The 4th Annual Spooktacular Halloween Contest at the
Storyteller’s Blog is here already. Where did the time go?
Again, this year the Spooktacular
Contest is limited to rhyme, as I am an avid rhymer. My published picture book,
Rock
Star Santa is rhyming and I’m currently working on a poetry collection.
Also, my poem “Hail Mary Pass” is included in And the Crowd Goes Wild;
A Global Collection of Sports Poems for Kids, now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
The contest this year is titled “THE BEWITCHING CASTLE!”
To enter:
1. Write
a HALLOWEEN poem of no more than 250 words about “an ENCHANTED
CASTLE or a WITCH.”
2. Become
a follower of “The Storyteller’s Blog.”
3. Post
your entry in the comments section of The Storyteller’s Blog and comment on at
least one other entry.
My beta readers and I shall select the winner, who will receive a full
critique for a rhyming picture book manuscript from First Peek Critique service,
a value of $75.00.
(Does not have to be the one you wrote for the contest.)
Contest runs from October 1st
to October 14th. Winners will be announced on October 20th and critique will be delivered by
Halloween.
Here is an example:
The BeWITCHing Castle
By Gayle C.
Krause
On a bed of nails
in a dungeon deep,
a princess lies
in enchanted sleep.
In the castle
above, a witch takes her place
dressed in
colorful silks. Veils cover her face.
She casts a spell
on the ballroom guests
and a Prince is
enthralled by what she suggests.
Her voice sounds
sweet. She offers her hand.
Satin gloves hide her wrinkles and what she has planned.
The two are wed
on Halloween night.
If the Prince
knew his real wife, he’d die of fright
for deep in the
dungeon sleeps his true love
while he’s
tricked by the witch and the castle, above.
The witch and
princess’s bodies have switched.
And the Prince is
a victim of castle, “Bewitched.”
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun rhyming contest. I'll try one.
ReplyDeleteThe Uninvited Guest
I’m a bony skeleton.
In life, I was a Queen.
Though I was not benevolent,
neither was I mean.
No one lays a flower
upon my royal grave.
No one stops to visit.
Not the king. Not a knave.
No princess, page, or wizard
stops by just to talk.
They hurry past my headstone
when they go for a walk.
I live inside my coffin,
buried underneath the earth.
I never have come out
to join the castle’s “masked ball” mirth.
For every Halloween
there’s a gala in my hall.
Many guests attend.
Tonight, I’ll trick them all.
I polish up my jewels
and tilt my noble crown.
Then, climb up through the earth
in my tattered royal gown.
I trail the merry revelers
past the graveyard gate.
We travel up the hill
to my castle’s large estate.
Guests arrive in costume
and gather at the castle door,
to watch the King and his new bride
dance across the floor.
When the music’s over
they approach their royal thrones,
but as the King’s bride takes her seat,
she sits upon my bones.
For tonight I have returned
to my castle hall
and this is my kingdom
I’m the Queen of the Ball!
Hi Ms. Krause, :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun contest! Here is my entry, it has both a witch and a castle in it, a Cinderella (as Witch Cindy) themed Halloween poem. Happy Halloween!
:) Abigail
Little Witch Cindy and Her Halloween Happily Ever After
Little Witch Cindy wanted to go to the spooky ball,
On Halloween her stepsisters told her to sweep the hall.
Tears sprang to Cindy's eyes so she wiped them away,
To her surprise, a Fairy Godmother said, “Today is your lucky day!”
With the flick of a wand, Witch Cindy was dressed in slippers and a gown,
Another flick and she had a pumpkin coach and horses to take her to town.
Dancing with Prince Charming in the enchanted castle was a dream come true,
But the clocks struck midnight and Witch Cindy had to leave too soon.
She flew down to castle steps to find a Jack O'Lantern, not her carriage,
Prince Charming picked up her glass slipper and wanted her hand in marriage.
Witch Cindy walked home back to her stepsisters and life,
Prince Charming searched home by home looking for his future wife.
When he came to Witch Cindy's house he met her stepsisters and stepmother,
The slipper didn't fit so Prince Charming said, “Surely there is another?”
Cindy appeared and the glass slipper fit like a glove,
Witch Cindy and Prince Charming spent every Halloween at the castle happily in love!
THE – HAPPY HALLOWEEN – END!
Caszia:
ReplyDeleteA ghoulish rhyme to be sure! I'll be checking where I sit at this year's Halloween party. :)
Abigail:
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely "Bewitching: Halloween love story. Nice fractured fairy tale. :)
Thanks for the contest. This was fun.
ReplyDeleteThe final rhyme only works if you pronounce the three syllable version :)
Halloween Hunger
Castle stones stained dark and red
Vampires are underfed
Cold north winds blow to and fro
Monsters roam the moat below
Suits of armour, empty now
Ramble ‘round rooms anyhow
Faded ghosts float near a wall
Guillotine blades quickly fall
Undead ghouls haunt every room
A zombie bride
A headless groom
Cackles echo up the stairs
Pointed hats top blackened hairs
The coven meets deep underground
The sacrifice is tightly bound
Dungeons fill with shrieks and screams
They slice and rip it at the seams
Down it flows, into the bowl
The gooey mess drops in the hole
The creatures stand with forks held high
They stab and dip and then they sigh
They drool a bit
Oh, what a smell
Apples dipped in caramel
Ghoulishly scrumptious
DeleteIkmar - This is so clever and it flows so well. You must write a lot of poetry! Thanks for sharing and Happy Halloween!
DeleteIkmar:
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool poem. I love the unexpected ending. Very "bewitching!"
Don't forget to become a follower of The Storytellers Scroll to be eligible to win the free picture book critique.
Great poem. :)
Thanks Gayle :) I do follow on Google Reader, but I don't use facebook.
ReplyDeleteEligible or not, it was fun :D
Awesome contest as usual, Zixi.
ReplyDeleteTULA BAINE
In the town of Lancashill,
A castle stood on Pendle Hill.
Late one night as the owls cried,
A child was born; the mother died.
The babe’s sharp wail vexed the night,
And animals heard the child’s plight.
Creatures slithered through the gloom,
They gathered in the baby’s room.
They warmed her in cozy fur,
They calmed her cry with hum and purr.
She suckled honey sweet as dew,
And over time, the baby grew.
Spring and summer, winter, fall,
She grew quickly, straight and tall.
Taught by creatures of the wood,
She learned which plants and herbs were good.
Then starved for a tasty brew,
She gathered sage and mint and rue.
It smelled like mold and looked like slime,
A bubbling broth; green as lime.
The vile brew smelled sour and rank,
But she loved the taste so she drank.
Craving more -- she could not stop,
She withered and wreathed with each drop.
She laughed ‘til she bent double,
Then collapsed into the rubble.
The creatures shook; full of dread,
Fearful that she had fallen dead.
The girl disappeared for good!
But in her place . . . a witch now stood.
Now the ruins on Pendle Hill,
Evoked a warning in the chill.
Avoid the castle tonight,
For Tula Baine has taken flight.
Hauntingly beautiful
DeleteCali:
ReplyDeleteThis is great. Just enough scary and so illustrative. Glad you stopped by to participate.
Tula Baine is trula "bewitching!" :)
Misspelled
ReplyDeleteBetty Jean is a witch with a curse.
She lacks magical talent what’s worse.
She’s a bad caster.
When she snaps her wand, it ends in disaster.
She wallows in her witchy woe.
And thinks about her sister the popular foe.
Betty Jean’s magic fails to impress.
But Penelope conjures without any stress.
On her broom, Penelope can travel over the moon.
Betty Jean barely gets off the ground, before she starts to swoon.
Betty Jean succeeds in changing a cat back to when it was born.
Penelope can turn a dragon into a unicorn.
With a flick of Penelope’s enchanted stick, she crafts a bewitching castle that amps up the scary wattage.
Trying her hardest, Betty Jean creates a cute little cottage.
Betty Jean couldn’t control her jealous mood.
The only thing she’s good at is cooking tasty food.
The troubled witch had a notion.
She prepared a magic robbing potion.
Betty Jean invited Penelope to dinner and made a yummy brew.
She served Penelope her favorite stew.
Penelope ignored the meal’s blue hue.
Her spoon flew as she ate right on cue.
Nothing happened at first.
If this doesn’t work Betty Jean will burst.
The next day everyone buzzed about Penelope’s new wicked style.
She greeted the crowd flashing a dazzling smile.
Penelope became a celebrity model and acting star.
For Betty Jean, it’s too bizarre.
To anyone who will listen, Betty Jean yelled,
“Once again, I’ve misspelled.”
Donna:
ReplyDeleteAn amusing tale. Betty Jean should have paid more attention in school. :)
Good luck!
Hello Gayle - This was a lot of fun and put me in the Halloween mood...thank you!
ReplyDeleteMolly looked up at the clock in despair.
Her wedding was starting, and she wasn’t there!
She sat on the floor with her black kitten, Boo.
Her tears fell like raindrops. “Oh, what can I do?
Look at me, Boo. I am really a mess!
There is dirt in my hair…on my face…on my dress!
My ankle is swollen. It hurts really bad.
It’s the worst wedding day that a witch ever had!”
(New to the coven, she hadn’t been told
Of their bridal tradition that’s centuries old.
To prevent any love spells on unwary grooms,
Brides lose their magic, including their brooms!)
Naïve little Molly had spent many hours
Primping and prepping, not needing her powers.
But when the time came for her last “single” ride,
She hopped on her broom, with Boo right by her side.
It sputtered and whistled a horrible sound.
Then it stopped, and they dropped all the way to the ground.
Her broom was in pieces. Her ankle was hurt.
She sat there, confused, simply covered in dirt.
She shook herself off and she hobbled inside.
She needed another invention to ride!
“A mop is okay, Boo. A vacuum is faster.”
But that crashed as well in a dusty disaster!
And then her Prince Charming smashed right through the door.
He laughed when he saw her and Boo on the floor.
She stopped all her crying and joined in his laughter,
And that was the start of their “happily ever after!”
Angelcakes:
ReplyDeleteTruly a "Witchy Wedding Bell Blues." :)