This year, for the first time, I participated in Madness! Poetry. It is an NCAA-March-Madness-bracket-style competition in which 64 "authletes" go head to head in a POETRY BATTLE ROYALE. Each pair of writers is given 36-48 hours to write a poem that includes an assigned word.
I wrote a poem to enter the competition.
I was terrified.
I got in!
I wrote a poem for Round One.
I was terrified.
I won!
I moved on.
I wrote a poem for Round Two.
Terrified.
I won!
I moved on.
I wrote a poem for Round Three.
(Sweet 16- What the what!?!?!)
I was terrified.
And getting pretty tired.
I lost.
I was disappointed, but a few days later, reality set in and I see all the amazing stuff I learned:
- Writing is hard
- Every word counts
- Every character counts
- I can do hard things
- Just because I "lost" doesn't mean I didn't "win"
- Friends are super shiny sparkly gifts
- Extra shout out to Jenna Waldman, Rebecca Gardyn Levington, and our rhyming fairy godmother, Lori Degman
The competition is still going strong!
- Round 4/ Elite 8 voting is today and tomorrow
- Round 5/ Playoff voting is Thursday and Friday
- Round 6/ Championship voting is next Monday and Tuesday.
Read, enjoy, share with kids, and vote. Oh and go challenge yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
And if you enjoyed this competition, please buy the creator and organizer, Ed DeCaria a cup of coffee at:
Ed DeCaria (buymeacoffee.com)
~Kelly
