponsor") and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Delivery of prizes requires a street address (no P.O. Boxes). Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled entries, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic. Only fully completed entry forms (including parent/legal guardian consent and executed publication agreement) submitted during the Contest Period will be eligible. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor.
2. Eligibility. Participation open only to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who are between the ages of 14 and 18 at the time of entry. Employees, officers & directors of Sponsor and its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, dealers, advertising and promotion agencies, or members of the same household (whether related or not) of such employees/officers/directors are not eligible to enter. Each entrant must have the consent of his/her parent or legal guardian to submit his/her entry in the Contest. In addition, each entrant’s parent or legal guardian must complete and execute the publication agreement form (available here), which requires the parent or legal guardian’s name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. If an entrants parent or legal guardian does not provide consent and/or does not complete, execute and return the publication agreement form during the Contest Period, the entry will be disqualified.
3. Poem Requirements. Your submitted Poem must never have been previously exhibited publicly or selected as a winner in any other contest. To be eligible for entry in the Contest, your Poem must meet the following requirements:
Length: maximum 100 words
Style: free verse, written in the style of Ellen Hopkins
Language: English
Additionally, by participating in the Contest, each entrant (and their parent/legal guardian) agrees to be bound by these Official Rules (the “Rules”) and by the interpretation of these Rules by the Sponsor, and further warrants and represents that the Poem:
i. is original to him/her and that the entrant has all necessary rights in and to the Poem to enter the Poem in the Contest;
i. does not and will not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;
i. will not give rise to any claims of infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights and/or interests of any third party, or give rise to any claims for payment whatsoever; and
i. is not and will not be defamatory, trade libelous, pornographic or obscene, and further that it will not discuss or involve, without limitation, any of the following:
§ Obscenities;
§ Nudity;
§ Explicit, graphic or excessive sexual activity;
§ Crude, vulgar or offensive language;
§ Derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual or religious groups;
§ Content which endorses, condones or discusses any illegal or inappropriate activity, behaviour or conduct;
§ Personal information of individuals, including without limitation, names, addresses (physical or e-mail), phone and fax numbers;
§ Conduct or other activities in violation of these Rules;
§ Commercial messages, comparisons or solicitations for products or services;
§ URLs or links to any websites; and
§ Any other content that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.
The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify from the Contest any Poem that it deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules.
4.Winner Selection. On or about March 1st, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. EST in Markham, Ontario, a panel of judges appointed by the Sponsor will judge all Poems submitted on the basis of originality, creativity and uniqueness and the degree to which the Poem is written in free verse in the style of Ellen Hopkins. The Poem with the highest score will be the winner. Odds of your entry being selected by the judging panel depend on the number and caliber of entries received during the Contest Period. All criteria will be weighed equally. In the event of a tie, the Poem with the highest score on creativity will be selected as the winner. Judging will be completed and the selected entrant will be contacted by March 15, 2009 by the Simon & Schuster Canada Marketing Department. If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your Poem is not the winner.
BEFORE BEING DECLARED A WINNER, the selected entrant (and his/her parent/legal guardian) must sign a declaration & release prepared by the Sponsor.
5. Prizes. There will be one (1) prize awarded, consisting of five (5) books: Glass, Crank, Impulse, Burned and Identical. Total approximate retail value of prize is: $ 100.00 CDN (the “Prize”). Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions except at Sponsor’s option. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the Prize with one of equal or greater value.
6. Notification. The selected entrant (and his/her parent/legal guardian) will be notified by email. If the selected entrant (and his/her parent/legal guardian) cannot be contacted within ten (10) calendar days of first notification attempt; if any prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; if the selected entrant rejects his/her prize; and/or in the event of noncompliance with these Rules, the Prize will be forfeited and the Sponsor reserves the right to select and an alternate winner from all remaining eligible entries. Upon prize forfeiture, the selected entrant will not receive any other prize or compensation in lieu of the Prize.
7. Conditions. Participation in the Contest and acceptance of the Prize constitutes the selected entrant’s (and his/her parent/legal guardian’s) permission for Sponsor to use his/her Poem (as is or as may be edited), name, address (city and province/territory), statements about the contest and/or photograph or other likeness without further compensation, in any publicity or advertisement carried out by the Sponsor in any manner whatsoever, including print, broadcast or the Internet.
By participating, each entrants (and his/her parent/legal guardian) agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors, from any and all liability in connection with the Contest, his/her participation therein and/or the acceptance, use or misuse of the Prize or any portion thereof, and further against any claims based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy or any related cause of action.
8. Additional Terms. In case of dispute as to the identity of any entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address. Any potential winner may be requested to provide Sponsor with proof that such winner is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the winning entry. Any other attempted form of entry is prohibited; no automatic, programmed; robotic or similar means of entry are permitted. Sponsor, its affiliates, partners and promotion and advertising agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit one’s ability to enter the Contest, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend or suspend this Contest should (in its sole discretion) virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Sponsor will select the winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or website. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or Sponsor representatives.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT (OR THEIR PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN) TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
No correspondence will be entered into except with Prize winners. This contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. Void where prohibited by law. The decisions of the contest judges with respect to all aspects of this contest are final and binding on all entrants without right of appeal. The Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend this contest in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error or any kind without prior notice or obligation.
9. Use of Data. By entering this Contest, each entrant (and their parent/legal guardian) expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with his/her entry only for the purpose of administering the contest and in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy (http://www.simonsays.com/content/feature.cfm?feature_id=1610&tab=1) unless the entrant otherwise agrees.
10. Sponsor. Simon and Schuster Canada, 625 Cochrane Drive, Suite 600, Markham, Ontario L3R 9R9
TOR_LAW\ 7002401\2
