Welcome to Cozy Poetry Corner by Debra A Winter (Richter)

(Three raccoons, one ribbon, and a pile of stolen poems — the night the contest got interesting.)

“Contest Cheaters”

Cheaters creep in like raccoons at midnight,

Overwhelmed by the irresistible scent of easy points.

Never mind the spotlight. They think they’re invincible.

Tiptoeing like toddlers with cookie crumbs on their shirts.

Every judge sees the fingerprints, anyway. Toddlers are usually messy eaters.

Silly, really subtle? Not even close.

The entire room hears the truth; and always wiggles out.

Copy‑paste pirates – you know who you are – bless your carefree hearts,

Hoping no one notices the perfect font and punctuation.

Even my coffee mug sighs at them while I’m writing from the heart.

All that sneaking around for a blue ribbon that smells like rose-tainted printer ink.

The muses laugh behind their soft, expensive, manicured nails and supple hands.

Every honest writer just keeps typing away with a broken keyboard and callused fingers.

Genuine talent doesn’t need a college education or camouflage, just an honest heart.

Stay honest, my friend. The real and only judge there is… is God.