Quick 'n dirty votes with brief reviews this time: [hider=Stars ––] A sweet poem about the stars with good flow and imagery (in particular[i][code]evening veil[/code][/i]rings quite nicely). The rhyming scheme is on the straightforward side which isn't a detriment in this case because of the short length. I could imagine it in a children's book of rhymes, but, like, the good kind. I also appreciate the attention to visual aesthetic by structuring it as a star-shape, which is quite a clever idea; however, I have to admit, my dumbass half-asleep brain thought it was an Illuminati triangle.[/hider] [hider=Hood of Shadow ––] Abstaining from reviewing this one because I don't really know what's going on here.[/hider] [hider=Interstellar ––] This poem displays good vocabulary and has occasional moments of clear, vivid imagery – notably [i][code]sentries blinking[/code][/i] – and it manages to stick to a rhyme scheme all the way through, which is no small feat. However, rhyme is only one small part of poetry (and heck, a whole lot of poetry doesn't rhyme!) and I can't help but feel that this ABAB/CDCD/etc. monotone holds it back and obscures the meaning and cadence of the piece. Some pairings feel like they rely too much on a rhyming dictionary pressed into service, such as [i][code]star/repertoire[/code][/i] and [i][code]memories/serenity[/code][/i]. This not only results in lines that are difficult to parse, such as the alliterative but confusing [i][code]none remain reaps the repertoire[/code][/i] but also seems to be causing some clunky grammatical structures (or at least emphasizes what is already there). Those that stuck out to me were[i][code]trust in them who are gone[/code][/i]('them' feels like it should be 'they' or 'those'?) and[i][code]Night must come to follow every day[/code][/i]which just... doesn't have a good mouthfeel. I'm no expert in poetry but for me, reading this poem out loud is very difficult because of the lack of engagement with metre.[/hider] [hider=The Stars ––] A good piece that takes the prompt at face value. I think the paragraph describing them as 'wardens' has some of the nicest imagery, although I hesitate to call it 'nice' if only because it verges on the depressing. Humans suck, I guess! One thing that stands out upon a reread are some tense inconsistencies. Between the opening few sentences and the rest of the paragraph. I don't think this necessarily a flaw in such a short piece – in fact, switching tenses from past to present could be used for greater dramatic effect – but in this case with such an introspective work, the navel-gazing may come across better in present tense, which a lot of the rest of the piece already seems to be in? Eg. "The grass [b]is[/b] cool under my skin while gazing up into what could very well be perceived as the heavens. Symbols and pictographs [b]dance[/b] amongst the sky, changing, evolving into something so much more wonderful than our minds could ever comprehend."[/hider] [hider=Written in the Stars ––] This is by far my favourite piece out of the entries. It is technically sound, with tight prose fitting together in a compelling narrative which is careful to avoid waffling. I found myself returning to this piece again because it fits in with the theme of stars but does not resort to simply running through superficial connotations, instead using them as a symbol for legacy and memory. The subtle, indirect comparisons between one star in the sky to one grain of sand on a beach to one man in an army about to go to war is very compelling because of its thoughtful craftsmanship. If I have one "complaint" with this piece it's that the last paragraph is maybe a bit... smushed together. A paragraph break between the conqueror's thoughts and the 'decades later' would smooth over a bump where the characters blended together after the second one is introduced, though that too could be interesting if intentional, so this is just personal preference/nitpicking. This is some tasty professional writing.[/hider] My vote goes to [u]Written in the Stars[/u].