Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

You have until May the 9th to post a poem, and May 10-12 we’ll vote for which one we thought was best.

Please post directly into the topic and not a link. Please don’t use a poem previously used in this group.

Your poem can be any length.

This week’s topic is: Robot Overlord


The rules are pretty loose. You could write a poem about anything that has to do with the subject but it must relate to the topic somehow.

Have fun!

Thanks to Edward for suggesting the topic!

Nice one, Kat!

Must be the other Edward :D - this one might be tricky!

ROBOT OVERLORD (from Julie.)

"It wasn't my idea."
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)
Lady Vader's brief encounter,
Overlord at the Post Office counter...
Vader didn't know what to say..
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)
Lady Vader turned and walked away,
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)
Vader sighed,
"It was only a game to him."
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)
"What went on in my head?
It wasn't my idea,
Why didn't say, Hello robot dear."?
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)
"May the force be with you, Overlord."
"Nanoo, Nanoo!!"
(Good morning, beautiful robot friend.)

Okay, I managed one.

Title : When Robots Take Over
Author : Edward Davies

When robots began to be built
By doctors with degrees
You’d not hide underneath a quilt
And quiver at the knees

Originally they were made
To make our lives stress-free
But now we cower, we’re afraid,
For our lives we do plea

The robots helped us operate
On those both sick and dying
The inventors said mechs were great
But they must have been lying

The robots that were once so good
Have quickly turned to sin
They mince their victims up like food
(Once they’ve removed the skin)

The mince is made into a meal
Which we in turn consume
It tastes a little bit like veal
And spells out mankind’s doom

The robots round us up in camps
Where we are forced to toil
Our necks tattooed with burning stamps
The scars blister and boil

The robots just won’t let us be
From richest man to beggar
It feels like we’re in a movie
With Arnold Schwarzenegger!

But one day humans overcome
And wipe out all the mechs
The androids quickly do succumb
Now they’re just tin objects

There is no more technology
We work with stone and flint
Bots sink into mythology
Their plans are out of print

Without tech we should be okay
Mankind will always thrive
Tomorrow is another day -
That’s when the bugs arrive…

Edward wrote: "Okay, I managed one.

Title : When Robots Take Over
Author : Edward Davies

When robots began to be built
By doctors with degrees
You’d not hide underneath a quilt
And quiver at the knees

Original..."

Clever and humorous, I love it! The perfect poem for this topic.

Marie wrote: "Clever and humorous, I love it! The perfect poem for this topic."

Thanks Marie - I think I read too much Roald Dahl as a child. :D

Standing alone
at circle high
Looking afar
with lifeless eye
Frightened faces
Trembling forms
A rolling tear
A heavy sigh

weeping kindness at the feet
sobbing ancient suffering souls
remain untaught
poor overlord

Crowd suffers but can not show
Warmth to such monster unknown
Effected humanity can not throw
Cruelty of one by hundredth vow
What can conquer a hardened robot

Beating touch, a fearless bow
Can pierce iron overlord
Giving life to lifeless being
Soothing, monster thus indeed...

I am going to have to bow out of the story/poetry challenge this week. I have received a juror summons and have to go to the courthouse as a potential jury member for a criminal trial. I am not looking forward to it. Hopefully I will be able to participate in the next one.

Robot Love

By: Connie D.

Somewhere he has a syllabus,
or list of instructions about us,
that causes him to make a fuss.

It’s a training manual I can’t read,
still he’ll use it to make me bleed,
in an effort to help me succeed.

Though at times I learn to slow,
the job's already mine I know,
because he’ll never let me go.

I keep crossing lines I can’t see,
despite all he’s done to punish me,
and let me know his love’s not free.

Sometimes when I let out a squeal
his smile makes everything unreal,
is it because he cannot feel?

His code seems so black and white,
and though I’m really not too bright,
I began to wonder late last night.

What if the man I once adored,
a gallant knight with shining sword,
is just a crazy robotic overlord?

Al wrote: "The Robotic Overlord
by Al

Emotions--
far extremes--
looking off into a distance
inside your mirror--
barely communicate
but only with a metallic voice
when you raise your fist
to pound "sense" in..."

Al, I love the simplicity of this. Interesting enough I had the same line of thinking although I hadn't read yours yet.

Melissa wrote: "I am going to have to bow out of the story/poetry challenge this week. I have received a juror summons and have to go to the courthouse as a potential jury member for a criminal trial. I am not loo..."

I've been called several times, but I always get dismissed. It usually goes something like this:

Prosecutor: "Ms.Dole, this case is about breaking & entering. Have you ever been robbed Ms. Dole?"

Me: Yes.

Prosecutor: Could you tell us about that Ms. Dole?

Me: Which time?

Defense Attorney: Your Honor, the defense would like to dismiss Ms. Dole.

Connie wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I am going to have to bow out of the story/poetry challenge this week. I have received a juror summons and have to go to the courthouse as a potential jury member for a criminal tri..."

That could be a story in itself. :D

Hooray - No jury duty for me! I'm not sure if I will have time to read poems or submit one this week but I will try.

Edward - Hmm...might be a good topic! And Connie, that is so funny!

My very first experience with jury service, I was selected to be on a criminal drug trial that lasted for three weeks. Boring, long and drawn out and I hated it. My second experience was a civil case about one teenage boy hitting another in the nose. That lasted two days. I wanted to say, just give that kid a spanking and let's all go home, but of course I couldn't. Oh well! Haha!

Found time to write something! Here is my poetry submission for the topic: Robot Overlord. Feedback is ALWAYS welcome!

Chain, Chain, Chain! by: Melissa Andres

We work like robots
Chained to our desks
When the boss fails
We clean up his mess.

Type that memo
Answer that phone
Do it right now!
With nary a groan.

It's finally Friday
The weekend is here
The five o'clock hour
Is drawing near.

Watch out now!
Here comes the man!
Do what he says
Or you'll be canned!

One of these days
We'll all rise above
Give Boss Man the boot
And find something we love.