Comment from BeasPeas

Excellent

This is very original, cute and funny. You are 100% right. A woman would not win in the battle of human vs cockroach. I don't know how you did in the contest, but looks like a winner to me. Marilyn

 Comment Written 16-May-2018

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reply by the author on 20-May-2018

Thanks for your review and comments, Marilyn. Funny you should ask how the poem did. I don't think it got its due.

I'd like to hear your comments. Forgive me for unburdening myself in telling you my bitter story. My piece got four votes, and the winner got fourteen with this entry, coincidentally, also about cockroaches, entitled "Not Giving Up...Yet":

"A cockroach can survive
thirty-minutes underwater!

So can I--
with a straw."

The cartoon illustration showed a person just below water, breathing through a straw.
The entry was by a popular Fanstorian, and received at least one sixer.

One of the winner's insightful voters left the following compliment in the space for comments, "This had many layers for such a short piece. Excellent."

This kind of thing happens regularly, and I suspect hanky-panky. I know you're not surprised by it, because you have mentioned FS shenanigans in the past.

Thanks for lending an ear, Marilyn.

Don

reply by BeasPeas on 20-May-2018

The beginning lines you mention in the other poem are taken directly from the TV commercial of a pest company. The last lines are added. These things reinforce my belief that we have to write for ourselves and take the site for what it is, a place to express ourselves. I don't enter many contests and never expect to win. If I do, that's "gravy." It's not worth the points to enter them and promote them. If a writer doesn't promote his/her work, I usually skip over it. Why? Because promoting work shows the writer cares enough about his/her work to have "skin in the game." In writer-sponsored contests, the entrants can promote their work, but nobody sees it until the contest is over. Then the writer has to promote it again for others to read it. Not worth it.

Site contests I sometimes do enter because the writer gets exposure right away for others to read, but we all must do what we're comfortable with. Just my viewpoint, Don.

Comment from Mary Hollingsworth

Exceptional

Whee, Yukky Yukky Cock roaches are so disgusting. And to see one being held by some one makes my skin crawl. The poem is a good description and follows the qualification for the contest but I just detest, hate cannot tolerate those nasty bugs. Best wishes to you in this contest.

 Comment Written 13-May-2018

Comment from Katya

Excellent

Oh my gosh, another poem about a cockroach! Is that two in the same contest??? Anyway, this is a fun little read. I'm not sure it's true, though. No so easy for man. Not so hard fr woman.

 Comment Written 13-May-2018

Comment from Ava Wilson

Excellent

Ha ha ha! I really liked this and have to agree.......women never win when cockroaches are concerned. I can't stand creepy, crawly things. Great job on this.

 Comment Written 13-May-2018