And the Winner of The Grains of Sand Challenge Is...

Hello, folks!

First of all, I would like to thank all the Vocal creators who participated in my Grains of Sand Challenge. You outdid yourselves and blew me away with your poems and stories.

And now, let me share my favorite entries with you.

The Winner

The winner of the challenge is Cathy Holmes, with her exquisite poem titled "My Rock". I love short and impactful poetry, and this one stole my heart!

Runners-Up

There are four runners-up in this list.

(I know, this is unusual. But it's your fault, after all. Your stuff was so good that it was impossible for me to make a choice! 😜)

Dana Crandell's "Grains," which he wrote for his grandchildren, is one of the best poems I have read on Vocal this year. From the flow to the choice of words, everything about it is memorable. I especially like the first two lines:

See that speck, there, that pebble?

That minute grain of sand?

Mackenzie Davis submitted two superb short stories to the challenge. But the one which sealed the deal for me was "The Path to Sand." I love how Mackenzie took me with her through those memories, guiding me with simple language towards the rooms in the house.

As you trek down the beige carpeted steps, the bottom of the upstairs floor begins to create a new ceiling. It tricks you into believing your head will hit it now that you’ve grown to be tall enough to notice. The memories of being a tall child possess you during this process but don’t duck as you go under it like your nine-year-old instincts demand.

Mike Singleton's "Hourglass" is a great example of concrete poetry.

Babs Iverson's versatility shines in "Fleeting Sands." Lovely, as always.

Other Entries to the Grains of Sand Challenge

The stories in this list may not have made it to the top, but they are definitely worthy of a read (or three)! I have included my favorite lines for each of them.

"The Eagle's Curse" by Matthew Fromm

The ocean flows, churning as the favor of the Eagle’s masters does. The shades of earth, the whites, and golds of this unconquerable land turn to red as the hooves stamp it flat. The drum beats turn from martial to festive. It will be over soon, for all.

"We Are The Storm" by Kelli Sheckler-Amsden

Like the sea to the shore, your love pulls me in

spreading your waves over the whole of my sand

"In Motion" by Suze Kay

Peach juice, sticky sweet, running

down my cheeks, my thighs.

Dab it with the linen sheet.

"The Spyglass" by Mackenzie Davis

Above the panic that was instantly strewn out below him, the young man longed for the sea.

"sandman" by Naomi Gold - A beautiful haiku!

"Oceans of Sand" by Judey Kalchik

I, as Captain, make the choice

To rue the change or alter course.

"Deserts and oceans of sand" by Novel Allen

We can no more count

the grains of sand upon the earth

Any more than we can count

the number of stars

Twinkling high above us in the distant sky

"Sticky" by Emma Kate Coleman

She inched slowly into the current, goosebumps clawing up her back like an electric freeze.

I also posted the challenge on Medium and a few people submitted there. Here are their entries.

• "The Desert Lands Do Not Care" by Douglas Lim
• "Cruel Desert" by Ravyne Hawke
• "Clock Made of Sand" by Damian Sebouhian
• "The Universe in a Grain of Sand" by Upen Singh

NB: You can continue submitting entries for as long as you want. If I receive more, I will post another list later.

Check out the rules of the Grains of Sand Challenge below.

I will have another challenge for you very soon. So, watch this space! 🙂

That's it for today. Thank you for reading!

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.

Website: https://creativeramblings.com