My English class is having a poetry competition and id like an opinion

[ilovewomenandbeer]

Please let me know if there is anything i should improve :} 

Gunslinger’s Slumber
Smoky air with burnt tastes of death
fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
As easily seen in a fortune-teller’s tale,
it puts an old gunslinger’s mind uneasy.
Startling chambers, sheets and drapes unfold
where there are knots and static lightning.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
There’s smoky air with burnt tastes of death
that fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
Now the gunslinger’s sly and superstitious.
He knows, as a prideful sinner,
to rely on a rosary and lie on the word.
The reverend’s clutch was grime as lye.
Quick and swift, let out six—
two holes above the gunslinger’s brim.
Stiff as a board they stand;
one awaits the other’s slumber.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
Five to make a star, with one in the middle—
evenly a better shot.
One badge, one heart.
The gunslinger’s cocked hat bleeds.
A rodent with holes, a maiden shook,
and the pope left with gnashing teeth.
He laid back into his knotted sheet
and gnawed his wheat.
As his home filled with smoky air,
burnt tastes of death filled the room
with the bitter scent of gunpowder.

---

i don't know how to delete sorry i posted twice.

[wasellajam]

Please let me know if there is anything i should improve :} 

Gunslinger’s Slumber
Smoky air with burnt tastes of death
fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
As easily seen in a fortune-teller’s tale,
it puts an old gunslinger’s mind uneasy.
Startling chambers, sheets and drapes unfold
where there are knots and static lightning.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
There’s smoky air with burnt tastes of death
that fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
Now the gunslinger’s sly and superstitious.
He knows, as a prideful sinner,
to rely on a rosary and lie on the word.
The reverend’s clutch was grime as lye.
Quick and swift, let out six—
two holes above the gunslinger’s brim.
Stiff as a board they stand;
one awaits the other’s slumber.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
Five to make a star, with one in the middle—
evenly a better shot.
One badge, one heart.
The gunslinger’s cocked hat bleeds.
A rodent with holes, a maiden shook,
and the pope left with gnashing teeth.
He laid back into his knotted sheet
and gnawed his wheat.
As his home filled with smoky air,
burnt tastes of death filled the room
with the bitter scent of gunpowder.

---

A few questions:

Are you workshopping this in class before the competition?

The gunslinger is an odd, seemingly old-fashioned topic, were you given a choice?

Here's what it looks like left justified. Do you have a preference? Do you find one easier to read than the other? What do you think center justified adds?

Gunslinger’s Slumber

Smoky air with burnt tastes of death
fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
As easily seen in a fortune-teller’s tale,
it puts an old gunslinger’s mind uneasy.
Startling chambers, sheets and drapes unfold
where there are knots and static lightning.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
There’s smoky air with burnt tastes of death
that fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.
Now the gunslinger’s sly and superstitious.
He knows, as a prideful sinner,
to rely on a rosary and lie on the word.
The reverend’s clutch was grime as lye.
Quick and swift, let out six—
two holes above the gunslinger’s brim.
Stiff as a board they stand;
one awaits the other’s slumber.
Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,
to draw at the sound of thunder.
Five to make a star, with one in the middle—
evenly a better shot.
One badge, one heart.
The gunslinger’s cocked hat bleeds.
A rodent with holes, a maiden shook,
and the pope left with gnashing teeth.
He laid back into his knotted sheet
and gnawed his wheat.
As his home filled with smoky air,
burnt tastes of death filled the room
with the bitter scent of gunpowder.

[ilovewomenandbeer]

I apologize for my lack of experience with poetry. I mistakenly assumed that the poems were supposed to be centered, which I hadn’t considered as an element that enhanced their appearance. I was guided to this platform by a friend, as we both participate in an English class for an assignment. We were given a week to complete it, and I wrote mine yesterday. Our topic was open-ended, so I watched a western movie and thought it would create a fitting atmosphere. Is this not a common style of poetry in contemporary times? Please let me know your thoughts. I also have other poems, some of which are better than others, but I appreciate your feedback.

[wasellajam]

I apologize for my lack of experience with poetry. I mistakenly assumed that the poems were supposed to be centered, which I hadn’t considered as an element that enhanced their appearance. I was guided to this platform by a friend, as we both participate in an English class for an assignment. We were given a week to complete it, and I wrote mine yesterday. Our topic was open-ended, so I watched a western movie and thought it would create a fitting atmosphere. Is this not a common style of poetry in contemporary times? Please let me know your thoughts. I also have other poems, some of which are better than others, but I appreciate your feedback.

There needs to be a reason for everything when you're writing poetry, you don't have a whole book to get your point across. Give me some time and I'll try to critique it for you.

---

Hi, and welcome. 

I've chosen to left justify it because for me it's easier to read and add notes this way but it's up to you what your final poem will look like. Although we don't usually do in-line critiques in basic, I know you'd like to improve it if you can. My notes are not things you must change, just things to think about.

First, I think that throughout your breaks are strong, good job with that. 
The sporadic rhyme sequences are usually looked at as something that will throw readers off, they don't particularly bother me when they work well, I think yours degrade as the poem progresses. It's possible that if I spend more time with the poem I will understand your intent with them.
Although you're not using a regular meter it reads pretty smoothly when I'm not stopped trying to figure out the meaning.

Please let me know if there is anything i should improve :} 

Gunslinger’s Slumber

Smoky air with burnt tastes of death

fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder. 

As easily seen in a fortune-teller’s tale,

it puts an old gunslinger’s mind uneasy.

Startling chambers, sheets and drapes unfold

where there are knots and static lightning.

Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered,

to draw at the sound of thunder.

I have issues with your refrain. Is that what death tastes like? Smoky/burnt/bitter is overkill for me. L2 is wordy. 
I don't know why you think a fortune-teller's story is easily seen. 
L4 reads awkwardly, although "at ease" and "uneasy" may be opposites, the swap in this phrase didn't work for me.
After that I'm confused, I can't reconcile the images. You may want to try writing it out without the frills, then see if you can build the images more clearly.

There’s smoky air with burnt tastes of death

that fills the room with the bitter scent of gunpowder.

Now the gunslinger’s sly and superstitious.

He knows, as a prideful sinner,   

to rely on a rosary and lie on the word.

The reverend’s clutch was grime as lye.

Quick and swift, let out six—

two holes above the gunslinger’s brim. I like these two lines, strong sonics and image.

Stiff as a board they stand;

one awaits the other’s slumber.

Out of slumber, slight and unencumbered, This would be a nice internal rhyme if you hadn't used slumber above.

to draw at the sound of thunder.

Five to make a star, with one in the middle— What a shot! Strong image.

evenly a better shot.

One badge, one heart.

The gunslinger’s cocked hat bleeds.

A rodent with holes, a maiden shook,

and the pope left with gnashing teeth.

He laid back into his knotted sheet

and gnawed his wheat.

As his home filled with smoky air,

burnt tastes of death filled the room

with the bitter scent of gunpowder.

---

I hope some of this helps. I've probably overstepped in the Basic forum, let me know if going further would be of any help. Think about it and work on it, less "poetics", more clarity. I'm sure you can take it further.