Prompt:

Puente

Created by James Rasmusson, puente means ‘bridge’ in Spanish. Like the word itself, this form uses a line/phrase to bridge stanzas. The bridge serves as the ending for the first stanza the beginning for the next stanza. The stanzas, although separated by a bridge, convey a related but different element or feeling, as though they were two adjacent territories. The number of lines of this form is the writers’ choice as is the choice of whether to write it in free verse or rhyme.

The bridge serves as the centre line (or 2nd stanza) and is delineated by a tilde (~)

Sample poem by Jan Turner:

Secrets in the Attic

The attic smelled of heat and stale perfume
as she ascended to the rustic room
that held old relics, chests and books from where
the centuries of dust collected there.
An antique desk was beckoning to her,
and in a hidden place where papers were

~she came upon a letter quite perchance~

and so began this eerie happenstance.
For what she read would put her in a trance
that kept her still for most the afternoon:
her great-great-grandfather in a platoon
of secret service had unmasked a coup
that only France could, through his team, undo

• Write a three-stanza Puente; each stanza consists of six lines.
• Send in your entries,  as an attachment in a word document (.doc/.docx, any other file will not be published), to penmagica@gmail.com along with a 2-3 line bio (not required if previously sent).
• The subject of your mail should be Entry for #PenMuse-57 (compulsory).
• Along with your entry please send a suggested cover for your poem. (please send it as a separate attachment. Make sure it is a stock photo, no watermarks, and of high resolution –800 pixels and above). The elves at Penmancy are mighty pleased if a poem is accompanied by a cover.
• Check your syllable count here.

Rules:

1. The submitted poem must have a title (Keep it simple with no punctuation marks; all words more than 3 letters must be capitalised)
2. There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit –though only the first submitted poem will be qualified for contention.
3. Previously published or plagiarised works will not be considered for contention.
4. Poems found to have been shared on another platform or blog before the declaration of results stand disqualified from the event, and the writer of such content stands to be disqualified for the next Penmancy event.
5. In case a poem is received after the submission deadline, it shall be considered as a guest entry and shall not qualify for the event.
6. Entries that don’t follow rules will be published and shared on the page and group but are disqualified for winning.

Winning criteria:

• The winner will be chosen on the basis of the judges’ scores (out of 10)
  • creativity/content and originality, [12 points]
  • coherence of form and structure (harmony of words, presentation), [12 points]
  • clarity of imagery and language/grammar, [10 points]
  • emotional impact, [10 points]
  • topic/relevance to the theme, [6 points]
• The entries adjudged by a panel of judges and event organisers shall be binding. Judges’ scores to be deemed final and may not be contested. Final scores are not disclosed to the participants.
• The entries adjudged through this process shall be binding. No scores will be shared with the participants.
• All writers are required to read and comment on 5 stories other than their own and encourage their fellow writers with valuable and constructive inputs. Comments like “nice”, “good work”, “brilliant piece”, etc. do not provide the necessary critique and are not helpful for anyone.

•  Timelines-
  • The last date of submission is November 20, 2023 
  • Winners shall be announced on November 27, 2023

The announcement of winners may be postponed or preponed depending on the number of entries received.

The winners of the event shall receive one of the books ‘The Efflorescence’ by Aanchal Arora.

This book was extended for #PenmancyBookNook Author Spotlight program.