Challenge Demons
"I'm coming to slay."
Listen to those challenge demons rage and roar,
"Everything you write is a lame-ass snore.
Always coming in below last place,
Look at that egg dripping down your face.
You are never, ever gonna win this race.
Better quit, amateur. Don't be a disgrace.
Now you're waxing poetic
About being pathetic,
Your prose is sad rhetoric,
The words you put down fall flat, apathetic,
You sound like a mad fool, crazy, phrenetic.
Is this imposter syndrome you've got going genetic?
Seems you don't care about rules, unapologetic
The things that you say sound plastic, synthetic.
Where's the real substance?
Why do your ideas smell like rot?
Do you even try to plan out a story with a plausible plot?
Give up already! Admit your defeat.
Go ahead throw in the towel, your works are no treat.
Do you think this steaming pile is in any way good?
Do you think people actually cared or understood?
Your twists are predictable, your rhymes are so sloppy.
Let me guess, now you're going to use the word 'poppy'?
Have you ever written anything original or all copy?
Your backbone is wavy and weak, hella floppy.
Your counterfeit drivel is washed out and soppy.
You probably drive an old car, a beat-up jalopy–"
~
Wait, wait, wait...hold up a minute,
"Sorry demons, you've gone too far,
You can challenge my writing skills but not my dear car.
In fact while you're at it, you can fuck right off.
I'm incredibly tired of hearing you scoff.
I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm about.
And it's not listening to you yell in my ear with your doubt!
I'll write my sad poems and rhyme if I please,
I'll make up a story with the birds and the bees?
Huh, well maybe it will feature a steamy kiss or two
Something with magick and a dragon that's blue,
An alien traveling to a world that is new,
An adorable panda eating stalks of bamboo,
A circus clown playing a marvelous kazoo,
Hard-core bikers sporting full Fu Manchu,
A run-away train, no conductor, no crew,
A murmuration of starlings twirling above yew,
The death of a salesman, taming a shrew,
The fear of a vampire arriving at two...
(Ah damn, it may be one, but that doesn't rhyme,
And I think they're catching on some of these are not mine.)
Look at my magical, splendiferous concoctions,
An orphan making a living on auctions,
Twins separated from birth, one given a toxin,
And I think I'm quickly running out of options...
Okay, maybe I don't have it all figured out and I'm dreaming,
But it's not fair for you to tell me I don't have a prayer.
Instead I'll show you, I'll go down kicking and screaming.
I'll answer that challenge, I'll succumb to your dare.
You'd better be ready, take heed and beware.
Cuz this is finally my time, I'll no longer be prey.
I'm not giving up now, I'm coming to slay."
____________________________________________________
Oh those challenge demons can be real assholes but don't listen to them. Keep going, keep writing, keep believing.
Thank you for reading my madness and maybe commiserating a little. Cheers!
* * * * *
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Comments (50)
Very very nice!
I love this! It is hard to win! Very relatable 😀
super
I liked this one Heather. Why do creative types always think we can’t create creatively enough?
Wow Heather! This is amazing. Excellent work. Timely too, I need to do some battles with the writing demons.
The urgency of your words and the way that each line so easily flows into the other makes this a solid work. Congratulations on another Top Story.
Wow! Brilliant. Thank you for the encouragement! ❤️
Love this!
I think alot of us can relate to this :)
Congratulations 🎉 ❤️💯
👀😉
Excellent! didn't expect to feel so attacked as I did in the first half lol. but the second half was a great turnaround. Again excellent work!
Congratulations for Top Story, Heather. Well deserving and the flow of words, my God. Just impressive. Great one.
Congratulations on Top story! Fantastic poem- I feel the demons every time before I hit the submit button. It's as if you are putting a piece of your soul out there to face the ridicule. Love the way you told those demons off 😊❤️😊♥️
Demons begone. Congratulations
Wonderful
Yooo! I loved how this had tons of references to Your other stories from previous challenges, Heather. I get not embedding a link cause sometimes that makes stuff look sloppy, but why not add the links into the words. Sure, they might be underlined, but that way people will see more if Your creative genius. Lowkey, yeah, the challenge demons are weird. However, the ones that are hard to pin down is the congruence of the official rules with the judges' listings. As long as the winners had followed the rules like every other participant, I'm okay with that.
My dear friend, can I just stop and say (again) what an amazing job you did with this? Truly spectacular. I feel I did not leave enough love yesterday as I was not feeling too well. But this...is SO RELATABLE and I want to thank you so much for writing this! Not only that, but you did this so creatively. I am in love. 🥰 You are so talented! 😍😍😍
Brilliant! Congrats on top story, Heather! SO GOOD!
I think we all need this hilarious boost of Challenge-beating bravado! Congrats on Top Story 😊🎉
I used to say beam me up, now I look around and realize i just touched down, Something Like The Terminator, Sent here with a mission, I be doing my push ups call them sarah connor, I gave her the blessing but she gave me the honor, Im a shark in the water, im not worried about no piranha, Breathing in deep taking in the prana, I get it hot in the kitchen like a sauna, Zen with this shit call me the Dalai Lama, My foundation is the truth, bout time I have something I can build up on, Call me bob the builder playin with my legos, only sacrifice i made is to leggo of my eggo, I mean ego, soaring like an eagle, Young Camel Going Through The Eye of a Needle, Armor Shining all bright and many colors something like a beetle, Young Pharoh you can tell how i glow, None of this shit is for show, Im just sharing how im feeling and letting it flow, Im a Young Boss but this you already know, I the better gamer so give me the controls, yeah i took the narrow road, its an incline but its the way I go, My Heart is UpRight and will always be so, As Long as God Mercy rains upon my soul, Giving Thanks To God as I go about my day, I say yay first thing when I wake, i make a splash so yall can ride the wake, Young Child and all I do is Play.
Mic drop! This was fiyahhhhhh! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 And that's how demons are slayed! Fantastic poem!
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! 😍😍😍 Wonderfully said, felt every word of this… yes, just: yes! Congrats on Top Story, my wonderful friend!
Step aside and witness, God as my witness, I've been tested, litmus, I've faced the devil thought I should mention, God sent His cosmic henchman, I'm sturdier than an anvil, Hate is next to be canceled, Death has coming knocking, when I answer the clock stops clocking, I'm out here steady rocking, I know you feel it no need to stop nodding, I am the Truth, The Way, and The Life, That's Why To Death I Instill Fright, Took his pants off him the other night, now I wear them to show who is boss, alright, don't like it then take a hike, when you reach the top you'll see I'm in the spotlight, who wants to step to me, when death even flees the scene, peek behind the curtain, when death was steady skirtin, All eyes on me, I can feel them lurkin, God sent me for a job so thats why you see me workin, Transforming all my pains and hurts an, I finished my job, So my Father said Well Done, Let Thy Kingdom Come.
Thank you for the inspiration to keep slaying those challenge dragons! Congrats on Top Story