Who wants to write some changeling poetry?

The hive is quiet. The day's work is done, and all the drones are well-fed on stolen love. Near the heart of the hive, the youngest nymphs have been fed and are ready to sleep. The drone who tends them tucks them gently into their cradles of green resin. Some of them fuss and cry, and so she strokes their chitin softly and, as the hive slumbers peacefully around her, she lifts her voice and begins to sing them a lullaby...

---

What does she sing? Well, that's what this contest will discover!

I will be using the winning lullaby in an upcoming story (with credit given, of course.)

You can filk existing songs, or write an original poem, both are acceptable.

This story is set in the Honey Pie universe. All entrants should remember that although changelings might be creepy, weird, and deceptive, in this particular setting they are not evil, and would not be singing about conquest or about harming ponies. Chrysalis is an aberration, and isn't a typical changeling.

Entrants will be judged by me based on technical skill (correct grammar and spelling) setting appropriateness, and my own purely subjective enjoyment of the poem.

The contest will run for two weeks, ending on Friday, April 18th.

To submit an entry you may reply to this post with your song/poem in the comments, or you may PM me with it.

All entries will be posted in a journal here on the site, and if I get enough entries I may choose second that third place poems to honor as well.

I reserve the right to not use any of them, should I get no entries that I feel fit the story in question. I will still pick a winner and publish it on my blog though.

Comments

[QPaysTaxes]

Shame I can't write for shit.

[Peachy Moon]

I..I wish I could write poetry!

[Super Trampoline]

To-do list:
1. finish reading Honey Pie
2. Write mildly macabre changeling poem
3. ????
4. Profit!

[MetaSkipper]

Are we allowed to submit multiple songs/poems?

[SPark]

1982794 Certainly.

[Slavenger Karl]

Poetry? Not my thing.

[Spectrumancer]

Ok, lets do this *cracks knuckles*

Hush now, quiet now,
it's time to lay your sleepy shells.
Hush now, quiet now
It's time for peaceful dreams.

Drifting off to sleep,
Leave the day behind you.
Drift off to the Link,
let your brethren keep you.

Hush now, little nymphs,
let love let you grow strong and stout.
Lay down, little ones,
the queen will keep you safe.

Footnotes:
Similar to the lyrics of the popular pony lullaby Hush Now, historians will argue endlessly whose version came first, pony or changeling, and which side copied it originally.
The third line of the second verse has many scholars theorizing that dreaming changelings remain conscious within the hivemind, although this would be hard to prove or disprove without finding a changeling and asking it.

[Radoran]

Steps to success.
1. Remember all of Honey Pie (too lazy to re-read it)
2. Begin writing poem
3. Have writers block the entire time.
4. Realize your not Shakespear or Edgar Allen Poe
5. miataturbo.net/attachments/insert-bs-here-4/103776d1392947871-kitten-cat-thread-lie-down-try-not-cry-cry-lot_zps63f466ac-jpg

[Johannes Gutenpress]

While I may not be capable of writing poetry (or lullabies), I can, at the very least, point out that you misspelled changeling in the blog title.

[RC]

Sleep ing dreaming hoping true,waitn here just for you, love is nothing but our food, with them we find hate and pane, for they alwas make our dane. Now we sleep here peacefuly, dream now softly and gleefuly too.

[SPark]

1983193 Delightful! Thank you for your entry.

1983530 You saw nothing.

[MetaSkipper]

The first part of my entry. To the tune of Silent Night:

Quiet Now
Quiet now, lay down
Rest your wings, rest your pow’rs
Close your eyes and dream of love
Join your friends in under stars above
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

[The Ponytrician]

A contest? Alright, let's have a crack at thi-

...they are not evil, and would not be singing about conquest...

Ah, SPark, you take all the fun out of this~!

[SPark]

1987427 If you want to write about evil, I won't stop you. I just also won't be able to use it in my story.

[The Ponytrician]

1987447
Maybe not all the fun...

"Lullaby for a Hatchling"

Hush now, sweet hatchlings,
As you lay down to sleep
And I'll sing you a tale
Of lies and deceit.

Before the Sun's dawning
We'll go forth from the nest
And sneak into towns
To do what we do best.

A little bite to the neck
To ensure they don't wake;
With a flash of green fire
Their appearance we'll take.

We go about their business
In our perfect disguise;
Whilst stealing their love
As we tell them sweet lies.

And when the moon rises
We'll all return to the Hive
To feast on our bounty,
Grow stronger, and thrive.

So, hush now, sweet hatchlings,
As you lay down to sleep;
And heed well this tale
Of lies and deceit.

[SPark]

1987818 Nice! I was afraid I wasn't going to get any entries, and now my actual problem is going to be choosing, there are several that are pretty dang good!

[MetaSkipper]

Last day! This is exciting.

[SPark]

2023404 I should probably post a reminder. Though I have quite a few good entries!

[Corey]

This has a changeling in it so does this count?

[Magatsu Orpheus]

Well, here's my attempt:

O Changeling
The Changeling
With jagged horn, with buzzing wing
Not quite what most call beauty
Our essence is emotional energy.

O Changelings
My Changelings
They say we are worthless things.
But should we care what people say?
Or should we mind the sayers-neigh?
For even when it seems grey,
there's a new day, every day.

[Night_Shine]

Sweet child of mine, hush thy cries
with my whispered lullaby.
Someday all the storms of life
will finally pass us by.

Someday when the flowers bloom,
someday coming very soon,
Someday when thy little heart
will have our love consumed,

the sweet ones will smile on us,
sunrays cast fire o'er us,
moonlight sweep down on our
broken home.

A wave of thick healing will
cleanse us of feeling
that hunger we know all too well.

So hush now, my child,
your cries aren't unheard.
Soon we'll be free, flying
up with the birds.

I am not sure what I just wrote, since it was quite nearly stream-of-consciousness, but I hope you like it.