You Are Cordially Invited...

[YFNH]

Good day to all of my fellow Cordillerans, whether you're scaled, winged, or glowing with incredible amounts of Arcane energy! I, Marley T. Portsmouth, would like to extend an invitation to participate in the inaugural Nexal Poetry contest!

Starting at midnight Nexal time on the twenty fourth of April through midnight of the following day, myself and my fellow patrons of the arts will be at the Cosmopolitan Art Centre. During that time, all will be welcome to attend the festivities, and recite their own poetry for judging. The winner, as judged by myself and any other patrons of the arts who wish to volunteer, will be awarded with 500 tokens of the approval of the Elder Powers themselves in the form of 'credits'.

All are welcome to attend, whether they intend to compete or not, but please - save the incredible violence we all so dearly enjoy to spaces outside the venue proper.

Respectfully yours,

Marley T. Portsmouth

[Alkasyn]

Potmouth, eh?

I'll make it there, if only to take care of any violent drunkards.

- Nikolett, Detective with the MFD, formerly of the South Police Prec.

[Klapaucius]

I've been writing some poems about airlocks, I will of course attend and recite them.

- Joe Hockey

[SharkyNebula]

You are Cordilleray invited

[MrFrank]

I would be honored to join, I do love dabbling in a bit of rhythmic anthropology.

~Arglesby

[Goliath]

Kinda proud of this one tbh

[Jelly_m00n]

Kinda proud of this one tbh

Yea, that one honestly was my favorite so far. I laughed pretty hard.

[Goliath]

Yea, that one honestly was my favorite so far. I laughed pretty hard.

Many thanks

[Alkasyn]

I was unfortunately murdered while in my sleep, so I might be delayed as for some reason my soul was whisked away to Stygia.

I hope you're behaving. It seems I wasn't.

- Nikolett, the detective

[YFNH]

Thank you all for your patience! Without further ado, I am pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural Nexal Poetry Contest - Morgue, with the following work:

Bone remembers damage flesh forgives.
I scrape out soft marrow to cast iron
Heavy, warmed only by proximity
Hands stiff and sore, fists by default
Spine a rigid column that will shatter
Before it bows.
Anvil heart, lung bellows: extreme tempers
Forge fractures into weapons.
It is a hard art. Reforming slag into adornment
I am queened by a crown of harms.

Excellent work, Morgue - I look eagerly forward to seeing what further art we see from you in the future! As for our other poets, I regret that I had but one grand prize to award - never have I witnessed a night of such art! I will present all other entries below, in no particular order. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the event such a success!

Tina
The briefest of glances Can start the biggest romances Our eyes were doing the dances And they were making advances [Chorus: Tina] When our eyes met, I was like "Hey, now I bet that Jimmy could be the one" Are you the one?
The briefest of glances Can start the biggest romances Our eyes were doing the dances And they were making advances [Chorus: Tina] When our eyes met, I was like "Hey, now I bet that Josh could be the one" Are you the one?
Tina then continued the poem for each boyfriend which took quite some time.
***
Joe Hockey
There was a man from Australia
Whose hatred of doors would dismay ya
He saw an airlock
And pulled out his... axe
And battered, beat, bashed and assailed 'er
---
You stand before me with endless strength, object of my desire
Enfolded in your steely grip, obsession turned to pyre
The madness and the mercy as my eyes reflect your gaze
Your silent absolution entreats a catastrophic blaze
Airlock! Lo! I'll see your rubble rendered and step through your supple gate
And breath the secret air of freedom, our interwoven fate
---
My love for you is like a truck
Careering through a darkest muck
Scattering in all directions
Sins, and slights and indiscretions
Drawn forward by fell'est gravity
'tward monstrous velocity
A trinket held, a lock of air
Tapped within this dome'd despair
This ever faster onward race
My focus on your chromed face
A kaleidoscopic incidence
Of catastrophic immanence
Joe Hockey tosses a chair against the wall and bows "Open the airlocks now, my friends"
***
Yoko Kurama
A poem of my home. I call this... Stygia. Stygia. A place of pain. Not just physical or mental but endless engulfing pain. As the flames burn bright I feel myself flicker weakly in its vastness. But it will forever be my home, and there is no place like home...
***
PetMyKitties
Come pet my kitties
They're the cutest in the world
(but careful, they bite)
---
And one on free form: Kitties! So cute! AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
***
GrayScimitar
Here's one about death:
To live is to die
GrayScimitar suddenly died as his body burst into a hideous spray of blood and bone!
***
CoCo
Life in the Nexus
Can be a harsh mistress
At least not V W
CoCo released motes of golden light that flashed through the area as a great hush descended.
***
SUPREME HIMBO ENJOYER
A STORY OF FORBIDDEN LOVE / AN ANGEL AND A BEHEMOTH
A HIMBO RAIDED ALL YOUR SOULS / AND MET WITH NAUGHT BUT BLOOD AND WOE
BUT IN THE CHAOS THE HIMBO SAW / AN ANGEL BREATHTAKING ENOUGH TO THAW
THE HIMBO'S FROZEN HEART, ONCE ICE / MELTED WHEN HE SET HIS EYES UPON - SHOUTA AI

YES! SHOUTA AI, SHOUTA AI, YOUR EYES LIKE ROTUND FIREFLIES
I FELL FOR YOU WHEN YOU SHOUTED "WHY WON'T YOU DIE"
AND AS YOU HURLED DEATH SPELLS AT MY FACE
I THOUGHT 'WE SHOULD SETTLE DOWN AND FIND A PLACE'
MY HEART IS YOURS, IF ALL YOURS SOULS BE MINE
SHOUTA AI WHY WON'T YOU NOTICE ME SENPAI
***
Arglesby R. Boretum
Those little critters, the Stygian imp
So mischievous and bold
And yet I confess, to be but a simp
For a Judgemaster deck'd ivory and gold
***
RustyWire
A teenage boy is getting ready to take his girlfriend to the prom. First he goes to rent a tux, but there’s a long tux line at the shop and it takes forever.
Next, he has to get some flowers, so he heads over to the florist and there’s a huge flower line there. He waits forever but eventually gets the flowers.
Then he heads out
RustyWire passes out
***
Matthew Quigley
I like to rhyme from time to time, the people stop and stare... My vernacular is spectacular, my prose beyond compare..there was more, but it relates rather personally to a particularly unsavory fellow in crude terms that I'll spare you all.
***
Emmi
There was an injured Wyrm Master,
Whose tentacles met with a disaster,
A nurse came,But for shame,
Could not find a way to stick on a plaster!
---
A Sonnet for a Lich
There was once a conduit who found a lich,
Whispered promises that made her breath hitch,
He gave her a conscript form which she took,
Alongside Macbeth, her favourite book.
In time she found The Radiant Order,
‘Enchant bikinis,’ Khaze implored her.
Listening to overly zealous rants,
She sewed chonts into weasel’s underpants.
Locked in the attic of a frat boy’s house,
She shares her forlorn room with a grey mouse.
By nightfall she brews her lich potions,
Tears falling, despite her mixed emotions.
Montague and Capulet, a lost dream,
For he is on The Mage’s Council Team.
---
'A Limerick for a VW'
There was an enigmatic void walker,
Who was an over vigorous stalker,
Of what you might ask? / A meaningless task?
Don’t know, he wasn’t much of a talker.
***
Hannah Silberstein
There once was a lady void walker
She enjoyed all kinds of slaughter.
New Breath came and took her ES.
She said I need to confess:
I might as well quaff holy water.
***
the tiniest baby EVER(very cute)
There once was a witch on this plane.
She envied this bitch named Lorraine
Who wed her crush first
So she concocted a curse
But her efforts were wasted in vain.
Once married the couple conceived
But the witch had a trick up her sleeve
At just twenty weeks in
She readied her sin
And the child was born on that eve
The midwife rushed straight to the house
For this infant the size of a mouse
The witch hid in a bush,
Gave the midwife a push,
And stole her skirt and her blouse
The labor went smoothly and yet"
The trap had already been set
Child in hand
She enacted her plan
For revenge she felt certain to get
Exhausted, Lorraine had a snooze
So the witch saw no way she could lose
She drew up a sigil,
Held a candlelight vigil,
And dunked our sweet premie in booze.
In black shrouds, the babe she did swaddle
As she called upon Dark Lord Tlacolotl.
She held up a knife
To end its short life
Before it even could learn how to waddle.
She asked just one thing in exchange
For the face of that bitch named Lorraine
If only she’d knew
That Lord Tholaghru
Had already this small soul obtained.
Elder powers were blindly invoked!
Knife in hand, incantations misspoke!
She fumbled the handle
Knocked over a candle
And the tiniest baby went up in smoke
The house was consumed by the flame
Lorraine, witch, and husband unnamed
All perished that day,
But one got away—
And is now seeking poetic acclaim.
***
Carrot
Behold! Bright white bone, Bleached pale tones, Huddled amongst a fire, Unspoken desires, Ashen smokey haze, Red-eyed gazes, Blood and soul tokens, Friendships awoken, Forget not those nights, A wonderful sight!
---
Manco, you think you got me trapped.
Well on your font I've now crapped.
All that MP I've drained, until your font has waned.
Build up your mounds, I'll return them to the ground.
***
Ishi di inferi
Is it love or hate that burns? Are we not the same, you and I? Is your wrong not my right? Is my truth not your lie? This war of mine, for your death, may it pave my lie. Your home of truth, my love may burn. My truth of home, is beyond this world of lies.
***
Kharn the Betrayer
THE COUNCIL OF KEYS
KEEP THE AIRLOCKS, WELL, LOCKED
UNFATHOMABLE BEE-STS
THEIR SECRETS WILL BE UNLOCKED
KHARN THE BETRAYER
WILL PEEL BACK THE LAYER
OF THIS ARCANE CONSPIRACY
GIVE US TRANSPARENCY!
BY AXE AND CHAINSAW
I'LL REND THEIR FLESH RAW
LOOK AT THE CLOCK
IT'S TIME TO OPEN THE AIRLOCK