# Please, Vote Now! for your favourite poem in the SDMB Poetry Sweatshop Anthology of March 2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153 "2010-03-29T00:15:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/21 "2010-03-31T00:18:40Z")
I think that’s a worthwhile suggestion - next month, I’ll try a poll with multiple options and we’ll see how it all turns out. I still have absolutely no idea what I’ll do in the event of a tie - so far, it’s been close but it’s never turned out that way by the end… And I absolutely agree - I think this is the best month yet. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/22 "2010-03-31T14:44:04Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I still have absolutely no idea what I’ll do in the event of a tie - so far, it’s been close but it’s never turned out that way by the end… New run-off poll for the tied ones? (Or the top three?) ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/23 "2010-03-31T16:20:36Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > New run-off poll for the tied ones? (Or the top three?) I like the run-off poll for tied poems. Perhaps, if we do the multiple choice voting, making the run-off poll a single choice poll would work, too. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/24 "2010-03-31T16:58:59Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > We sit on the beach in our jeans - > It’s too cold to swim or even wade – > Watching him run back and forth, > Playing tag with the inexorable water > And winning more often than not. > > It’s not enough to say the heart swells. > It’s not enough to say the heart fills. > His future is a wide and wild ocean, > And in my imagination he flies out over it > In good directions I can’t even guess. > > But an ocean is not boundless. > It’s sunrise here but night somewhere else, > And I can’t escape the thought that > Blowing an ember into life also > Ignited a spark of mortality. > > Five will someday become twenty-five, > And then fifty and perhaps beyond, > And then reach and end with little ado. > Even though the horizon is so far off, > It’s always visible, a cold line in the sea. > > He runs to us and I swing him high - > His legs are still chubby, but growing strong – > And he pulls us closer together after I put him down. > With a last hug we turn our backs on the sea, > And then we make our way toward home. > > maserschmidt Excuse me, I think I have something in my eye ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/25 "2010-04-01T08:30:01Z")
Very interesting to compare the poll results to my picks. No resemblance! Anyway, at least four that I really liked and I agree with others that for me to pick one really wasn’t representative of how I felt. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/26 "2010-04-01T15:47:10Z")
Now I can see it’s just as well I missed out on participating this time around; I would’ve been 'way out of my league. Again. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/27 "2010-04-01T19:58:48Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I would’ve been 'way out of my league. Again. Psh, I remember liking your stuff before! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/28 "2010-04-02T11:58:49Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Now I can see it’s just as well I missed out on participating this time around; I would’ve been 'way out of my league. Again. Seriously? I remember one of your poems really sticking out. Are you going t make me go back and look it up? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/29 "2010-04-02T15:56:04Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Seriously? I remember one of your poems really sticking out. Are you going t make me go back and look it up? :: thinks for a moment :: Yes. Yes, I am. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/30 "2010-04-02T16:43:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > :: thinks for a moment :: > > Yes. Yes, I am. lol. [This one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11854147&postcount=8) I recall thinking this felt like a classic anthology poem, and reading it again I still like it. ETA, on ties: I think I said this elsewhere before, but I’d vote for co-winners. In fact, I might even vote for no voting at all, particularly if anyone finds the whole process discouraging…I’d rather see more submissions than fewer. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/31 "2010-04-02T16:48:58Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > :: thinks for a moment :: > > Yes. Yes, I am. Well, in particular, the one about Cortez and the Aztecs (something like Tenochnolatan; I can’t remember exactly without looking it up…) had that particularly strong finish about teaching them a new form of sacrifice, which to me evoked the Wilfred Owen poem about Abraham and Isaac. I also remember the one where ‘a spider is always welcome’, and I very much enjoyed ‘Old Man Quill’ with its juxtaposition of the down home folksy and the creepy secret. I’d say as a general note that I hope all of the poets who participate in the Sweatshops are gaining in confidence. The poems being written are beyond being just an idea developed on the fly - these are gems worth polishing. For me, at least, I still write my other things through a process of gestation/creation/editing/lather, rinse, repeat, but I find it tremendously inspiring to know that an hour is enough time to develop something beyond just a ‘spark’ of an idea… ETA - Tenochtitlan was the title. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/32 "2010-04-02T20:40:33Z")
Thank you! Always nice to be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/33 "2010-04-03T02:56:02Z")
I vote for multi-votes; and I think this month has the most votes cast ever since, right? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/34 "2010-04-05T01:13:21Z")
First of all, I’d like to thank all of the poets for participating this month. **Crowbar of Irony +3, jjimm, Yllaria, In Winnipeg, Maserschmidt, AppallingGael, pandoranoid, Serenata67, mauxlicious** - please take a well-deserved bow. And with the closing of the poll, I take great pleasure in congratulating **Maserschmidt** , our Poet Laureate of the SDMB and our first repeat winner - December 2009 and now March of 2010. I’d also like to once again thank the Mods and Admins for their support - it is greatly appreciated. Thank you as well to those who took the time to read and vote. It has once again been tremendous fun, and I look forward to the next one sometime in late April. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/35 "2010-04-05T06:08:57Z")
Thanks **Le Ministre de l’au-delà** for taking the time and effort to organise this; the system has really been smoothed out. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/36 "2010-04-05T14:42:38Z")
Yes, indeed. And congrats to our repeat winner, **Maserschmidt**. Huzzah! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153/37 "2010-04-05T20:36:22Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, indeed. And congrats to our repeat winner, **Maserschmidt**. Huzzah! Thanks, and a big thank you to **Le Ministre de l’au-delà** for both the organizing and his ongoing attempt to make the format better every month. It’s clearly a labor of love, and we’re all benefiting from it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-vote-now-for-your-favourite-poem-in-the-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-anthology-of-march-2010/534153.md?page=1)