We can imagine that animals have a very different concept of life than we do. To a lobster gazing through the glass of his tank at humans in a seafood restaurant, the world looks very different. An ant, whose average life expectancy is sixty days, most likely does not fear death the way humans do. This week, write a story from the perspective of your favorite animal. Watch Tim Seibles read his poem “Lobster for Sale” for inspiration.
Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
Comments
TheRaven6825 replied on Permalink
The Raven
It had been years since I saw my shadow down there. Humans destroyed everything leaving thick ashen clouds that blended with my feathers. That was to my species’ benefit, as it was tough for our predators to hunt us down for their sustenance. Many still didn’t make it as we had to scour the ground for something to eat - both man and animal used the opportunity to capture us for their next meal. Only a few of my kind, hawks and eagles were left. We hadn’t turned on each other yet and there was a truce of respect amongst our kind. They hunted bigger prey and so I wasn’t worried.
I was gliding in the few rays of sun that had finally broken through after decades of this macabre place. The humans were no more, so I was safe. Deserts were still barren, seas were still soiled from pollution, but my eye caught a glimpse of green shrub in between a wall of singed pine trees. I flew cautiously, circled it a few times and saw no movement. I descended gradually just to be safe and then I saw it – lunch! One tiny crimson ball crawling on a piece of bark right next to the shrub, then one more, and another; nature was indeed taking back the land. “Survival of the species” the humans called it. I wasn’t fond of ladybugs but this bird had to eat.
TheRaven6825 replied on Permalink
The Raven
It had been years since I saw my shadow down there. Humans destroyed everything leaving thick ashen clouds that blended with my feathers. That was to my species’ benefit, as it was tough for our predators to hunt us down for their sustenance. Many still didn’t make it as we had to scour the ground for something to eat - both man and animal used the opportunity to capture us for their next meal. Only a few of my kind, hawks and eagles were left. We hadn’t turned on each other yet and there was a truce of respect amongst our kind. They hunted bigger prey and so I wasn’t worried.
I was gliding in the few rays of sun that had finally broken through after decades of this macabre place. The humans were no more, so I was safe. Deserts were still barren, seas were still soiled from pollution, but my eye caught a glimpse of green shrub in between a wall of singed pine trees. I flew cautiously, circled it a few times and saw no movement. I descended gradually just to be safe and then I saw it – lunch! One tiny crimson ball crawling on a piece of bark right next to the shrub, then one more, and another; nature was indeed taking back the land. “Survival of the species” the humans called it. I wasn’t fond of ladybugs but this bird had to eat.