Inverse Challenge Winners
An inside look into the Vocal Curation Team's favorite poems from the Inverse Challenge
Misplaced keys, biodegradable pots, rainbow jellycats… such “ordinary” objects, images, you might say — but they are what make Teresa Renton’s Lost Things Wait for You to Find Them but Sometimes They Don't inverse poem stand out as our winner. We are drawn into the particular world of this poem by specific visions like that. In this latest challenge, we asked you for a poem that could be read from the top or the bottom, and which takes on a different meaning depending which way you read. Teresa’s poem made me think a little bit of Elizabeth Bishop’s famous villanelle, One Art, in its conflicted engagement with loss and abandonment. A terrific achievement.
Gabriel Huizenga’s The Man Born Blind comes in second place, for its thoughtfulness, its willingness to reflect on a challenging experience in poetic language. It’s a brief poem, its language very plain and simple, but the inverse form reflects the moral choice, action or lack of action, that the poet elucidates. A difficult subject, handled with empathy.
We also enjoyed M Lee’s You, and meditation on how we find our worth; the rise and fall of Oleg in the Arctic’s it’s always half past somewhere; and the fleeting search for calm in The In Between by A Lady with a Pen. As ever we loved how you rose to this challenge, exploring what it means — and how important it can be — to look at things first one way, and then another…
You can check out the full list of winners HERE and learn about our current challenges below:
About the Creator
Vocal Curation Team
Collaborative, conscious, and committed to content. We're rounding up the best that the Vocal network has to offer.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (19)
Seemed to be a lovely challenge. Congrats.
Congratulations all! Well done!
Congratulations, everyone!
Very innovative thoughts.
Congratulations everyone!!🥳🥳🥳
Congrats!
Thank you so much, Vocal! I feel so surprised and honored to have placed. ❤️ Congratulations to everyone!
Thank you so much, everyone!! It means the world to me! And congrats to everyone else who placed!
Congratulations, everyone!! Well done all around! So humbled to be among those recognized, and grateful to be a part of this whole beautiful, creative community <3
Grateful to be chosen as a runner up! This was quite the tricky challenge and there were so many amazing poems that came out of it!
Congratulations winners! This was a challenge I couldn't quite wrap my head around. I am so impressed that you were all able to do so beautifully.
congratulations
Oh wow didn't expect this!! That's awesome, thank you. #oleg hehe
Congrats to the winners! Well done!
Congratulations to the winners !🎉
Congratulations!!
Congratulations everyone!! <3
Congratulations, everyone!!! These are fantastic and inspiring choices. 💗💗💗
Congratulations to everyone for sharing your wonderful poems and creativity with everyone else =).