Rejection Isn’t All That Bad

The results for the 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge are in and I can honestly say the best poets were selected. The winner wrote some great poems all month long as did the four runners-up. In fact, two of the top five were among my favorite throughout the challenge. I am so happy to see them get the recognition they deserve!

My name was not among the winners list, but I’m still really proud of what I accomplished. Not only did I complete the challenge, but I discovered a true passion for the haiku form. For me, finding this passion is better than winning a competition.

Despite ending up in the slush pile, I am proudly adding this experience to my rejection file. While it’s instinctive to wallow (rejection is not exactly a pleasant feeling), the ninja writer in me is just motivated to push even harder and try again. In this case, my word of the year – persistence – is definitely flexing it’s muscle!

To celebrate both my newfound passion and another rejection, I’ll be constructing a chapbook for the haiku collection I created for the challenge. My muse and I are busing working on design and layout elements, so stay tuned!

The haikus continue to flow, along with senryu (haiku-ish poems dealing with human nature). The Wednesday Poetry Prompt on Poetic Asides keeps me inspired and my journal full. To close things out, here’s my most recent attempt at senryu:

scuffed with age
her wedding band sits beside
a cold cup of tea

 

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c.b.w. 2015