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On Hold...

Posted May 11, 2026 · 13 lines · 12 critiques

Neopoet Contest: ON HOLD
40 lines or less. Any Style.
Date: May 1st to May 31st 2026

I may be on hold but I am holding on
all through the hours keeping me strong.

A study in patience, a true work of art,
I follow direction as a rule from the start.

Holding tight to a lifetime of give and take,
I pledge from my heart to survive the quake...

of storms which shake us striking weary our souls
putting our lives on hold, we held to our goals.

If you should find your life in just such a state
put yourself on hold and hold on to your fate...

Candlewitch’s timeline

June 2026
04 Thu

Critiqued
"Star Bound - A Tribute to Joshua Bond" by @Wallyroo92
"I found this poem to be a little bit difficult to read because of the lack of visual punctuation and the big spaces between each line. (this problem of spaces could be Neo Poet's fault, not sure... But I was quite happy…"
May 2026
30 Sat

Received a critique
on On Hold... from @William Lynn
"Hi Wallyroo. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. All my best, Will"
30 Sat

Received a critique
on The Hearth Of Neopoet from @Wallyroo92
"There are thousands of poetry websites with probably millions of poets out there looking for a home. This place made me feel welcomed and offers great feedback. I'm glad I can hang my hat here, have a pint then read and…"
30 Sat

Received a critique
on The Hearth Of Neopoet from @Wallyroo92
"There are thousands of poetry websites with probably millions of poets out there looking for a home. This place made me feel welcomed and offer great feedback. I'm glad I can hang my hat here, have a pint then read and…"
30 Sat

Received a critique
on On Hold... from @Wallyroo92
"Like how this is a reminder to pause while sorting things out. I poet friend of mine penned it as the sacred pause, because while you're on hold, we can most likely reflect deeply. Great rhythm and rhyme."
26 Tue

Received a critique
on Preperation of a Magic Spell from @Wallyroo92
"Nice little peek into the practice. w"
26 Tue

Received a critique
on While The World Freezes (Gingerbread Dreams) from @Wallyroo92
"This is an amazing piece, capturing the senses through memory, pulling the reader in and feeling the warmth and love of those wonderful times. Thank you for sharing."
26 Tue

Received a critique
on Storms of an Inner Aspect from @Wallyroo92
""ethics transmitted reverently from a Father, to daughter" I think it's wonderful when the older generation teaches the younger one with truth and conviction so that they carry the torch. Great write.Cat."
24 Sun

Received a critique
on On Hold... from @William Lynn
"Glad you enjoyed this poem. I always appreciate your comments. Many thanks for reading and commenting. Will"
23 Sat

Critiqued
"Coming Home" by @Tink
"This is a wonderful piece, I read it aloud and could feel the emotions tentatively reaching out... and it stole my breath away! Thank you for posting this. wishing you peace, Cat"
22 Fri

Critiqued
"Coming Home" by @BlueSkies
"Such pain... overruled by such a raw passionate purpose! You write with a powerful hand. You do not "spare the horses" You drive home the message and will not back down. You are a warrior in the truest sense of the word…"
22 Fri

Critiqued
"Mistress Library..." by @Geezer
"I wish I could quote back favorite lines to you, but I cannot. Because I fell under the spell of your sculpting of each line. Each word of every sentence is a perfumed building block... I admire and adore this poem. Ple…"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"Last Flight" by @Michael Anthony
"of a whispering echo of passing beauty... thank you Michael fondly, Cat"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"DESPER-ROTT-O" by @Triskelion
"When I read the line: "the demander and thief!" all I could think of was: commander and chief! always, Cat"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"I'm Overwhelmed" by @BlueSkies
"This poem hit me like a heavily booted kick to the gut...It instantly transported me to the time when my first husband shocked me with: "We can't keep this baby! we are not good parent material!" (when we found out I wa…"
18 Mon

New follower
@Tink
12 Tue

Critiqued
"please stay on the line" by @crypticbard
"when the power cuts out...we are left fumbling and stumbling in the dark. Looking for matches to light candles and maybe finding a torch/flashlight. there is no sense to make the call because they cannot help bring the…"
11 Mon

Posted a poem
On Hold...
"Neopoet Contest: ON HOLD"
Open thread 13 lines
10 Sun

Posted a poem
Preperation of a Magic Spell
"The Spell! (Preparation}"
Open thread 41 lines
April 2026
22 Wed

Posted a poem
(She) "Impotence" by: eddy styx
"She..."
Open thread 26 lines
February 2026
28 Sat

Contest commendation
02/26 The Love Of Hoarding

with "Love of Hoarding".
22 Sun

Posted a poem
Brigand (by: eddy styx)
"Brigand"
Open thread 25 lines
19 Thu

New follower
@ritam
03 Tue

Posted a poem
Love of Hoarding
"For The Love of Hoarding"
Open thread 17 lines
January 2026
31 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 01/25/26 to 1/31/25

with "Fresh Fruit Rotten Hands".
29 Thu

Posted a poem
Fresh Fruit Rotten Hands
"Shush..."
Open thread 22 lines
27 Tue

Posted a poem
Viper's Nest
"Norma, and my two sisters lives have passed, many years ago"
Open thread 28 lines
13 Tue

Posted a poem
Daughter's Advice For Her Mother
"Hey there Norma, or would you prefer "Sarge"?"
Open thread 15 lines
10 Sat

Posted a poem
While The World Freezes (Gingerbread Dreams)
"Dropped off at the farmhouse on my own"
Open thread 16 lines
08 Thu

Posted a poem
Storms of an Inner Aspect
"I walk the razors edge"
Open thread 21 lines
05 Mon

Posted a poem
The Hearth Of Neopoet
"Neopoet with its hallowed halls"
Open thread 12 lines
November 2025
30 Sun

Posted a poem
Highway Sixty-One (by eddy styx)
"Upon the Highway Sixty-One,"
Open thread 18 lines
30 Sun

Contest commendation
11/25 Haunted Hotel

with "Down At "The Joint" A Bar In Heartbreak Hotel ".
30 Sun

Contest commendation
11/25 The Voices From The Closet

with "Conspirators in the Dark".
16 Sun

New follower
@Paul Baskin
14 Fri

New follower
@Shamo
July 2025
31 Thu

Contest commendation
07/25 Deported from mars

with "...And, Don't Come Back!".
26 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 07/20/25 to 07/26/25

with "Roadkill (an eddy styx poem)".
May 2025
17 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 05/11/25 to 05/17/25

with "Tracks... (rondelay)".
April 2025
30 Wed

Contest commendation
04/25 The smell of baking

with "A Slice of Warmth".
March 2025
31 Mon

Contest commendation
03/25 Lost at Sea

with "Lost At Sea".
February 2025
28 Fri

Contest commendation
02/25 Blind Date

with "North Country Moon".
October 2024
31 Thu

Contest commendation
10/24 The Cruel Joke

with "A Cruel Joke".
15 Tue

Highest posting month
October 2024 — 19 poems
September 2024
04 Wed

Posting milestone
500 poems posted
August 2024
31 Sat

Contest commendation
08/24 I Lost The Instructions

with "I Lost The Instructions to being a woman".
July 2024
31 Wed

Contest commendation
07/24 Falling For My Therapist

with "Falling For My Therapist".
29 Mon

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 06/30/24 to 07/06/24

with "Wood-smoke".
27 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 07/21/24 to 07/27/24

with "Broken Glass (eddy styx)".
March 2024
31 Sun

Contest commendation
03/24 I Was Bullied

with "Ramming Speed!".
February 2024
29 Thu

Contest commendation
February 2024 Neo Gem

with "Wildfires ".
29 Thu

Contest commendation
02/24 Family Feud

with "Our Family Feud ".
08 Thu

Contest commendation
5,000 Comment Milestone ~ Candlewitch

with "His Heart Pumps Her Name (a senryu string of three) repost" (since unpublished).
08 Thu

Community honor
5,000 Comment Milestone ~ Candlewitch

A community contest dedicated to Candlewitch.
January 2024
31 Wed

Contest commendation
01/24 Meeting My Superhero

with "Meeting My Superhero; Steven".
27 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 01/21/24 to 01/27/24

with "Evil Tinker Toys (by: eddy styx)".
20 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 01/14/24 to 01/20/24

with "Ghost Tales #3 The Unwanted Kiss".
December 2023
31 Sun

Contest commendation
12/23 Getting Older

with "Come December, Reworked (For My Geezer!)".
October 2023
28 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week October 22nd to October 28th 2023

with "Bliss (edited)".
March 2023
31 Fri

Contest commendation
March 2023 Challenge In the land of chaos

with "Love Lost In The Land Of Chaos".
February 2023
11 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week February 5th to February 11th 2023

with "She Certainly Was...".
January 2023
31 Tue

Contest commendation
January 2023 Challenge New Year's Resolution

with "Neopoet Challenge: New Years Resolution ".
29 Sun

Anniversary
15 years of membership
07 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week January 1st 2023 to January 7th 2023

with "Beginnings...".
07 Sat

First contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week January 1st 2023 to January 7th 2023

with the poem "Beginnings...".
August 2022
04 Thu

Critique milestone
10,000 critiques given
January 2018
29 Mon

Anniversary
10 years of membership
January 2013
29 Tue

Anniversary
5 years of membership
November 2010
25 Thu

Critique milestone
5,000 critiques given
March 2010
23 Tue

Posting milestone
100 poems posted
03 Wed

Added to bookshelf
The Book Of Styx
"Eddy Styx aka C. M. Mattison (2009) Sam's Dot Publishing http://www.genremall.com/poetryr.htm#bookofstyx"
January 2009
29 Thu

Anniversary
One year of membership
July 2008
01 Tue

Critique milestone
1,000 critiques given
March 2008
25 Tue

Most-discussed work
Desperation In D Minor

83 critiques to date.
February 2008
05 Tue

First critique offered
on "Desires Sweet Refrain" by @poewriter58
01 Fri

First publication
Spirit of the Muse
January 2008
29 Tue

Joined Neopoet
Membership begins

First poem published 3 days later.

Winning Submission	Contest	Contest Date
Love of Hoarding	02/26 The Love Of Hoarding	1 February, 2026 – 28 February, 2026
Fresh Fruit Rotten Hands	Neopoet Weekly 01/25/26 to 1/31/25	25 January, 2026 – 31 January, 2026
Down At "The Joint" A Bar In Heartbreak Hotel	11/25 Haunted Hotel	1 November, 2025 – 30 November, 2025
Conspirators in the Dark	11/25 The Voices From The Closet	1 November, 2025 – 30 November, 2025
Roadkill (an eddy styx poem)	Neopoet Weekly 07/20/25 to 07/26/25	20 July, 2025 – 26 July, 2025
...And, Don't Come Back!	07/25 Deported from mars	1 July, 2025 – 31 July, 2025
Tracks... (rondelay)	Neopoet Weekly 05/11/25 to 05/17/25	11 May, 2025 – 17 May, 2025
A Slice of Warmth	04/25 The smell of baking	1 April, 2025 – 30 April, 2025
Lost At Sea	03/25 Lost at Sea	1 March, 2025 – 31 March, 2025
North Country Moon	02/25 Blind Date	1 February, 2025 – 28 February, 2025
Wildfires	February 2024 Neo Gem	1 February, 2024 – 29 February, 2024
A Cruel Joke	10/24 The Cruel Joke	1 October, 2024 – 31 October, 2024
I Lost The Instructions to being a woman	08/24 I Lost The Instructions	1 August, 2024 – 31 August, 2024
Broken Glass (eddy styx)	Neopoet Weekly 07/21/24 to 07/27/24	21 July, 2024 – 27 July, 2024
Falling For My Therapist	07/24 Falling For My Therapist	1 July, 2024 – 31 July, 2024
Wood-smoke	Neopoet Weekly 06/30/24 to 07/06/24	29 June, 2024 – 29 July, 2024
Ramming Speed!	03/24 I Was Bullied	1 March, 2024 – 31 March, 2024
His Heart Pumps Her Name (a senryu string of three) repost	5,000 Comment Milestone ~ Candlewitch	8 February, 2024
Our Family Feud	02/24 Family Feud	1 February, 2024 – 29 February, 2024
Evil Tinker Toys (by: eddy styx)	Neopoet Weekly 01/21/24 to 01/27/24	21 January, 2024 – 27 January, 2024
Ghost Tales #3 The Unwanted Kiss	Neopoet Weekly 01/14/24 to 01/20/24	14 January, 2024 – 20 January, 2024
Meeting My Superhero; Steven	01/24 Meeting My Superhero	1 January, 2024 – 31 January, 2024
Come December, Reworked (For My Geezer!)	12/23 Getting Older	1 December, 2023 – 31 December, 2023
Bliss (edited)	Neopoem Of The Week October 22nd to October 28th 2023	22 October, 2023 – 28 October, 2023
Love Lost In The Land Of Chaos	March 2023 Challenge In the land of chaos	1 March, 2023 – 31 March, 2023

		Skill level:
Earn A Poem Workshop 1	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2023-11-06	Closed to new participants (and underway)
Neopoet Collaborative Poem #4 Workshop	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2022-08-28	Concluded
Collaborative Poetry Workshop #3	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2022-08-21	Concluded
Collaborative Poem Workshop #2	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2022-08-11	Concluded
Collaborative Poem Workshop	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2022-08-08	Concluded
NARRATIVE POETRY SHOP (Let's get started)	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2021-04-17	Concluded
Poets first poems	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2017-06-23	Concluded
Rhyme Crimes	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2012-06-01	Concluded
FROM PROSE TO POETRY	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2012-04-21	Concluded
IMAGERY IN POETRY (for everyone)	(syllabus)	Plunge Pool	Started 2012-03-09	Concluded
Working With Titles	(syllabus)	Wading Pool, Splash Pool	Started 2012-01-30	Concluded
More Meter	(syllabus)	Shark Pool, Plunge Pool	Started 2012-01-11	Concluded
Writing With Emotions	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2011-09-04	Concluded
Olympic Pool (initial workshop)	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2011-05-16	Concluded

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