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Guest Poet Eli Burton


Silent Sky


this evening, just look up to the sky

see how diligently and swift it moves

so graceful, dissimilar to below

she portrays the image of peacemaker

looking as though she knows not of evil

deceptive, for there is a storm brewing

tidal waves and hurricanes are nearing

our distress call drowned out by the beauty

mother nature's showing her dominance

content on disconfiguring our lives

luring us in like a venus flytrap

but she is just putting us in our place

we're not as strong as we tend to perceive

testing her: akin to russian roulette

her arsenal of harsh, tormenting winds

mark the end for the foolish challenger

but tonight, look heavenward at her charm

and be enveloped in her spectacle

October, 2001



Eli Burton's questions: Hi, my name's Eli Burton and I'm 16 years old and i'm from Oklahoma.

I wrote this poem in the reflection of other poems that i've seen written by other kid's my age that have been finalists in certain contests here in the midwest. this is not particularly my cup of tea and i know you're all probably going to say "just right from the heart" but i'm just wondering, why is a poem like this worthy of winning a poetry contest?

i've written other poems that i've thought were much better, but this style seems more along the lines of what the judges look for. I'm not saying this is any good, but poems at least somewhat similar to this type seem to have a spot in the hearts of all the judges. also, after the rough draft, i used but little revision on this poem, so what do you all think this poem is lacking? or what needs to be taken out or fixed?



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