Wordsmithing: Poetry

Introduction

This was a contest during the third and final week of the Forum Triad Olympiad in 2020.

The challenge was to write a poem about a Wheel of Time character.

Entries

1

There once lived a woman in Mardecin
Who did the most elegant dressin'
She was mean through and through
Right down to her left shoe
And she made the most terrible medicine

2

Cadsuane Sedai,
Embodiment of the green,
Fierce wise and direct.

3

Verin, the mysterious Brown Ajah sister
Is a sister not to malign;
Black is the soul who with her would not align.
Ajah drama means nothing to her
But she hears all, even a whisper.
She's always writing, a thought or a line,
A note or a secret, she works to combine;
Double the knowledge, and revelations occur.

Agent for goodness, for growth and for change
And when we need her, she comes to our aid,
Fights like the best, though old she's portrayed.
For the benefit of an unknown farmhand,
The work of her life was schemes to arrange:
Light being victorious, and triumph to Rand.

Now read the first word of every line.

4

Wheel
They say life is like a woven pattern
I was told this once
By someone who wished to influence mine
You see, my weave, influences others

I will tell you
If life is a pattern
Woven on a wheel
That wheel has been warped by time
And the weaver is drunk

A simple farmer was I
And this is where fate took its first nip
Into a journey of monsters and evil
Was I thrust, told it was my fate
That nip better have been good stuff
For fate continued to drink

Across the land I was thrust
From kingdom to kingdom
One kind of ruler to the next
From one prophecy to the next
I think maybe fate went to last call that night

Into the liquor cabinet fate dove
As I was thrust into power and madness
Fate even threw in some old material
Which gave me a crazy voice in my head
What a knotted mess this pattern must look

Bye the time I was free
That wheel must surely need repair
And the bar restocked
This pattern is a mess
Here’s another glass
Time to try again?

5

Ode to Bela

Mane flying in the wind
Heart as strong as cuendillar
Bela flies across the plains
There is none else like her

Sturdy and strong
Reliable as bedrock beneath your feet
Bela shows you the way
Even in the darkest night

Stalwart and true
Missed more than she knows
Bela joins the Dream
And roams the plains, free

6

Witty and quick was her tongue,
strong and stern was her will.
She got what she wanted
tied up in pink bows.

7

noble-born and life-hardened
his "battle armor" can be pardoned
the Golden Crane chases the Shadow across the land

unyielding stance marks the True Blade
blue eyes pierce through, so little betrayed
nothing will stop the warrior from pursuing the damned

deep within lies the heart of the man
strong and true, see it if you can
beats out of sync until it finds its match; she who will take his hand

swordsman, mentor, lover and king
all by the side of the Shawl and the Ring
holds strong through the Last Battle, to the end he stands

8

Graendel, oh Graendal you horrible Darkfriend
Why must you be so greedy girlfriend?
You're always half naked with your boobs hanging out
Trying to seduce everyone with a sexy pout
You're selfish and evil and also quite mean
I'm glad Rand balefired you... your actions and attitude are quite obscene
Just please go away... no one wants you around
We'd all love to see you six feet underground
This ode to you is full of invective and hate
For your actions in this Age.. this is your fate

9

Mat with his hat
The reluctant aristocrat
Curiosity didn't kill the cat
But all maidens he loved to wink at.

10

Forgetful Gaidin

Warder with out a sword
Bad Call
Dead Warder
Sad
Next Please

11

In colours all he plays his flute,
and wanders through lands with harp and lute.
He carries a blade, or two, or three,
be sure your intent, or plant food you'll be.

Winners

• 1st Place: Brown, Brown, Bruce (Adolla Ceryia, Bruce al'Kay, Eluial Aldaran) (option 3)
• 2nd Place: Three Amegos (Mejjad Martnandi, Melisande Arneil, Mendo Cath) (option 5)
• 3rd Place: Triad of Awesome (Azlan Marenellin, Eliza al'Shaw, Polegnyn Nemeara) (option 11)