The results are in for the winner of our Ponder Autumn Poetry contest. Even in this small contest choosing the winner was difficult.

Entries were judged by the following rules stated in the contest rules on October 15th:

So, here is my autumn call to all of you Poes, Thoreaus, Rumis, and Suesses to pen an ode to the season. Bring out the ghouls, the gourds, and the golden-hued leaves—whatever you fancy the season is up to you, just keep it family-readable. What’s the trick? Only one writer will win the treat.

Cast a spell over our judges with your originality, expression, and technical mastery. Although they will consider the pleas of the people, in the end the judges alone will decide your fate.

Limit is 100 words.

And the winner is…Until October by J.C. Nierad! Autumn Contest prize

Congratulations, J.C., you win the jewels.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Ponder Autumn contest; it was so much fun to read all of the wonderful entries.

It was suggested that I host another contest for the upcoming holidays–I haven’t decided yet but if I do it will be something different.

Wishing everyone a beautiful week!

It’s gruesome at the end!

Our final entry is a tale of the macabre ritual taking place in nearly every home in America this very day. For anyone who thinks the sacrificial act is ancient history, the practice of heathens, I offer you Truth of My Demise by SA Lawrence.

 

Truth of My Demise

If you’re faint of heart, then I ask you not to read
As I vividly describe the horrors done to me
In retrospect I offer this brief soliloquy
In hopes that justice might make these hoodlums pay

On a cool brisk autumn morning with dew upon the ground
I sat alone meditating, the sun above me shining down
Off I heard a turtle dove cooing softly on the breeze
Not noticing the scoundrels stealthily sneaking behind me

They took me to a house of which I’d never seen before
And carried me around the back and through the kitchen door
They placed me on a table with newspapers all around
And shoved a knife inside me, there was no hope to be found

They shoved a spoon inside me and scrapped away the guts within
Then with an evil gleam they started cutting me again
As they continued, the horror suffered is painful to describe
The morbidity of this may make one feel queasy deep inside

They cut away my nose and left a morbid frightful mess
And as to what they started next was maniacal at best
The shoved the knife into my face and cut away the rest
They carved a gruesome smile while laughing and making jest

They set my hollowed carcass on the porch that night you see
And to add humility to it they placed a candle inside of me
They left me out there all night long in the damp and cold night air
Like a trophy from a conquest they left me sitting there

But these charlatans were not finished; no they weren’t done with me
The worst was yet to come when finally morning came to be
They carried me inside and on the kitchen table once again
Then like before, they took a knife and to my back they shoved it in

These Cretans took the pieces to an oven and put me in
Cooking down my body into a mush to use again
This travesty continued as they made some pies from me
And served me as desert for all their friends to see

There’s no evidence to offer, not a crumb of pie crust left
My seeds were washed and toasted and shared amongst their guest
From the field they took me, they’re plowed and seeded once again
And the remnants of my existence are but a memory now my friend

Jack O’Lanturn Postscript©
SA Lawrence
Copyright :: All Rights Reserved
Registered :: Tue Oct 18 19:13:32 UTC 2011
Title :: Epitaff of Murder
Category :: Poetry

 

Fingerprint :: a2bebbd30d60a13592fc3bb8f9c6354bc7848721630cd3c45a8de6569b5955e8

Is it just me or is this one calling to be put to music?

I think it might be over the word limit but I’ll leave that for the judges to decide. For me, it provides a perfect lead in for the recipes we’ll be posting later today:)

There’s still time to comment/vote for your favorite entry…

 

This one has so much imagery I had trouble deciding on a picture!

Hallow Weeny(s)

Bats from the belfry
Swinging from the eaves
Overlooks skullduggery
And spiders in the leaves

Exposed skulls…very scary
And goblins giving fright
Gathering darkness very eerie
Enveloping this sordid sight

Moonlight bright and silvery
Cleaves the blackening night
Forcing a change of scenery
And flushing out the fright

The black witch of sorcery
Mounting her speedy broom
Knows that the weeny(s)
Will soon depart the gloom

–H. Weeny, H.W.C.,B.S.A

The pendulum sways, counting down the hours to the end…of the contest.

Don’t play dead, rise up to our invitation–we dare you to enter! Winner takes the jewels. You have until midnight Saturday.

For our fifth entry we have a beautiful seasonal poem by J. C. Nierad.

Until October

Nearly all year
the beige brick house
is ignored
until October.

When the tenth month taps,
Thick, yellow acrylics
paint the Cottonwood
quietly living at
the beige brick house.

Nearly all October,
Evelyn dances daily in the yard.
Silver hair swaying underneath straw brim.
Dark jeans, rose gloves
hint at humanity mingling with
glowing, golden forces.

The waltz begins at the corner,
circling popping leaves.
Step, rake, step. Step, rake, step.
Gracefully flowing into the street.
Responsibly honoring the tree’s fleeting fame.

Gliding around the goddessAutumn Cottonwood Tree by Lulu Brymer
nearly all October
until the branches bare
their beige
winter souls.

J.C. Nierad
dream-hour.com

image courtesy of LuLu Brymer

visit her portfolio at FineArtAmerica[dot]com

Autumn splendor, childhood memories, monsters lurking…I love the different themes being sent in! There are just a few days remaining in our Autumn Poetry and Children’s Verse Contest, deadline is October 29th, so key in your verse and send your entry to PonderAutumnPoems[at]yahoo.com. Prize is a pair of sparkly earrings–details and picture of prize posted on our October 15th post. Winner will be announced on All Soul’s Day, November 1st.

Need Snacks? I’ll be posting a few recipes later this week!

Here is our fourth entry (and we have four days to go). Today Marcia gets creative with her nod to gothic romance!

            Shiver and Ugh

I read some books about vampires
a girl fell in love with one
But I confess I felt some ire
When she said she would be one.
                (shiver)

I never saw a vampire tooth
I never want to see oneVampire Teeth by Dawn at DragoArt
But I can tell you this right now
I’d rather see than— feeeeel one.
                  (ugh)   


Marcia Dahlinghaus

image courtesy of DragoArt www.dragoart.com

 

And now…

A note from our sponsors:

Come all you ghouls

The good and the creepy

and write me a line

that’s just a bit freaky

A Jack-O who hums

A raven in flight

Or children who knock

on your door

for a fright

Our contest will end

Four moons from today

And all of this fun

will just fade

away

by Robyn C.

 

If I can write one so can you!

Up to 100 words on anything Autumn/Halloween/Samhain/Harvest–either a poem or children’s verse. Last day is Oct 29th. Prize is a pair of earrings. Details below on the October 15th post.

Here’s a fun entry that will take you back to childhood!

 

Smiling Pumpkin
by Carole Mertz

My Papa he poked out the eyes,  Jolly Pumpkin by rlc
And Mama the smile very wide.
When I got the handle
I dropped in the candle,
And carved a triangular nose

 

Thank you, Carole, for bringing us a smile!

Please leave your votes/comments for Carole’s entry.

Join in the fun by sending in your own poem or verse! Deadline is October 29th; details below on the October 15th post.

 
Here is our second entry for the Ponder Autumn Poem and children’s verse contest and giveaway!

Autumn Gold

AutumnAutumn Gold by rc

Turning shades of gold

Beckons to

The days of olde

When

Fires lit and chanting sang

The  Year’s Wheel began again

Pagan hearts doth be awakened

A bless’d New Year is for the taking!

by ELcie

Thank you, ELcie, for sharing your poem!

Readers, feel free to leave your vote/comments on Elcie’s entry in the comment box.

Enter the Contest! Entries for the Autumn Poems & Children’s Verse contest & giveaway will be accepted through October 29th. Up to 100 words. Poems or children’s verse on anything related to fall. Send entries to PonderAutumnPoems[at]yahoo.com. Win  sparkly pair of earrings! More Details below on the Oct. 15th post.

We have our first entry for the Ponder Autumn Poetry Contest!

Thank you to John Herres for being brave enough to go first.

Monsters

Monsters are real to an extent, it seems,
They mainly stick to really bad dreams.
At times, however, a feeling I get
That one may be lurking in the shadows yet.
On a foggy night that fills me with dread,
I think I feel persons long since dead.
They creep through the night and whisper to me;
They tap on my shoulder and laugh with glee.
I feel icy cold fingers grip me tight
And not want to let up for the rest of the night.
Footsteps behind me, I increase my pace;
In the window’s reflection, I see a dead face.
I hear spectral laughter, my heartbeat increases,
And fear makes me sweat, and want to go to pieces.
I feel the small hairs on the back of my neck
Prickle and stand up like sailors on a deck.
The air turns cold all the sudden it seems,
And then I hear blood curdling screams
Of those who’ve been taken before their time
And search for whomever committed the crime.

by John Herres

http://www.johntmherres.com/

Okay all you ghouls and goblins–climb out of your coffins and pick up your plumes! Don’t be frightened away just because our first contestant has a website link. Everyone’s invited!

Send in your gremlin-punch jingles, your disturbing bedtime stories, and your pumpkin-toss tongue twisters; any topic autumn related from cornucopias to candy corn. Oh, and you can enter as many times as you like. Details are below on the October 15th post.

Do you like this contest entry? Leave your thoughts in the box!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1CRsEmC5sQ&feature=related&rel-0

Halloween Mantel by RC
It’s a Halloween/Autumn/Harvest Poetry Contest!

 

I love autumn. After the heat and long days of summer, autumn offers a sigh. Kick-off-your-shoes relaxing, scenic-drive-in-the-country enjoyable, autumn lets us open the windows and light the candles. We slow down, we bake cookies, and in the quiet twilight we write poems!
 
Autumn Perch by RCSo, here is my autumn call to all of you Poes, Thoreaus, Rumis, and Suesses to pen an ode to the season. Bring out the ghouls, the gourds, and the golden-hued leaves—whatever you fancy the season is up to you, just keep it family-readable. What’s the trick? Only one writer will win the treat.
 
Cast a spell over our judges with your originality, expression, and technical mastery. Although they will consider the pleas of the people, in the end the judges alone will decide your fate.  
 
The one among you deemed most worthy wins the jewels–a pair of custom made earrings (sorry guys—you can enter but you still get the earrings). Sterling silver French wires with sapphire/amethmix glass and Swarovski crystals. The colors are basically lavender and pink but the orbs have an iridescence that reminds me of the aurora borealis. AutumnPoemEarrings by RC
 
How to Brew…
Each entry will be posted on A Ponderance of Things as it is received—so the earlier you submit your entry the more time you will have for readers to comment. Deadline for entries is midnight (Mountain Time), October 29th. Please send your spell-checked and edited entries in the body of an email (no attachments) to PonderAutumnPoems[at]yahoo.com with Poetry Contest in the subject line. Limit is 100 words.  Entries will be posted as-is so be sure to check for errors, there will be no editing after posting. Allow me 24 hrs to let you know I have received your email. I will send you a link as well once your entry is posted. Be sure to include an email where I can reach you in the event of your winning as I will then need a mailing address. Also, remember to include your “by line” (name or pen name).
 
The winner will be posted on November 1st, All Soul’s Day. If for any reason I fail to obtain a mailing address from the winner by November 5th a new winner will be chosen and notified.
 
Blessed Crafting! 

RedRaven by RC

Strange noises, strange smells, shadow figures and unexplained happenings… You have determined that you are sharing your home with uninvited, other-worldly guests but how did they get there? More importantly, what can you do about them?

First, to understand anything considered paranormal or even spiritual you must have a basic understanding of energy. It is the attraction, accumulation and stagnation of low-level energy or vibes which attract and hold lower vibrational spirits or entities. Consequently, it is the attraction, accumulation and flow of positive or higher vibrational energy which will be your tool in giving them the boot.

The only thing to fear is fear

Everything is energy; in this case we are talking about emotional energy. When those ghoulies go passing through town they do not see the pink house and the green house, they see the emotional energy within the house. Any energetic vibration that strikes a chord with their own vibrational field will pull them in.

Negative energy is heavier than positive, you know this to be true because when you are depressed or angry you feel heavy and when you are happy you feel lighter. This dense, dark energy tends to coagulate. It loves closed in spaces and clutter. It loves angry words and violent movies. When spirits or entities find a delicious pocket of negative energy they accept your invitation to feed from it and play with it.

Your intent creates your experience; this is the most important lesson

Like any dank, musty space energetic coagulations need to be aired out. The energetic flow needs to be opened up. We need to raise the vibration or, in other words, turn up the lights. Acknowledging the darkness or negativity is the first start. Once you know how you are contributing to the negative you can adjust your habits and your thoughts. There are tools to use for raising the vibration of the house, but in the end it will be the conscious knowledge of yourself and your self-governing which will maintain a healthy home.

You are bigger than you think you are

You have a direct connection to the divine. That is not a religious statement, it is simply fact. Whatever you choose to call the animated energy in all things (Life Force, Creation, God, Goddess, All That Is, Allah, Great Spirit…) we are all part of it. My favorite visual prompt for this is to think of an ocean. The water evaporates, becomes rain or snow, and eventually returns to the source. Each rain drop might be seen as separate but all water is connected. It is only our human illusion which sees ourselves as separate from all other life and therefore separate from The Source or God.

Once we understand that there is absolutely no way to be separate from this creative life force we “pump up the jam” so to speak—turn up our vibration. Now, the energy we have to work with is no longer “our” energy, it is life force energy. This is how “healers” heal; it is “God” flowing through. When you ground yourself, which is bringing your focused attention  to this one moment as in a “be here now” experience, and open your heart to that connection with that life force energy your energy field becomes brighter and bigger.

Clearing the way

Now we are ready to talk about exorcism or house clearing but first a word of warning. These “others” can not hurt you unless you allow them to. This is a true statement but what does it mean? It means that disembodied spirits or entities do not have the ability to “create” but they can manipulate. If you have any doubts or fears about your safety, your ability to control the situation, your effectiveness with the clearing or your authority to order them out chances are you will not be happy with the results. This is why, in extreme situations such as poltergeist activities, it is best to call in an expert.

Now, when I say “expert” I do not mean “ghost hunter”. Remember our discussion of negativity? Your home will not be cleared of negative energy by a bunch of people trying to muscle down their own fear as they run around chasing ghosts with electrical recording devices and shouting taunts. An expert would be someone who has been trained in holding their divine space with absolute conviction. An expert has experience in discerning their own thoughts from the thoughts of others. And, an expert has practice with the movement of energy, sensing it, seeing it and re-energizing a space. When the negative energy is moved out a void is left behind and must be consciously filled. Choose an expert according to your own belief system and comfort level. Shaman, Priest, Medium, etc… Just be sure you check references and practice common sense; there are many frauds out there.

The actual clearing is simple in theory; the maintained focus is the difficult part. Basically, you should have several adults gathered who understand how to ground themselves and maintain focus. Once all parties feel they are ready, combine your energies to work as one unit.

One person will be the voice and leader. Your actual ceremony may vary depending on your belief system but most will begin with some kind of guided meditation or visualization where the group unites energies and calls in guides, angels, ancestors, etc… to assist the party. Once the strength of unity is accomplished the party moves through the house telling the “others” to leave and reinforcing positive energy through tools such as incense; song, toning or chant; drumming, singing bowls, etc… Each room is blessed, each doorway and window sealed.

The tools

Remember our talk about vibration. Everything carries a vibration or energy imprint. Different incense carry different energies; the clearing plants and resins include white sage, sweet grass, nag champa, dragon’s blood (a resin) and copal. Plants and resins which raise vibration include frankincense, sandalwood, pinon, cedar and rose.   

Sounds which raise vibration include the OM, which is said to be foundational sound of creation; pure sounds that correlate with our chakras which can be achieved with tuning forks or singing bowls; or drumming as long as the focused intent is in connecting to the divine.

Crystals also have vibration. A good reference book for crystals is Love Is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals by Melody.  Briefly, amethyst raises spiritual energy and is easy to work with. Quartz only amplifies energy so if you use it make sure you pair it with another crystal such as amethyst. Rose quartz is very healing but is softer and works better on people than in spaces.

Maintaining your healthy home

Through developing sensitivity for energies and making conscious choices you can maintain a vibrationally healthy home. There are many tools at your disposal, a bit of fun research into what feels right for you and your family is all you need to create and maintain an energetically balanced space.

Here are a few places to start:

To learn to recognize energy, discern the flow of energy and raise energy you might enjoy Carolyn Myss (http://www.myss.com/). I recommend beginning with her DVD on The Energetics of Healing.

To learn about the various intuitive gifts and how to nurture them I recommend Caron Goode’s book Raising Intuitive Children (http://intuitiveparenting.wordpress.com/). You don’t need to have children to enjoy this book; think of it as raising your intuitive inner child.

Caron’s other book, Kids Who See Ghosts, is a nationwide bestseller. This one is a guide for parents wondering if their ghost-sensing children are normal and how to deal with them in a knowledgeable and compassionate way.

That concludes my series of posts on ghosts, hauntings, and reclaiming your space. You may agree with me or disagree, either way is fine. I invite you to leave a comment or share your experience—there is still time to enter the random drawing.

 Happy Halloween, Merry Samhain and Blessed All Souls Day!