Maple's Holiday Present - Poem Entries, Time to Vote!

It is now time to vote on these Lovely gifts I received back... What a beautiful turnout for this challenge, I am so excited!! When I first started this challenge my thoughts were to have judges, but since we had such a huge turnout and it being so close to the Holidays, I felt that site wide judging would be best!

Yes this is a white elephant gift party!! Ha ha... I am glad you all enjoyed this challenge and while you read each poem, make sure you look at the gifts everyone received... :-)

Everyone votes, even if you wrote a poem for this... Just send me your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice poems...
Please send it like this: example:

1st - Poem 5
2- Poem 10
3- Poem 2

1st choice will have 15, 2nd will have 10 and 3rd will have 5 .... I'm terrible at math so my Husband Jim will help me tally the votes... He doesn't know it yet but he will, giggles!!

Ok everyone, happy reading and happy Voting!
I will post the results and winners on Friday ~

PLEASE send me a Private message with your votes, do NOT post them in a comment below, thank you :-)

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Poem #1

White Elephant Disaster
Gift:President Obama ear muffs

Boys and girls gather around the classroom in a circle,
it's the Friday before their winter break and all the third grade teachers
have arranged a game of White Elephant. The gifts are piled in the center
of the children's circle and child number one picks one to open.
Child number two takes one as well. The third steals the first gift and
the game continues until there is only one little boy left without a box or toy
in his hand. So he goes to the center and gently picks up a silver box tied with
a sparkling green bow, maybe it's a new video game, or a book to read over the break, could it be a toy train for his collection or do the others not know each other
well enough for something like that?

"Unwrap your presents children!" One of the teachers exclaims as the boy
sits back down. There are dolls and cars and a few books scattered through
the crowd, but the most unique thing of all is in the last little boy's hand.
A pair of Alaskan earmuffs, too big for his fragile head, signed by the 44th President
of the United States - President Obama. Such an odd gift, but maybe,
just maybe, his dad would take them off his hands for a few dollars or so.

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Poem #2

The Chocolatier
Gift:Candy that makes you dance when you eat it

With eyes so big, round, and blue.
For you I do have a clue.
A Hershey's kiss is all I want this Christmas, or maybe two.
For a Hershey's kiss is a candy that will make me dance like a kitty, and I could never say "no mas" to a kiss from you.
The one with eyes so big, round, and blue, all I ask is for one thing, or maybe two.

Can I have a kiss from you?

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Poem #3

Circular Senses
Gift:A Merry Go Round that whistles

When I was child on Christmas night
with all my worries out of sight,
like painted ponies on a wheel
my fantasies and dreams seemed real.
Making images with bristles
A Merry Go Round that whistles
Yet it is not what I could hear,
see, smell or taste giving me cheer.
Twas a spirit I could not touch
that caused my mind to spin so much.

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Poem #4

Pixie Dust
Gift:Pixie Dust that makes you whisper

She smiled sweetly
The sweet, little fairy
Ironically named Marry Poppins
Dainty was her hair to her tiny feet
Like an angel she spoke...
Well that is until she made you croak.

Her pixie dust made you whisper
Your darkest fears,
Then she'd make them appear
Laugh musically as you struggled to stay alive,

This fairy wasn't lovely
Not since the day her heart broke
Her compassion vanished
And a heartless killer consumed what used to be
A nice, happy giving, dream fairy

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Poem #5

We Called Her Sniffles
Gift:A Dragon who has the sniffles

Bluebell butterflies flutter fluently
Throughout these snow covered skies
As dragons sneeze through the cream clouds

Childhood dreams race into me
As memories of Dragon tale story books
Read to me when I had the flu

Anticipation rises as I ready my
Butterfly net preparing to catch
A Dragon in these netted dreams

Woosh!
Up we go as I fly up higher then
Any bluebell butterfly could go!

As we sneezed though the candy
Coated caramel clouds I whispered
"Is this what dreaming feels like?"

With that I awoke with the moon
Up high and the stars smiling
As I noticed something at my bedside

It was a Dragon that sneezed
Every time you squeezed her.
With tears in my eyes i said

"I'll call her sniffles"

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Poem #6

Dancer
Gift: Squirrel that plays the violin.

Scurrying alongside
the dirty road,
scavenging for a miracle,
we often find ourselves
lost in the direction
we wanted to go.

Sometimes there are
chimes that ring
throughout our souls,
and soon we will find
that Guide we should
have listened to.

They say the violin
plays the saddest song,
yet I hear a beautiful melody
every time that bow
glides across the strings.

Perhaps one day,
we will find our inner musical
to dance to.

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Poem #7

A diamond that glows in the dark
Gift: A diamond that glows in the dark

Crystallized intelligence
forms in caves of sheathed light,
reprogramming what our senses feel.

Hearts thump with anticipated exhilaration,
love is known for being a paradox.
Often words stutter from trembling lips.

Symbols replace gestures with simple actions,
pecks remain innocent between hidden veils.
White looks gorgeous upon gossamer wings.

Heavenly testimonies are fulfilled by promises
of vows to live a life of happily ever after.

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Poem #8

The Edgar Allan Poe Doll
Gift: An Edgar Allan Poe Doll

My sister has a doll collection
not unusual, you think,
but you'd be wrong,
for her dolls are no Barbies
or Kens or even Raggedy Anns.

She has a row of poets and writers
from Chaucer to Shakespeare,
from Wadsworth to cummins,
from Frost to Angelou:
Christmas gifts lining her shelf.

Most of them are decent sorts,
minding their p's and q's,
they dot their i's, cross their t's,
and never leave their spots
mounted above their own works.

Save one, the incorrigible Poe;
Edgar Allan never seems to be
where he belongs, on the tome
of his works - red embossed
leather binding, gold edged pages.

I used to get the blame
until I went away to camp
and his wanderings continued,
winding up under sofas
or in the back yard.

No one could understand
why this macabre poet alone
was staked out for anguish -
unless perhaps it was fair
recompense for all he wrote.

Would some raven swoop down
and carry him off unseen
by any living creature,
to await the rebuilding
of the house of Usher?

Or is he seeking a cask
of fine Amontillado
in a walled-up dungeon
guarded by some grisly
skeleton with faded grin?

My dear elder sister,
had you never tormented me
I would never have sewn
the catnip inside him
for your black cat to relish so.

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Poem #9

Rage out of me
Gift: a screaming disco ball

You rush within me, my veins
terrestrial planets that orbit you like
a screaming disco ball, chained to the
foot of a mahogany bed we never could
quite escape from. We were criminals -
not of the law, no, of gravity. You tried
to love me into another galaxy but eventually
I choked on the battleground of reality.
Stop here. Don't save me this time. Let me
die as my pulse ends the night and you live
for darkness once more.

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Poem #10

A bird named George
Gift: A bird named George

Hollow Bones
So this is how I end,
burning with a hectic glow.
Providing no warmth or light,
burning away selfishly, though.

I feel my pomp burning,
my fat melting to rivers of sludge.
My heart so cold didn't ignite,
and to burn it, I didn't try much.

My valleys of blood have already dried,
leaving behinds streaks of blue.
Still alive is this bastard brain,
about my end, everything he knew.

So as I make the endless fall,
I see a fire but nothing burn.
"It's no good to have hollow bones",
from this life: it's all I could learn.

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Poem #11

A Plastic Flower
Gift: A Plastic Flower

I was once a blooming blossom,
the most beautiful flower,
who exuded the sweetest fragrance from my soul which elated every heart it touched.
Each petal of mine was painted with the colours of the rainbow that brought joy to the most withered land.

Although tinged with the element of melancholy,
I only felt ecstatic and emanated a euphoric aura.

But this was all once.
I was once.

Now, I am a flower turned into plastic that can no longer take others to an ethereal land.
I am all but a mere show piece,
who stays in the loneliness of glasses, away from the land of ecstasy
and can only for a second, light up some one's face.

Now all I am is a plastic flower.
Dead.

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Poem #12

Memories this Christmas
gift: A camel with three humps

Still only a memory in this heart of mine,
yet a feeling that engulfs me rests upon my soul

I can barely think without you creeping in,
every whisper in my ear,
every touch of a hand leads me back
to those moments lying in your arms...

I'm like a camel with three humps,
in the desert without water,
trecking for miles with the weight of the world
weighing me down and every step is a gift
that brings me closer to you

Yet you keep moving
and my heart remembers
you're just a mirage I cannot grasp...

And this Christmas,
when I thought I'd wake with you against my chest,
I'll just have those memories, however brief

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Poem #13

The Happy Holiday
Gift: A magical Fairy Wand

Sallow lights,
foggy skies
white snow,
face-nibbling December-cold;
I remember, not so cold before.

But this is a happy holiday,
for after all the time of being numb
now I'm feeling all over again,
my heart soaked in misery,
finally breathing in some pain.

So I bought myself a brush
and painted a Christmas tree,
painted hope on the ceiling,
I painted God above me,
angels on the floor,
I drew myself a window, an exit, a door..
I set warmth to the vain wall;
hung pictures of those I've loved,
but have glimpsed no more.

I watered then,
my solid face,
cried some spirit,
lost my breath...
I wept some life,
sobbed some death.

But this is, a happy holiday,
for after all the time of being numb,
now I'm feeling all over again,
my heart soaked in misery,
finally breathing out the pain.

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Poem #14

Fairy Circle (Pantoum)
Gift: A dancing mushroom

She gracefully glides across the moist grass
you could see it forming to her feets side
a peculiar creature, tall, thin and brass
with a cap on its head, so great and wide

You could see it forming to her feets' side
extending its body high, it awakes
with a cap on its head, so great and wide
its enormous head wobbles, topples and shakes

Extending its body high, it awakes
around its beauteous leader it dances
its enormous head wobbles, topples and shakes
it bows, and to her who freed them it glances

Around its beauteous leader it dances
it halts to her glory and sinks in the soil
it bows, and to her who freed them it glances
allured by her charm, in a circle they coil

It halts to her glory and sinks in the soil
and so it watches as she whirls to the night
allured by her charm, in a circle they coil
as she lights the dark until dawns sight

And so it watches as she whirls to the night
a peculiar creature, tall, thin and brass
as she lights the dark until dawns sight
she gracefully glides across the moist grass

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Poem #15

Vincent's Ear
Gift: Vincent Van Gogh's Ear (replica)

Don't listen to what they tell you
about Vincent's ear.
Believe this lunatic here.
The woman whose only quest
is art. And whose hobby
is designing the man of her dreams
from artists' body parts.
And after five years of sleeping
with men I later excised, my masterpiece
was still unperfected. It needed
the final touch. And Vincent was
standing there. I swear I could hear
his ear screaming my name.
So I took it out. And as I sewed
it into the rest of the body parts,
I stood there, in the middle of my workplace,
satisfied, watching the man of my dreams
finally come to life.

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Poem #16

Gathering in a Forest
Gift: A tree that talks in Riddles

In the mountains, somewhere where
humans have yet to set their foot on,
a gathering was taking place.

----

"Eyed from above,
you are like an ocean of greens,
reds, and yellows,
Though from you,
the thirsty remain thirsty,
Thus,
they must thirst for y'all so much,
that they strip you
even out of your roots,
as if they are trying to wring
out of y'all
at least one drop
that could satiate
the drought
in their souls"

Said the Eagle,

To which the trees replied,

"But no matter what,
we will stand tall."

Then in seconds came a little frog,
and with a hippy-jump said,

"Croak!!!" ( In agreement )

Then came a deer
followed by tiger, and with
a roar the tiger said

"From below,
You are my home,
I will protect you all"

To which the trees replied,

"Thank you,
Though no matter what,
we will stand tall.
Because the older we get,
the strongest our barks are
And soon, they will find out,
that they may climb us,
or cut us!
But no matter what
we will stand tall"

----

The sun set and the eagle,
the deer, and the tiger left
but the little frog,
remained on her spot
contemplating the moon
and the sound
of vehicles approaching
through the night.

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Poem #17

Untitled
Gift: A moon rock that glitters

You traveled miles and miles;
traversed through the coldest depths
of the unknown and burned at the
slightest embrace of life - crash landing
upon my skin.

The dirtiest - grungiest shade
of slate grey that glistens under the
crisp of sunlight;

you were my moon rock
that glittered - you were mines,
and I was yours.

Wow this was a huge turnout and deciding which three to vote for was tough. Amazing pieces everyone

Hi everyone, Voting is open until Late Friday... So continue to message me your votes! I'm off to work soon...

Happy Voting!!

I loved the poetry here! :) Some was for the holidays some weren't and it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful entries... will be tough indeed to pick!

Dang this was hard!

These poems are awesome! Votes in :)

Ohhhh the excitement begins!! get those votes in sweet ones :-)

Great poetry y'all. Well done. Voted.

Don't people here think that Andrea deserves a gift herself, for handing out all those beautiful gifts... :-D

Obviously this was a tie between every one

The voting is wonderful! Please keep in mind, if you haven't voted please do... I will post results tomorrow :-)

Oh the choice was difficult but I cast my vote!

Waiting on a couple people for voting, The results will be posted today... I'm thinking in a few hours...

Very excited to share the results... :-)