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Hello everyone.

I hope you are all well.

My name is Dan and I’m undertaking a bit of research in collaboration with an academic from Sheffield Hallam University called David Peplow and we are looking for participants for the study.

We are investigating how poetry is read and engaged with by readers - in particular, what kinds of emotions and mental images it causes readers to experience.

The study involves reading 4 short texts and completing a brief questionnaire about your reading experience.

If you would like to take part, then please click the following survey link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NNauOzgtqXP1sKgB_4qC5YDPFxHGRNLootuisMStfxE/edit?usp=sharing_eil_m&ts=668e4302

As a way of thanks for taking part in the research, you will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win one of six Amazon vouchers. There will be two £20 vouchers, two £10 vouchers and two £5 vouchers to potentially win.

Thank you in advance to anyone who decides to take part.

All the best,

Dan and Dave

<POEM 1>

" IN THE EMBRACE OF DARKNESS"

AT first i feared the DARKNESS

BUT as i matured i REALIZED,

DARKNESS is nothing but HAPPINESS

I embrace the SHADOWS

THEY comfort me, THEY set me free

IN the black, i find my HUMANITY

NO one comes near to me

BUT at least darkness embraces me

NO one draws near ,no hand to HOLD

BUT in the darkness, a strange solace unfold

IT's a gentle lover, a quiet friend

THAT wraps me tight ,until the bitter END

THEY warn me not to linger in dark of NIGHT

WARN that unseen horrors may come to BITE

MALEVOLENT spirits, INVISIBLE terrors that CREEP

FOR though world may view them as EVIL, UNKIND

TO me they are kindest,lost souls i now FIND

MAYBE they are shattered souls, like mine, astray

THAT's why you shun them,as you shun me,each day

OUTCASTS, just like me,shunned by light of DAY

SHADOWS that linger where no other dare stay

I embrace the shadows NOW

THEY comfort ME ,THEY set me FREE

IN the dark ,i find my HUMANITY

A place to HIDE , A place to BE

WHERE the darkness whispers, "YOU ARE FREE"

Me being the sky,

You feel like earth to me,

I can see you but never really meet you,

You feel like the redemption of mine.

I reach out my hand to you,

Even when I know they won’t reach you,

Hence I can only convey my feelings from afar,

That you think is the rain for a short time.

When you sound sad, I feel like crying, 

But I know I have to held up for the sake of it,

Even if something inside me cracks up,

I still wanna be there for you.

My feelings for you are like this poetry, 

Not arranged without a rhyme,

It’s because I know you well,

And I know you can never be mine.

Hello everyone. I hope you are all well.

My name is Dan and I’m undertaking a bit of research in collaboration with an academic from Sheffield Hallam University called David Peplow and we are looking for participants for the study. We are investigating how poetry is read and engaged with by readers - in particular, what kinds of emotions and mental images it causes readers to experience.

The study involves reading 4 short texts and completing a brief questionnaire about your reading experience.

If you would like to take part, then please click the following survey link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NNauOzgtqXP1sKgB_4qC5YDPFxHGRNLootuisMStfxE/edit?usp=sharing_eil_m&ts=668e4302

As a way of thanks for taking part in the research, you will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win one of six Amazon vouchers. There will be two £20 vouchers, two £10 vouchers and two £5 vouchers to potentially win.

Thank you in advance to anyone who decides to take part.

All the best,

Dan and Dave

Oh god it hurts It burns Oh god OH GOD THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN HAVE OPENED MAKE WAY FOR SUFFERING IM PERSISTING WITH ALL MY LASTING STRENGHT BUT LIKE FLAMING BALL OF PURE EVIL DOESNT BUDGE FROM MY ABDOMEN ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL IT SHOOTS OUT AND PARTS THE WAVES OF THE WATERS BELOW ME -friend asks what have i eaten- LAUGHTER OF THE RICH THE PUREST FORM OF EVIL

ITS COMING OUT OH GOD MAKE HASTE PEOPLE LEAVE UNTIL THERE IS NOONE LEFT AT ALL

THE CRACK OF DAWN SCREAMS AS I PART THE HEAVEN GATES HOPING IT WILL MAKE THE SUFFERING OF THE INNOCENT SOULS HEALED BUT IT SEEMS AS IF DEVIL HIMSELF IS HOLDING THIS ROAR INSIDE OF ME

The evil has retreated Farewell We shall meet again...

I've arrived home at quarter to five in the morning. I am drunk and I've walked home from my best friend's house barefoot after riding with her to make sure she's gotten home safe. We set a time to be done, 11pm. Obviously we didn't stick to it. We never do. I've gotten hugs from her daughter Lilly, who woke up from her spot on the couch upon our entry, and given intoxicated wisdom to her teenaged boys, who were unsurprisingly still awake and playing video games at this ungodly, yet wholly spiritual hour. I'm making French toast with my front door open, letting in the morning fog and listening to the birds chirp, the same birds that interrupted my slumber the morning before. They don't bother me right now. Nothing bothers me right now except the grumbling of my empty stomach, crying out for sustenance, which will soon be satiated. I look to my cat, an eleven year old crabby tabby that I've had since she was a kitten and whom I love more than anything. She gives me an acknowledging mew. I drink water with my French toast. It won't matter, I'll be hungover anyway. It was worth it. I am complete. I am free. I am happy.

https://vickie1.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/where-mind-goes-to-sleep/

when an urban place gets abandoned they check it for ghosts but when I feel that way it's like "welp sucks to suck I guess."

Things can go wrong but choose to be in the right path- And you will ask me whats the right path, Its where you believe ,and never loose hope upon yourself,its where you remember your journey from where you started,its where you donot let others overpower you,its where you are thankful for each and every thing that is present with you,its where you were so connected to the lord that you used to send letters to god by digging the soil or making boats while raining,

In the beginning, life stirred, a cosmic birth, God crafted Earth, but it lacked its worth. No purpose found, until Sun's radiant grace, A dance of creation, in the vast cosmic space.

To the planets, Earth questioned, seeking insight, Mercury spoke of heat, of love burning bright. Ice clung, a testament to endurance and might, Love found in uncertainty, a celestial light.

Venus, with a Moon, a companion so dear, Saturn, with sixty, love crystal clear. Mars, the hottest, passions held near, Each planet's tale, in the cosmic sphere.

Jupiter roared, storms fierce and grand, Love enduring, shaping destiny's hand. Saturn's rings, a commitment so grand, A celestial orchestra, God's command.

Uranus tilted gently, in cosmic ballet, Neptune's mystery, love far away. Planets spoke, in their own way, A cosmic conversation, in the starry array.

Earth journeyed on, through the vast expanse, Encountering comets, in a cosmic dance. Life forms diverse, on moons, a chance, To learn that love transcends, in every circumstance.

Cosmic encounters, nebulae's embrace, Revealing love's facets, in every space. Interconnectedness, a celestial grace, A tapestry woven, love's eternal chase.

Through galaxies and constellations untold, Love revealed, a story unfold. A force sustaining, a tale to be told, In the cosmic symphony, a love story bold.

Nkw

#love

In shadows deep, a heart unfolds, A tale of youth, where pain takes hold. At nineteen's door, a soul unclaimed, In overthought, friendships maimed.

Alone with thoughts, a choice embraced, To shield from hurt, in solitude encased. World's chaos whispers, a reason found, To build a fortress, on friendship's ground.

Miserable echoes in silent cries, A fear of loneliness, a heart denies. Yet sinking hearts and teary eyes, In solitude, where the spirit lies.

Dreams of bonds, like whispers, call, Lovely experiences, shadows enthrall. But caution's grip, a constant guide, In the dance of hearts, where pain may hide.

Will the journey end alone, untold? Or in vulnerability, new tales unfold? For within the labyrinth of fear's disguise, A resilient spirit, quietly sighs.

Nkw

(resource) Nine Muses Review is now open for poetry submissions to their email (editors@ninemusesreview.com) and is running a poetry contest starting Nov 16 with a first place prize of $100! No entry fees! Find out more information on their instagram @ ninemusesreview !!!!

Her. When my world decides to crumble It’s her that I can go to and everything gets pieced back together in a way that makes it better than before, it’s like shattering a bottle and making a stained glass rose out of the pieces. She makes my heart beat a little faster and my world move a little slower, when everything is spinning, she turns it into a slow dance. I feel empty and weary while I’m alone but when I’m in her arms, my mind rests and I feel like a weighted blanket has been placed on me. She’s my safest place in a world that makes me wanna be someone I’m not, but with her, I am me. It’s her, it’s always going to be her.

Get your weird on with our F(r)iction Fall 2023 Writing Contest! Submission are open NOW through Friday, November 3rd, 2023!

The entry fee for each category ranges from $10 - 15 USD. Winners of the poetry & flash fiction contest will win $300, and the winner of the short story contest will win $1000.

Learn more and submit through the F(r)iction website: https://frictionlit.org/contests/

New to F(r)iction? We're a is a triannual publication that boasts work from both industry legends and emerging writers. Each issue is carefully curated to evaluate an important cultural topic from vastly different perspectives. We accept short fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, comics, and poetry submissions all year round, and also host contests featuring guest judges and cash prizes twice a year (each spring and fall). Every piece published in F(r)iction is also accompanied by custom artwork, making our journal a visual odyssey from cover to cover!

For our Fall 2023 contest, we are seeking writing that reflects a similar mission to our journal, F(r)iction: work that actively pushes the boundaries of traditional publishing, that has complex characters and a strong narrative arc, and makes us feel something as we read it. We want stories we haven't seen before, whether it twists or plays with genre, setting, language, voice, you name it. We accept submissions in three categories: Short Story, Poetry, and Flash Fiction.

Our contests also feature a panel of three guest judges to help us decide the winners for each category. For our Fall 2023 contest, writer Cathy Ulrich will be judging Short Story, Warsan Shire will be judging Poetry, and Sejal Shah will be judging Flash Fiction. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize, as well as work with one of our Senior Editors to see their work published either online or in our print journal.

All of us are broken in one way or another. Some of us are more broken than others. Some only have cracks. Some of us try to glue the broken piece's whit stuff that only brakes us more. Some let others help them fix the crack's, some ignore their crack's to help others whit fixing their crack's. Some of us just try to live whit it, bare the pain of the crack's. But one day they break. One way or another. But it's always a relief to finally ease their pain.

I got this thing in my mind when I was daydreaming.

The life I knew was all a lie. You orchestrated my life around me to manipulate me into everything you needed. I became your obedient life cheerleader. Validating your every emotion and thought. You made sure to isolate me from anyone who dared to push me to be my own person. I was your perfect puppet. You convinced me that I was over dramatic from feeling unsafe with him in our home. I'm sorry I mean your home since you put your traumatized teenager in a barely livable shed. You taught me that if given the chance everyone will choose someone else over me, including the person who brought me into this world. No wonder I never feel like I'm enough. I've never been truly loved. I've never had your love. From day one I was just something you used to make yourself look good. Now as a mother myself I could never forgive you. I'd rather die than my daughter face a fraction of what I did. I'll never let anything harm her, including myself. Unlike you I want my daughter to flourish. I will never compete with her. I'll raise her to know her worth. I never want her to feel less than anyone. You never deserved to have me as a daughter. But I'm glad that I get to give my daughter the mother I needed.

~Raven

Conditional forgiveness is not forgiveness, and the result of a lack of forgiveness is the theme of this poem, "I Swallowed the Sunrise" https://carpevelo.blogspot.com/2023/08/i-swallowed-sunrise-poem-of-month.html?m=0

how to never stop dying

wake up.

drown yourself in self doubt. allow dreams to float

without a course or direction because god forbid you ever act upon them.

leave the bed unmade:

romanticise the dirty sheets for they have been lived in and you feel anything but alive.

push the ones you have left away;

their 9 missed calls meant nothing anyway.

the voicemail box is far more useful for replaying your lost one’s voice in hopes you don’t forget how they said your name.

let yourself rot, but not feel.

people who live don’t feel.

conceal feeling under hard liquor

and a smile

in hopes that no one asks you if you’re really okay

because this would mean you’d have to be honest

people who live aren’t honest.

listen to the melodies that used to revoke emotions:

the lyrics that used to make you dance:

the harmonies that used to make you sing, for

people who live embrace in song, not in past tense.

visit memories with a hazy distance and wonder

if there was some way you could’ve fixed everything.

understand that like the billions who have lived and died

before you, they will live and die after you.

understand that your life is pointless because

people who live believe in future and potential.

hope that some place like heaven exists so somehow the pit

of grief and guilt and fear and sadness

will grow smaller as so you will no longer be banished to a lifetime of hoping and wishing to be dead because

people who live don’t wish to be dead.

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

All of his questions, such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
'Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn

​

Florence & The Machine - Shake it Out