This was one of my overall favourites from the contest.

"The concept of this poem was the strongest I read out of the bunch. Often when one writes of ghosts we think of loved ones, those who have passed and spirits however I don't believe I have read a poem where a poet has simply wrote a ghost is a space; that was a powerful message. I liked the eerie presence created through tone, while I'm not sure all would have felt emotion from this poem I sure did, the idea that one becomes nothing but imagination was something to think about. I didn't feel the comma after person was necessary in the first line, in my opinion the piece would of flowed just as well without it, possibly smoother. In my opinion this was the hardest of the prompts to write about because you have less to go off, mythology, fairies and witchcraft prompts form endless possibilities but this is a little bit harder to create something different. Well done for writing a piece that was unique in thought."

-Mel

This was my favorite poem of all from the contest. So many times you see people write of ghosts in such odd, cliche terms, something spooky and scary, or as a memory coming back to haunt them. You took it and spun it in a completely different way, in only a way you in your Sibness can do.

I thought it was interesting the way you pegged ghosts as a space rather than a person. So often we associate ghosts with a human passed, a spirit or demon, but here.. it's more of a thing, an area - something that haunts you in a nontypical way. If that makes sense? lol

I'm not generally a fan of people putting as many spaces as you did at the end, separately a word like you did, but here I think it had such an important emphasis. Great job :)

Thanks for the comments, you two. You definitely understood my aim for the poem. I wanted to think about "ghosts" as being holes or vacuums that can't really be filled, rather than just a spirit. The things that haunt you are the things that are too empty to really grasp and understand. That's also why (as you mention, Britt) I made the form so stark and spread out.

I LOVE being able to see that you commented back on this!

It reminds me of a black hole. :)

Oh sibsib, who thought a ghost poem, would touch me this much. For a moment there...as I read through your images, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach!

If a ghost is

"....an
extra chair, the stillness
that
nobody whispers into."

Then I have a ghost inside of me :), such a very sad write, honestly. Not only did I
love the new way of describing and/or referring to ghosts. It also felt as though
this emptiness that you've penned down with such a great choice of words,
relates to each and every person being haunted with certain memories, hurt etc.

Ofcourse you may have meant something else, nevertheless this felt as if, a part of me!
I am always touched by your poems, unique blends lady. This is a front page poem.

thank you for being that deep, emotional, unique, and for your different taste.

like wishes dropped
in wells -
cold, empty,

silent

all the way down.

^

you sure, you ain't talking about me ? Lol! I am sure I will read this a couple..triple of times.
Added to my favorite poems.

Aha! Finally got it! Smart judges to pick a ghost as a winner.

So if I read this imagining that this "ghost" is an unfilled wish or ambition, or thoughts that were "stillborn" or "stolen", I now can understand why the cooled pillow, the extra chair or the stillness (=quietness) around these empty feelings, exist. They are lost wishes, that remained unfulfilled, the ghosts (=empty spaces) in the back of our minds, that haunt us silently, the one's that "nobody whispers into". These unfilled desires (wishes) that remain "cold, empty and silent" that we wish did not.
A deep reflection on what we wish and what we can acheive/get in this life. But, sometimes if one has the right drive/ambitions and luck, some of these ghosts perhaps can come alive, in our lifetime, from my perspective. I would hate to see my ghosts live in the back of my mind and haunt me. I would give them a chance to get out in the open, and at least try to assume a lifeform, before they get knocked down. If they do the first time, I will send them back again. Don't they say, try, try, try again, and you may succeed one day.

An insightful write, from a woman's perspective. Congratulations on your win!

Wow really mysticfying well done

I love how the title covers the whole content of the poem, I love how the words seems to be all scattered around the page but the punctuation was good so it still reads smoothly, I think the use of "extra chair" here was clever. because it could be so many things,when I think of extra chair I often
think of visitors,anticipating someone..

I love how the writer took "ghost" to another dimension, not talking about something haunting nor creepy, (although the poem was a little bit creepy) she did not speak as to how people react to ghost,
or about a ghost causing trouble, or the usual clich of ghost haunting things she just spoke about ghosts,in themselves with no strings what they are.. and when I think back on the title and think about the "silent "
in the end...of the poem I conclude indeed that they are empty things, no wait, the writer almost made me believe that they do not exist at all..

Clever bee