The August poetry contest was amazing. We had 109 very good entries. It was hard to pick a winner. Here are the results. We have been given permission to publish all three poems.

First Place: “Bullfighter vs. Beast” by jenshead

A fight until death?
Mere man against beast.

Spectators in arena overflow –
Greedily prepare for the feast.

How barbaric in its undertone –
To overcome the impossible feat.

In Matador dress on center stage –
Resolve set against retreat,

cape now on fence,
the competitors at last meet.

As chanted Corrida echoes fly,
from eager gluttons in their seat

Torero and Toro tango at last –
Their dance enigmatic; no peace.

Veronica flip of red ignites –
Bull’s full wrath and fury unleash.

No Surrender; the tempo quickens –
Intensifying the mounting heat

All eyes focus on ritual end –
Shall bull or beast be beat?

Second Place: “Oh look, there’s death!” by HansErik
*This poem made me laugh out loud when I read it. Humor and poetry are a wonderful combination.

Oh look, there’s death!
He is so calm,
Snorting dirt, chewing cud
On the Spanish lawn.

How worthy I’ll feel
If I shout out, “Hey!”
And he and his flies
Fly over to play.

For what am I to him,
Something as small as me?
My sense of all
Is as tall as his knee.

He’s not moving…
Maybe if I snort and achoo.
Nope, still no sign…
What if I moo and moo and moo?

Now my nose is tickled,
I’m really going to sneeze.
I’ll use this red napkin
So as not to make a breeze.

Wait, he’s turned his head
To fix an ox eye on me;
He’s tracing the earth-
I really should flee.

Oh no, now I’ve done it,
He’s charging this way.
I didn’t mean what I said,
Let’s be BFFs, Ok?

Oh my, I’m alive!
I won’t even need a cast.
When I stepped aside,
Death kept going past.

Third Place: “An End To The Bull” by akjames
*This poem was selected as a finalist because of its unique approach to bull fighting.

Tonight, under the light of truth from a million stars
she would put an end to the lies.
Once her reason for being, now a weight,
around her neck, dragging her earthbound.

Too often she allowed the bull to sweeten the pill
of bitter excuses he peddled.
Working late, car broke down, conference away,
bull, bull, BULL!
Only she could put an end to it,
but what final barb?

His eyes twinkled under stars,
but she must take him by the horns,
cast him to dust.
I want an end to the bull,
you tear my heart out, trample on
my love beneath your hooves of infidelity.

He snorts, she sees more bitter excuses ready
to tumble from his lips,
she thrusts her sword between his horns,
a twist for good measure.
‘I don’t love you anymore’
He falters, falls, dies in the dirt.

Note: We awarded second and third place free premium accounts becuase we really enjoyed their poetry.