Winner, Winner, Fan-Base Victor

(Please, just read it through before you judge me or what I'm saying here.)

the clock struck midnight and all through the site

every creature was stirring somewhere out of sight

their written-works were submitted with care

in hopes there'd be recognition found there

all of them, each devouring what they'd said

as visions of winning dance in their head

each of them worthy, and I with a gasp

realize it's not to be judged like the past

it's the bookmarks and shares that matter

shoving me into a bad fit of sad laughter

away with this, we'd done at last

I thought when our judges were cast

so that even if one's fan-base were low

they'd still have a chance, on their work alone

looking back on it all now, it seems quite clear

picking the winner from the top is much easier

they'd read them all, but a few is quick

so it makes me wonder, should I give a shit?

don't get it twisted and make me ashamed

there is more to my logic than someone else's fame:

consider each writer's motive to bookmark them

someone else's poem, reducing their own chance to win

or if they didn't enter themselves, as they don't all

do they read each one and pick, or pick the best first-draw?

what are the bookmark-shares measuring in Prose.'s eye?

the merit and quality of writing, or a popularity pie?

who's work had the most exposure throughout review

by posting it early or having a robust fan-base to boot?

the best piece of the challenge by measurable vote?

I thought we stopped this when we left tumblr to Prose.

I want a Prose. Win to be about the writing we found

which spoke to us- creative, original, and grammatically sound

the one which stood out like a bird flying out of a book

which had each in the Panel drawn to the end by the hook

consensus based on reading them all front to back

agreeing on the one, that in most, was written to last

which, for the writers is an ultimately freeing concept

so they can bookmark, share, and freely comment

knowing their input has no basis in the final judgement

reading as much or as little as they want to in a moment

so the Prose. challenge becomes about what everyone is writing

and not who visibly has the best chance of winning

and yes, I'm assuming the worst of humanity

but it's only because of my experience with these things

I trust a Panel of Judges to read them all

but not when it's the public clicking a vote

I wrote this poem to express my anxiety

a poet, painter, and teacher on New Years Eve

hoping for a better, and more creative 2016.

-M.E.

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