[Andre West]

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream… Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. http://www.dreamquestone.com

Guidelines:
Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or form, typed or neatly hand printed.
And/or write a short story, five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed or neatly hand printed.
Multiple poetry and short story entries are accepted.
Postmark deadline: July 31, 2010
All contest winners will be announced on August 31, 2010
Prizes:
Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100.
Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.
Entry fees:
Writing Contest entry fee: $10 per short story
Poetry Contest entry fee: $5 per poem
To send entries: Include title(s) with your story (ies) or poem(s), along with your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Fees payable to: "DREAMQUESTONE.COM"

Mail to:
Dream Quest One
Poetry & Writing Contest
P.O. Box 3141
Chicago, IL 60654
Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for further details, to print out an entry form or to enter online.

No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude. “And remember in whatever you do, it’s okay to dream, for dreams do come true.” –Dream Quest One

[Maryann Corbett]

Before acting on this ad, members may want to be aware of discussion of the contest that took place on the Sphere in earlier years. For your convenience, here's a link to that discussion.

[Quincy Lehr]

And taken straight from the web site:

The Poetry Contest First Prize Winner is:
TODD A. ELLIOTT of Valparaiso, Indiana


"NEEDING TO SEE"



Gut-wrenched and torn I stand, my eyes pierced by this wretched reflection of a well-respected man. Their judgment tainted and twisted by the all-knowing norm, as I’m crowned a success for what I have, not who I am. I’m thick with life, swollen with pride, passion-struck, with all true my feelings set aside, rolled away and tucked up!

So many times my reckless river of hope was beaten, bruised and bound to the whipping post. They fed me control, rolled over my dreams, and somewhere in this garden of madness, mine is the future they envy most. Without their wicked sense of control they all scurry. As I kick their crystal ball, and jam a stick in their spokes, this whipping boy breaks their rhythm and feeds the fury!

Don’t try to break or mold my world. The newfound power of me is stronger than any marching army of nations with heads held high, flags unfurled. I’ll show them a clearer side of life their knowledge hasn’t allowed them to see. I’ll crawl from my straight jacket and show them an illustrious creature, never thought to roam or be. I’ll show them a person stained by society, living, when daring to be themselves and choosing to be free. Maybe a complete rendition, will allow them to hear the blind man when he says,

“who we can be, is all we need to see.”

If, and only if, my love-lined blood was wearing a frown, could I be so weak to get pummeled, tattered and thrown around. World be ready, for the wounded smile it wears emits an aggressive fog, leading my soldiers from the mountains to the ground. There’s a place earmarked for earth’s most radiant fountain. The place my soldiers and I will stand, as lightening reigns, on top this love-struck mountain!

Deep beneath our armor lies a restless, rushing flow. Reach down and loosen the gate for there are forests, rivers and skies to let go. Does being together in this world really mean being apart? Can we ever fill ourselves with enough mutual passion, to prevent an end, leading to another start? Can we ever see past our egos and reach for a time when we’re a passionate band of sisters and brothers? Will the height of our raging emotions always over shadow the width and depth of footprints in our lives, left by others? With a darkening sky, I fear these hardened footprints will disappear in the wind-blown sand. Let’s blind ourselves with optimism and remember the future, when all we needed to see, was who we can.

# # #

"Thank you for this opportunity to share my creative writing.
As I give myself to my dream, I hope to connect with the open
minds of many others along the way."

~Todd A. Elliott

______________________________________

The Poetry Contest Second Prize Winner is...
PAMELA ODUNAIYA of Sunbury on Thames, England



“Senorita where your dreams right now I ask myself”

I shook my head as I remembered in my patterned mushroomed helmet as I drove off

Of the special half – squared baked loafy ideas that had died from several bullets

I dreamt when I was just seven of being a ballerina in fiery stars in a sequined world

But all I had was a postcard decorated in marbled gold and love tokens hidden in my stockings

I dreamt when I was a strong-minded twenty of being a billionaire and superstar

But all I had was stars in my twinkling eye just swallowing the heartache of failure

I dreamt when I was thirty of being a super mum in a continuous holiday mood

But all I had was a dream squashed as my children went into social nominal care

I dreamt when I was forty of recovering my youth and spitting out the dirty wrinkly ideas

But all I had was a dream re knitted in the warmest glow of sparkling love and tender care

So when I was fifty I decided to dream of reaching out to others and fulfilling their delicious dreams

I remembered no toxic smell to draw me into a false sense of the past or vivid nightmare paintings

I remembered inspirational paintings and romantic smells that ushered me into a golden future

Such as the gorgeous sunflowers of Van Gough and the rosy smell of the queen of the night

And now I am sixty one I dream of living in a magical island far away from the disturbing crowd

I dream of peace radiating into our inner beings and then like an automated billing machine

Bringing world love and energy in pendulum swings of political imbalance in the universe

How I dream that war on religion will disappear like a mirage does on a hot summer day

How I dream that the war on poverty will be erased from the politics of tomorrow
And so I dream one day not to live forever but for my matured dreams to come to live a life


# # #

a poem written by Pamela Odunaiya

_____________________________________________

The Poetry Contest Third Prize Winner is...

CLAIRE TRAINOR of Denver, Colorado



“CAMERA”


Put the camera down; give it its well-earned break,

And let your memory do its job.

Stop watching the world through that 2-inch LCD screen

You brag so much about

And let your eyes see the vivid colors the world holds.

The bright blues, and dark greens,

The gentle pinks and purples and oranges

Of the setting sun that last ever so slightly

Before fading into nothingness.

Let them watch the way a breeze can ever so slightly move a tree,

See the emotion that faces really hold,

Not those phony smiles they plaster on for the flash

Before the faces fade back to the

Heartache, love, hatred, joy, disappointment, and happiness they usually hold.

Skip freely,

Run as fast as you can,

Hold on tight,

Otherwise you’re left in the dust,

Splash in the ocean waves

And feel the salt bathe your skin

Without the worries of dropping your beloved camera,

Because I bet all it wants,

With its 2-inch LCD screen capturing every moment

Is to break and have its job be done,

So it can do you a favor and let you see the world

As it’s supposed to be seen,

Remembering what you remember, forgetting what you forget

And watching those colors of the sunset fade into nothingness

Knowing that your memory captured it all.

The last poem, to be fair, was written by a fourteen-year-old girl. But it looks as if the stream of poetry.com-style drivel at the top of the list continues. And the name continues to be a stupid one. "Dream Quest One." Sounds like a %^*&ing kid's movie.

[Michael Cantor]

Maryann, your link doesn't seem to work. (I think it's a Mods-only.) Here's another.

http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/showth...ht=Dream+Quest

This is at best, puerile, at worst a money-making scheme that takes advantage of young and inexperienced poets - and my personal suspicion is both.

Andre West is not an Eratosphere participant. The only time this guy appears is when he announces one of his money-making bad poetry contests. Why dignify it by letting him post? I urge the Mods to delete the post and refrain from letting him post in the future.

Added in: Google this stupid thing - it's posted on every sandbox site imaginable - more non-duplicated hits than the Nemerov. Then look at the poetry prizes - they total a big $425. Break-even is 85 poems. We did that on the last bake-off! This is purely and simply a business - Andre might just as well be logging on and peddling pizzas or Genuine Amish Stoves for all the good it will do poetry. Or the Sphere. Get rid of it!

[Quincy Lehr]

What Michael said. Indeed, he and I have posted the same things we did last time in the same order.

Bounce the scam-artist!

[Maryann Corbett]

Michael, Quincy, I dunno why my link doesn't work, but you've done what I aimed at anyway.

Bouncing the ad just leaves people ignorant about the contest's nature. They might still see the ad in other places and not know what's up. Leaving it up with these debunking messages informs them what we really think of it. A reminder after a few years doesn't seem amiss.

But perhaps you're right about Andre's posting privileges.....