Weekly Winners 6/20

Monday, Monday, Monday, you all ready for a new week?! Here are your weekly winners and HM's from the week. A bit of a shakeup, a judge stepped down late Sunday evening before we were able to get someone else in to vote, so we've missed a judge's vote. The mods are in the process of getting a new judge squared away for this next week, so next week we should have all 5!

Thank you to the judges, members and mods for all the work they do regarding this weekly contest!

Couples Therapy by Thomas:

"This was another really unique piece, one of those writes you don't often find unearthed and vulnerable. At the beginning it read like a story and the description was vivid enough for me to let it unfold in my mind. I was fond of the way the writer used the circle as a symbolic object, the circle represent many different ideas however I felt that in relation to this poem it had a strong connection to the ideas of completion, perfection and unity. The second stanza was perhaps where the emotion began to kick in, I wasn't sure what to expect after the story-telling nature of the first but the writer was clever in connecting the idea of a circle throughout each stanza which formed the idea of marriage and wedding bands. Therefore I felt that the title was too revealing, I would of liked to grasp this concept just by reading the piece itself. I adored the description of the third stanza, the ideas were strong and clever. However Stanza four was where the emotion truly became heartfelt. This was true beauty, it was nice to read a poem that was poetic and was of realistic nature.

To elaborate on what I said last week, this poem was still a pleasure to read for the fourth time. I started noticing the black humor, It was interesting to read such a sad topic and yet still have a little giggle to yourself when the writer mentions 'meat and vegetables slathering the floor.' These were quite unique images, even with the description of sex. Not often do you hear it described as 'passionless sighs' and 'limbs flailing.' Overall it had a very intriguing topic." (10)

"Classy stuff here. It's not just the descriptive imagery and clever enjambment that is so effective. It's the writing itself. The words are at their most basic, lying exposed and wriggling effortlessly into thoughts as they come. There were colours, textures, activities, shapes- and everything was portrayed in a real sense, not in any feigned 'poetic' sense- making it even more poetic, compactly so. It illustrates one scene, yet it is years of a relationship dissolving, and a realisation dawning. The beginning is superb and eye-catching, as is the development of the rest of the piece. I only thought the ending was a little off- it would have been beautiful and suitable in another sort of poem, but in the wry simplicity of this poem, it seems a little forced and far-fetched." (10)

Our Ballad by Silvershoes

"What captured my attention in this poem was the rhyme. It's not often I read a nominated poem that has a rhyme scheme and while this was the more common 'abab' it created a beautiful flow. A lot of people find it easy to rhyme, I think it's difficult to create a rhyme that sounds natural and relaxed which was something you did here, so if I had a hat I'd tip it off to you. I felt the emotion within this piece, yes it was sad and portrayed denial but it also had that hint of hope, and optimism. I was particularly fond of how you created a connection between love and youth. You spoke of how you both 'trudge into the storm, side by side,' and I think this was an important part of allowing the reader to grasp your concept. This poem isn't about someone having their heart broken, to me it's about the experiences two people are going through in order to outrun it. I liked how the poem was set from the perspective of two people, no she broke my heart/he broke it etc. It was just two people growing apart as they grew themselves. Your descriptions are unique, I found the imagery to be stunning when relating back to the concept. Such a lovely poem." (7)

"I love the usage of rhyme and some slant rhyming used throughout the poem. There is such a nice rhythmic flow about the piece. Really nice job and though sometimes we close our eyes to what lies ahead, it ends up being a stepping stone for later." (7)

"I have read somewhere before that in order to achieve a good rhymed poem, it is best if one will work with the language rather than an idea, and this poem is one exceptional example. Unlike the free verse, it is best to resist the urge to preconceive the poem for it will only limit one's choices and subconscious imagination. The repetition of this poem showed how much this piece has grown progressively from first to the last line. "The first time we swore it had to bode well." I am sorry I had to pick that up, but this line ruined the almost faultless cadence of this piece, probably because of its metrical flow. Overall, I enjoyed this piece so much."(7)

Rust-Bitten by Melpomene

"This poem was utterly fantastic. This poet always creates the most unique picture with her words. Brings to mind... Love me, or hate me, I am just me Each word beautifully complemented the next, the poet has a remarkable ability to even beautify her weak points as in this line, The comedy mask, splattered with mud. What a beautifully painted poem." (10)

"I loved the bright montage of who this person represents- the art, the mess, the bitterness, the masterpiece. It was very effectively conveyed. I wasn't fond of the violet webs and the butterfly nets. These words seemed to be cast to sound pretty and elusive, but did not offer anything else to the poem. The last line 'I am' seemed to need a lot of significance, yet it was much too light and mundane to wear it." (7)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

When Overdue by Ms Sunshine

"This poem was emotive in the way it allowed the reader to relate to the wording. The poet obviously writes this poem for herself and yet I found that each of us could really find a time in our lives when we were searching for ourselves, or searching for something to belong to. I felt like this was a conversation inside the mind, it was as though two sides were arguing with one and other in order to find what it is the writer seeks. The descriptions are powerful and unique, I believe that's what captured my attention. It can be difficult for one to describe who they are and it has been beautifully depicted here. The metaphors were strong and thought-provoking, in particular the reference to the southern weathers that are constantly changing, just like written thoughts. An enjoyable read." (4)

Rape of a Beauty by Meena Krish

"If it weren't for the known work of this poetess, I would probably not have read the poem because of the title. I was certainly glad I did as this poem speaks volumes about what deforestation is bringing about. It is sad when some people in parts of this world have to go miles to even see a tree. Lovely but sad poem. When there are only buildings for man to cling to I wonder where his oxygen will come from."(4)

Blossom by Melpomene

"A little too 'flowery' for my normal taste- haha. I'm usually averse to poems that concentrate on a single simile to breaking point. However, though this poem was cutting it fine, the sentiment was elegant and well-defined and I liked the last stanza. I'm a sucker for a good ending." (4)

Love is Liquid by Karla

"This is a great piece, and I have to admit, sometimes a few lines of familiar poetry suddenly seem the best when mixed with this poet's natural talents with words while conveying in-depth emotions. This is one of those poems written whimsically hence, you may want to refrain reading in between each line. While this poet is first-class at capturing and conveying emotions, I, as a fan of her work, would like to read more poems using poetic devices and figurative language in her future poems."(10)

Complicated by Ms Sunshine

"This is one of those short fine poems. The title fits it well and both share a number of connections. This poet has chosen the most precise words that can move and enlighten the readers. There are clues in the poem and that each of its meaning is much deeper and ones that not everyone can comprehend. Overall, it is one of the most beautiful and captivating piece from this poet."(4)

Congrats winners!

Congrats to all:)

Are you back for good, Britt, doing the weekly winners thread, or is this a one time appearance?

I will be doing the weekly winners thread until the mods either want it back or delegate this to someone else :)

Aha, that means this will be posted earlier from now on..that is: if you stay. Nice!

Congrats for the 3 wiinnnerss..very well deserved ..
Congrats and thanks for the H'Ms. appreciated :D

Congratulations to all the winning poems! :] I thought they were wonderfully written. Thanks to the judges for taking their time each week to do the commenting and shuffling through a ton of poems. :] Also thank you to those who nominate and give the judges work! :P Lastly thanks for the HM's. Much appreciated. :]

Congratulations winners and HM's!

Congrats winners & HM's

Congratulations winners and HM's

Congrats to all!!

Congrats winners and HM's. Keep up the great job guys!

I love that we're doing comments now. I think it's grand!

Cool beans, everyone.
Congrats and thanks Britt for posting. :)

Thank you all!

Congrats Jane and Thomas & also to the HM's

Congrats

Congrats to the winners and the HM's...thank you
for the HM.

Well done to all involved :)

Surprised to see my name up there, thanks for that judges. Congrats winners/HM's and thank you heaps for taking this over, Britt! Like Ingrid said, this will get posted up earlier again :) Woo!