Step by Step: Round three Voting...LAST CHANCE TO VOTE

Hey all, time to vote for the final round of step by step....again club managers be sure to get your club to participate in voting!! Great support for the people who have worked hard to turn in their poems after the challenges each round offered.

Not all poems made the deadline, but here are the final ones I have received..Dont forget round 3's challenge was to add a twist to your poems....all twists were stated before each poem...

You have until Thursday, May 3rd to vote. Good luck to the final contestants!

P.s...the numbers of the poems once again did remain the same :)

#4 Despicable Me
Prompt: An obesity struggle
First half: amateur, rug, equipment, disheveled, paper
Second half: understand, above, skill, hang, deny
Twist: Took a serious prompt and made it funny

I was snug as a bug in a rug
when I gave my best friend a big hug.
An amateur only as good as my equipment
my thoughts disheveled as the time spent
dreaming of how things could have been
If I had woke up with coffee way back when
she ask me to share what I go through every day,
and the only thing I could think of to say
no job is complete until the paper work is done.
Have you ever gone where there is none?
Despicable me woe is me. I am like a cowboy you see.
Who cannot deny from the horse on which he sits of course.
I go where the bull sit and cow never quit
Even buzzards above smell what I speak of
Despicable me woe is me. I am like a cowboy you see.
It does not take great skill to understand and know that
my best friend and I like to face the truth, and chew the fat.
The judge is waiting, but the jury is hung
about whether we will get past this dung.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#5 Beneath these broken wings
Prompt:
First half: certificate, acquire, exhilarate,ignorance,spoon
Second half: hungry, judgment, neighbor, mirror, possession
The twist: It was originally about learning to love one's self first but instead found love in someone else

I never did learn to acquire
a taste for rainbows
and all their pangs of death.

And today our vows
became nothing more than
a certificate sinking
in the depths of ignorance,
for we knew nothing of love
and its exhilarate touch
of sunshine.

And as the moon spooned
a hollow within my chest
we parted
and August came
with hungry winds
and moonless air
that dripped
with judgement
and sneered in mirrors
and wept for the flesh
of a kiss after death

Yet
beneath these broken
wings lay the strength
to fly again.

A once broken possession
of lies, distrust and
regret
found the true
neighbor to my shadow-
the twin to my soul

The man of my every dream
# 6 History repeats
Prompt: Finding a message in a bottle
First half: conscience, support, fan, inches, worry
Second half: delude, rock, exist, independent,
The twist: I changed it completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

History repeats.

Within a filled bottle
lies the unwanted secret
of my depression
standing inches
far away
from my conscience
while the cork cap
nonchalantly
supports the worry
and negative thoughts
of my future demise.

It's slowly
twisting and twirling its cap
without a way out
the pressure is building inside
tearing and swirling
really hard
amidst this broken gal

I wished for an inside fan
to pushed it all out
but god
everything wielded
really hard
sedimented within my inside
drifting and tiding
along the edges
ripping and tearing
without sympathizing
with the agony
of my injured heart.

Deluded was I?

Did I fall captive
to a feelingless rock
that never existed?

Did I?

There is no doubt
I fell for a seemingly brute
without sentiments
nor words.

I fell for someone
who never meant
to say
my love
you are my all.

so now
there lies
an independent
filled bottle
with empty hopes
and tons of hurt
standing in the edge
of depression
for someone
to find it
and save it
from the inevitable
fall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#9 In a Land faraway
Prompt: Creating your own country
First half: pattern, brush, demand, complete, health
Second half: purpose, wheel, color, defined, ignite
The twist: was making the poem realistic and symbolizing something in real life instead of dreamy.

In a land faraway- faraway
from this traffic-jamed world and
bruises-like smirks; in a land where
the brush of the morning is a demigod
pattern, not a damn normal

'event'.

Right there, at the top of a moon
miniatured lightly in pink
and orange (never in grey, never
with the color of my life).
Orange; quested in warm rain
-not the usual rain that's never
followed by a bow-
rain leaning over the shoulders
of fate-
...no
maybe not fate
fate's not always a molten tattoo
upon a morning hip...
My rain will never rely on destiny.

I'm going to build my kingdom.

With complete heed and love, I'd
slab it with stars; tap dancing and tipsy
and the light of their blonde hairs will be
barely seen, as if handcuffed.

I'm going to strip a song off all
its tunes, unfold
its wrinkles and paint the walls of my
corridors only with the sadness it
holds. I'll heap music altogether, sip it all
at once then split it on my bed.

My bed will be the sky
and the sky will be one
not seven
and seven won't refer to
the days of the week and
no week, anyway, will drop in
my life, life?
Who ever is going to dare mention
life in my land?
Life will be a guest in a hurry
and a train stopping at my borders
by accident.

I'm going to build a kingdom.
No, not with the eagerness of a
concrete block, or with
tough marble backing me. Nor even
with gold, parading in
my bathroom. Because even billions
of these materials wouldn't
make me shine off my whine
or dabble my feet with wine
and if they do, then fine
God won't watch still on
this land of mine.

I won't
demand an army with ferrous
helmets; the silver slivers of my moons
can embrace my health with
total pleasure.
There will be no purpose
of death, anyway.

I'll rather borrow the peerless color
of a sky; tortured and labored by
Winter; and pour it onto
my throne. Adorn the palisades
with larvas learning how
to weave a wreath upon a Lotus,
with worms wobbling along
a widowed wold. I'll wheedle the
wheel of whiskey and whet it with
woolgathering winds then whips it against the
dwellings; I swear
it will be the eighth wonder.
Or the first, perhaps?

My kingdom will be found
right there, at the top of a moon
cuddling sparrows in its plume.
Cuddling sparrows.
Never sprawled away,
never warmed enough to soar
outside its skin.

I'll loan my arrogance to the color of
space. I'll loan
my frozen homeland to a century
coming from destiny, not time.
I'll loan my froth and marble to
another hoopoe of words and
ignite worn-out wine
at night.

My kingdom will be fairytaled
and roughly defined
like no sultanate, although
nobody would repeat like a
parrot

'Long live the Queen'

at the edge of a moon
perchance oneday, existing...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11. Beyond the Rainbow
Prompt: Two babies being switched at birth
First half: principle, temperature, balloon, irrelevant, compromise
Second half: finance, descend, belligerent, couch, bargain
The twist: 1. It became a love story (not originally intended)

2. It turns out the change/kidnapping was done to save both children

Fergus Beyond the Rainbow

To Cuill-Mac's sidhe ancient takers brought me
and in my stead left one of their own.
Surely, you would think, no good
would come of this abduction -
human infant assuming cuckoo's station.

Carried beyond the rainbow, no pot of gold,
just hidden folk, the Tuatha de Danaan,
whose time had been compromised
long before my grandparents' kin
came to ancient shore they called Fal.

I was reared in the cradle of another Fergus,
the changeling who walked in my sun;
they fostered me in the court of the king.
King Cuill-Mac's brother, Michel taught me
to quaff mead from Cuill's cups.

He revealed the roaring stone now irrelevant
and silent on the mound of abandoned Tara;
we drank the great Dagda's measure full,
learned to respect awesome Lugh's spear
yet did not draw Nuada's shining sword.

During it all I wandered through
darkened memories of a mother
her bedside crib and cooing songs
that lulled me to dreamless sleep
questioning: is all this real or that?

Fey needs exceed those of humans
longer lives but at higher temperature;
more food and drink is consumed,
with foraging raids through sunlit groves
then hearty mead and roast bullock.

As my exploits ballooned in scope
Uncle Michel betook us a journey
on which he showed me human folk
an old and sickly sallow crone lay prone
beside a hearth attended by a white-haired man.

"Its your ma, from mortal life,
and your twin of separate birth."
This wizened codger, my age?
This ancient hag suckled me?
"We age different," said Michel.

I stared at her, she looked past me,
for we carry not a worldly form.
I remembered again her sweet songs,
mourned the years lost hearing them
then turned to her adopted son.

Great tenderness had he for her -
it was evident as he was man;
then I understood the trip to this plane:
it was her time to go; my only meeting
would be to see her off to the next world.

At the end she lay still on the couch,
so that changeling Fergus gently
closed the lady's vacant eyes and
placed a gold coin in her right hand;
glad I was he'd been her strong lad.

Michel placed hand on elvish man's hair
calling on Lugh and Bride to carry him;
when done, he straightened up and turned,
then beckoned to me; 'twas time to leave
my brother to the life as had become his own.

Haunted by questions I returned
belligerently to Cuill-Mac's sidhe.
Why had I been granted a fairy life
while Fergus-fey was made to descend
to human torment of age and ailment?

Resolved I was to learn the truth even
if unmade in the bargain, for what was gained
does not finance the unsung love long missed
in leaving maternal devotion to a shade.
I did not even know my mother's name.

I thought to undertake this challenge but
it escaped me immediately upon my return
for visitors had arrived in Cuill-Mac's court
bringing handmaiden to the queen: a blossom,
beauty never before seen save on rosy branch.

Tailtiu, my saving grace, my goddess
lady of the land whose gentle glances
gave me to understand that all was the same
with her as I felt in my own heart
if only I'd take the chance to pledge it.

Intricate schemes to speak to her collapsed
under their own compounded weight;
desperate to make my feelings plain
despondent in failing I mourned;
Michel came upon me in the garden.

"You foolish git, just TELL her,"
was all he said, but in the chiding
I heard the message sorely needed.
Never had he advised me wrong
so when he said to jump I leapt strong.

At the very moment my own soft dove
fluttered into the bower in silken robes
where, catching sight of me, she alighted
on a bench of carved rowan wood
smiling so gently it drew me to her side.

We professed our love and swore
that never another day would pass
before we joined in wed-lock
for all the days allotted to us
and raise a family fair to do proud.

So it came to be that I discovered
the one mystery that governed my life;
the maid who became my mate
soon became mother-to-be
no fairer less than any woman.

Our child was born, but horror came
as the wee bird began wasting away;
then Michel came and revealed
the curse of bride Danu's race
and the sorrow of all her parents.

Born in the ethereal 'between' sidhe
a child has no substance or strength;
only by putting him in the outside world
in sun and air and fulsome mother's milk
could it hope to survive for long.

So in sorrow my maid and I took
our son to the cottage of one whose
son had similar looks and form
and stole their child away leaving
the ray of hope from our own lives.

As was the custom, the human child
was fostered in the sidhe of Cuill-Mac
raised by me, his Uncle Fergus,
without knowing yet his past
and the miracle he'd been given.

For the human child that is replaced
may only be one whose own body
carries a defect that would have killed it
before it ever saw the day of
the first anniversary of its birth.

I know now I live on borrowed time
gifted me by the father of the Fergus
raised in my stead, the man who
taught me all I know, the very same
Uncle Michel - companion since youth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#15 Invisible Touch
Prompt: Living in a haunted house
First half: Sun, knowledge, source, encounter, block
Second half: Three, forfeit, plague, resolute, bury
Twist: Tragic twist

I have succumbed to reality,
a ghost I shall be, with an invisible touch.

The knowledge within me is priceless,
and I have the source to bring down
the demon within this monstrous house.

He shall encounter the sun of insanity,
for I shall block out my sadness and play
with his tormented madness, "Let's do this"
I whisper....

On the count of three, I tie his evilness to a chair,
forfeit my sanity, as I proceed to torture his darkness,
becoming my puppet, I control his soul of damnation.

He has become a plague upon my spirit for the last
eternal breath that I take and I resolute to end this
Tonight-
chained upon my tombstone, granting the devil his soul,
he rattles his final words within my ear "You can't do this to me,
for I am your husband"......
My husband?
My murderer, my love-

#17 After the Sunset
Prompt: Titanic survivor
First half: beginning, counselor, socks, interference, baffle
Second half: challenge, punch, hole, vengeance, smile
The twist: was sad to more so happy, I wrote about never seeing her smile reflected again, and how I will die- but if God restarts my heart then I'll only be with her again

[When the sienna sun
bids its love to the quarter moon,
I'll be awakening
in that subtle distance.]

April drives silently by
with twisted umbrellas
and over-sized tears-
yet I know my socks,
my legs, will stay dry, soundless
while searching you.
I try to hold on,
for it's all I can do when
my breaths become strained
and my heart further
ties itself to your memory.

I watch dawn's new blushes open up
before creation like a
soft beginning of angels,
and I invite their interference
because never, will I forget-
that time cannot change
how we once lived,
on that unsinkable ship.

Your warm russet eyes
are the counselor I respire for,
I cannot be baffled
when I'm surrounded by the passion
of your dear irises-
they keep me from stumbling back
and forcing myself to drown,
after you,

After the sunset..........

It feels like only yesterday
since water as abundant as the sky,
froze our words, challenging our fingers
to be the only attachment
the only sense of touch allowed.

And it still feels like we are
perched on the rail of that ship,
watching stars settle and midnight wink-
into a sapphire hole of utter
vulnerability,
though it's been a hundred years.

[As if nothing could make us fall
through horizons, as if waters
of vengeance would keep peace....]
I gave all of who I knew to be
for you.

But just as I remember
you dropping from my frigid arms,
the punch of summers' enemy,
your last breath fading like smoke,
I remember your smile-
how I followed you, running
into the vast blue ocean
that would become your home.

And I'll never watch the sunset
reflect your smile again;
I just can't go on when the sky
around me is drowning
my chords,
I will die by this ocean,
a survivor of our love
and of tragedy's place for me.

I promise you love,
I'm not letting go
for I know where I'll be
if God restarts my heart
and my mind is filled
with you forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 18 Poisined Youth
Prompt: An alcoholic in rehab
First half: appearance, camouflage, walk, construct, branch
Second half: force, altitude, blind, intrude, basket
Twist: a woman's actions as she craves a child

On the eve of the stars she would walk,
without neediness of vodka or ecstasy,
Her womanly appearance in camouflage with
Desire...

Many a man would say
"I'd F**K that"
while fondling their manhood,

She is dressed provocatively with a black
lace bra visible through her t-shirt,
and fishnet tights on her soft long legs.
She'd construct an image for men
to drawl over
and branch out possibilities
in the adult movie restroom.

Sometimes she forgets that she was
taught etiquette and respect,
when she is respecting a well
endowed man on her knees...
before she allows him to fill her
up with semen,

The force of her femininity is visible through arousal,
as her clit is tickled with the tip of his tongue,
and the altitude of her pleasure brings around climax...

she hopes,
tomorrow will intrude and bring her the child she craves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#19 Who will you run to?
Prompt: A rape victim escaping her rapist
First half: interrupt, fortune, dispensable, fuelling, dog
Second half: impress, prepare, utilize, hand, dawn
Twist: Lines 31->35 are a new idea: the raped lady is dead before reaching the river.

The river is my blanket,
warm and torpid.

I'll bank it with bodiless shrubs,
barbed and blackened, for my
bed will never be warm
again.

A barbed bed can interrupt
the trespassing of a dog,
so he won't have the fortune
of fueling my bones
like dispensable oxygen.

Let me breathe
beneath the river's skin,
for waters will kill
my numbness
and drain the sins.

Leave my eyes
to grow wider
against the waters' canvas,
wider and whiter
than they'd ever been.

I heard the river calling
from a distance, while ebony
shadows were chasing me.

And I was running...
I was tripping, tiptoeing
and slipping among naked woods
as blood was seeping, dripping
and mushing against
my sultry hips.

Hands caught my hair again.
I tried to run, but the night
fell on me. It was heavy.
He spat venom
and stung my soul.

Who will you run to?

I'll run to you, river.
I'll hand you my breath.

You're the only who'd lull me
to sleep. And I swear, I am
prepared to dream, river.

I'll utilize the sunlight
in shipping hope to the dawn,
beneath your starry waters,
as daybreak impresses my
bones and pulls me
away...

I'll run with you, river.

Good luck guys:)

Good luck everyone, this poems are good.

Yes i was impressed this whole challenge!.....votes count until tomorrow night!

24 more hours :) Vote vote vote so I can post the results!!!

VOTE or else!

Penalties will be given if you dont vote .Bah!

And is the voting over?