Ministry of Silly Pictures - All the Winners!

As some of you might have read, I'm struggling with balancing my presence on Vocal and my private life at the moment, so things are running slower than anticipated.

I know you're all awesome, understanding people, and won't make a big deal out of it, but I'm still sorry for taking so long.

But the day is finally here!

Let's find out all the winners of the challenge that invited you to write a poem inspired by a picture inspired by another poem's picture! Still quite the mouthful.

It was a quick challenge with unintentionally complex instructions, so I wouldn't have been too surprised if there had been barely 2-3 participants.

Instead, 8 brave contestants stepped up to the ring, decoded the procedure, and produced some wonderful poems!

And they did so without even knowing what the prizes would be!

You crazy folks are awesome!

Let's review all the submissions together, in rough chronological order.

Diane Foster took D. J. Reddall's mythology-inspired, so deep you could happily drown in it, stream of consciousness and described its picture as "Two Ancient Women, Modern Cafe"; I can definitely see that.

The picture Diane chose contains only one woman, but through the beautiful verses of "The Rooftops Keep Their Fires," this woman becomes a friend and a mystery wrapped in one.

Next, our very own resident subversive mastermind, Paul Stewart, stepped up to the ring, choosing this (honestly, quite disturbing) picture of a "mouth forced open" from Sean A.'s "Dental Appointment", a striking poem running the analogy between humanity and dental issues, written for Rock's very edgy challenge.

The picture transformed into something "disturbing" in a very different way, and Paul delivered a Top-Story-quality stream of consciousness that may or may not have been inspired by real events. This poem is a magnificent example of how Paul can pull the reader into his experience, and by the end of it, as English leaves room to Glaswegian, they too can feel a drunken buzz and longing for the kiss of their beloved.

Julie Lacksonen found inspiration in the "funny cat" from Tina D. Lopez's Don't Speak, a poem inspired by a conversation with her daughter, which, to me, beautifully encompasses the essence of love at first sight.

But Julie's cat tells us a very different story! "Blowing Raspberries" is not the poem I expected, and that last stanza takes quite an unexpected turn. I can't say more without spoilers, only that it got me laughing!

Tina D. Lopez took inspiration from the "heart shaped birthday wish" in Michael Owczarek's "Belated," which she selected after finding Michael in the "Writers we're loving" section.

And wrote a melancholic free verse about "a celebration // built around absence", that leaves a lasting bittersweet feeling in the reader's mind.

Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred chose the intriguing picture from Rain Dayze's "Are you Art?" humorous limerick.

In Mike's expert hands, the mysterious "Covered Sign On A Pole" turned into an ekphrastic sonnet that reminds us of a certain inevitable part of our human condition.

Harper Lewis took inspiration from Ernest Taulbee's "A Cuckold at Rest", a poem where contemplation of nature and quiet reflection on one's life merge in the haunting images brought forth through ten stanzas of Senryu.

Harper wouldn't let us know what sentence she used to go from Taulbee's lizard to her peaceful and meditative haiku "Gossamer", but we love us a rebel here!

Rain Dayze took Rasma Raisters's "Cat overlooking the city", inspired by the contrast between the fragile beauty of this deep and poignant poem and its whimsical picture.

Rain delivered a funny limerick from the point of view of the cutie on the left... who is not exactly a cat anymore.

Kendall Defoe took the dreamy vibes of a "Kaleidoscope of stars in space" from Aspen Marie's Asterism, an incredible mental journey from reflections on Poe to facing mortality and rebirth, all through the immediate life's struggles like a flooded basement.

And he transformed it into a stunning rendition in words of a childhood memory, being introduced to a Kaleidoscope for the first time, and how it resembles experiencing the peace of a starry night.

Each of these poems is uniquely beautiful and stirred different emotions in me. Some of them made me laugh; others made me think, wonder, feel at peace... and I loved them all!

So, there you have it, you are all winners!

Great, Sasha, great, but what about the prizes?

Well, I decided to do something a little different and award one dollar to both the official entry and the poem whose picture inspired it.

Tips are on their way.

Please read the other entries and the poems that inspired them while you wait.

And I hope to see you in the next challenge!