Competition
I did something I rarely do
That’s not true
I put myself out there
Which I often do, but
Today was different
A measuring, a reckoning
I tried to be ambivalent but
It is hard to be judged
When you don’t need to
I write these words
For you and know that
I need them to
Stay grounded
Not picked up and tossed
Around by the thought of one guy
Whether win, lose or drawn
From the pile
You write for you
And nothing more is needed
But it is hard to believe it
Thoughts
I submitted some poems to a competition. I had no intention of doing so but went for it at the last minute. Sometimes it’s good to put things out there no mater what the outcome. Write for the sake of writing. It is its own reward.
But an actual reward is much better.
I thought it best to cover up after the facial hair tragedy trilogy.
© John Monaghan 2026. All Rights Reserved
