Weekly Winners - 11/14/2011

Here are the Weekly Winners (and the Highly Esteemed Honourable Mentions) for November 14-20!

Winners:
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In this selection, Poet Deacon Sibyllene of the Second Order illustrates her capacity for honest religiousity and humble devotion. Her piety and sincerity are truly touching.

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"Janis" by Sibyllene

"I couldn't help but give this poem a 10. 100% agree with everything written, but on a poetic level, our poetic master Sibyllene has created another beauty with her words. Only she could make Janis into a PnQ God, while all along we felt he was more of elfish stature. It brought a whole new life to Janis, and hopefully he will see this on the front page and feel a little guilty for leaving his addicted minions at bay while he is off slaying.. who knows what." (10)

"This was very clever and obviously inspired by the site's events over the last week. It was humourous in many places, but quite accurate also. With great wording throughout, it was a good write. I especially liked the end, of the image of a rodent coming only to take what he wants and leaves again with an insult, leaving the 'dirt-coloured crumbs' which could be interpreted in two ways! Overall the poem details events on one level, shows frustration on an other (aptly from the point of view of a Mod for whom the frustration must be among the greatest) and does so with interesting language, images and metaphors. Well done" (10)

"This is just so true about Janis, it really made me smile to read this poem. The word choice was superb. The waiting and wondering for him to show, and when he finally do show, one more page refresh and he is gone again, lol. Very clever poem, flawed very nicely as well." (4)

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Literary auteur dollwithafrown brings us an evocative, poetic teaser from her forthcoming novel of the same name. Based on this tiny segment alone, Paramount Pictures has already grappled to attain the rights to a film version, to be directed by Martin Scorcese and released in select theaters in March of 2015. Preferred customers can pre-order the book in hardcover now, at the temporarily-reduced price of $35.95. Gilded Limited Editions include a lock of hair from the head of the author herself.

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"Wisemen" by dollwithafrown

(7) Without comment

"What caught my attention in this piece is its style, so smooth and mystical. The wording was empowering and it really emphasized the idea behind the piece. When you read the first stanza, you'd get a feeling it's about a Greek or a Phoenician God, maybe those ancient Gods of thunder or wisdom.. But then, the second stanza crashes your anticipation, brilliantly, as those descriptions seem to belong to an old pan, of "aged palms" which held "twisted petals", as if those petals represented a life which is bound to be over. At a different angle, the son seems to be a part of the picture also, as he stands beside his old father with "grace that angels find hard to flourish", that was a really cool image. And the best word was 'together' because it really emphasized the main point of the poem. Together, know that the father-son bond is what made them stand up against the obstacles of life. 'Alone' standing out alone in the last line assures that. Alone, they cannot witness the sunrise. That was an amazing approach to the relation between a father and a son. In a smooth, bright tone, the writer delivered the message perfectly. Excellent!" (7)

"Really another interesting piece nominated, I loved so many of them, but this one stood out just a bit more than the others. I felt a strong connection personally here. I also like how the writer made a special effort in the structure, and placed words in an important way (alone being alone, double emphasis). I also like the -'s used, how they were almost creating a list. Thought this was a very strong poem!" (4)

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In his new book, renowned rockstar physicist Colm McAlphacentari casts his poetic musings to a hungry, seething fanbase, as if they were sizzling bacon. In his (often stodgy) field, he is considered odd due to the fervor of his loyal admirers. But, as anyone knows who has had the privilege of seeing 2011's "Hot Astrophysicists Doing Naughty, Nerdy Things" calender, we can expect more out of "Mr. November" than star charts and optic lenses. This new book of poems gives us a glimpse of burning, nuclear fusion-ing core of Mr. Mcalphacentari's heart.

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"Mulling over satilite photography," by Colm

"The title itself makes you wonder alot as what the poem is all about, but as you read into the lines of this master piece you get to see the big picture behind it. What an amazing way to describe the distance in between them in such a vivid and realistic way. I even imagined myself looking down at the places you describe, noticing every single object in between. Perfection!!"
(10)

"So I have to admit I'm a tad jealous of Colm and his beautiful writing. He brings me in with such strength, such solid imagery that me always wanting more from him. I love the word mulling no matter what, it's one of my favorites in poetry, so that had me at the title. I love the 'greenhouse kisses' and thought that was so clever. Colm always writes such interesting and unique pieces. Love, love, love." (7)

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Honourable Mentions:

"Another Night Trafficking in Red Lights," by Mera Luna

"Something about this poem has effortlessly pushed the buttons of my thoughts and emotions. The most thing I look forward to while reading something is whether the writer has succeeded in making his/her words alive enough for the readers to be a part of his/her words. Luckily for me, I've found myself there, between each two lines. While taking off, first, you can hear the noise of the city at night oozing from the title "...trafficking lights" with all the green and red lights, really enticing. After that, the opening emphasizes the immensity of noise, paving the way to the main event occurring as all those detailed descriptions give way to anticipation. What is it all about? What would happen next? Let's not skip the beauty of the setting... In the first stanza, the writer generally addresses the reader as anyone could think he/she is a part of the event, for a scenery of vociferous 'machines' and traffic jam lights opposes your thoughts: "you wonder whether you're
some-body, or no-body."
In the second stanza, immediately, you'd get goosebumps because the camera is now focused on something totally different from the normal people passing through city streets.

"Just breasts, or something else
that's pressed against the windows tonight;
like lifted skirts and vagabond butts, "

^ The above scenery brings prostitutes to your grand scheme, amazingly described. They get closer to the man in the car, with tits pressed against the window and butts raised high.. How poetic that appeared...

Then the camera is fixed against other people, renting those harlots... I felt some taste of sarcasm, "bicycle whose owner
kissed too many beer bottles to remember
the night he
faltered
from corners,
from coffee shops." - a drunk cyclist just craving a woman's body.

Some words also stops you. Their resonance is so high because of their boldness, maybe reflecting the situation going around the shadowed corners: behemoth-blot, for example.

A big part of the poem (a half+) was just paving the way to the main event. Many would think too much descriptions would lessen the value of the message, but for me, it's the other way around. Those descriptive details of the colorful, alive setting were just pure flawlessness.

Anyway, the real even starts with some very expressive similes:
"He, and other boys like billboards.//
They raise your chin with fingers...// like five butcher's knives"

^ Here, those actions refer to some 'gangsters' approaching those vagabonds to have a taste of their blood and flesh.

Then, what took my breath away was this verse. I was like Oh My God:

"your bra is made of human flesh
as it slithers to the floor
in a downward spiral
of stockings
and shame."

^ Bra made of human flesh -- that was a real smart image.. maybe the bra was a part of the harlot.. a piece of her, and they forcefully slithered it... and the movement? "spiral of stockings and shame" -> again, oh my... That was a really suspenseful scenery that makes your eyes tear. The writer just made those harlots worth our compassion. Are they, really? I don't have an answer.

At any level, those boys got what they wanted, and it is pure brilliance, the way the end was written. Another flawless scenery... The harlot being massacred into pieces. and dumped into garbage lots.
The sun then comes out, and the corpses are found... So breathtaking and striking.
Not only do those consecutive snapshots dazzle you, but also they leave a big impact in your heart. The writer at the end plays on the situation in a literal sense. From tits pressed against windows of cars, to dead bodies pressed against windows of garbage vans.. and the wondering of "am I a nobody" is assured. She, the dead harlot was a real nobody. That very last line can be an open end which holds the possibility of a sequel! Yes, a sequel! Are harlots nobodies? What made them wander the streets to sell their flesh? ---- I really love it.. Immensely. A standing ovation! PURE BRILLIANCE." (10)

"This was a detailled poem which really got into the mind of the character, giving an insight into her life and arousing sympathy in the readers. When you think about it, it shows the underbelly of human life, the flip side if you will; the exploitative side of human nature that is quite sad in this day and age. The ending here was poignant and affecting. It is sudden and sharp, and details a the hopelessness and almost tragedy of her situation. There is a sense that there is no hope for change, that she will be stuck like this. A critique of society done through the emotive use of a character affected by it is effective. the whole poem made me want to keep reading. I like how the narrator keeps a certain degree of objective distance in the poem, I think it makes the message more powerful than if it had been written in first person. Some clever word plays also, e.g. 'some-body.' Some of the images of streets etc were a little ordinary, hard to put my finger on it but some of them didnt really come to life as perhaps maybe they could have, and that is what prevents this poem getting the 7 or 10pts, but it was a close call. Overall it was a good poem, with many things going for it" (4)

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"I Think I Think Too Much," by Melissa

''First of all, I loved the title. The fact that she thinks that she thinks too much illustrates the point that perhaps she does think too much! It is a clever and catchy title, and the poem is interesting also. I love the first two lines; they illustrate the poets self-awareness of her own work, and it personifies words well. It vaguely reminded me of wizard chess in Harry Potter, where each chess piece has a mind of its own, and the good chess player must win their loyality. I also got the image throughout the poem of the poet as a leaf, falling to the cold Autumn ground and decaying into winter and the base of the Willow tree. A piece full of meaning and effective word use, which is only perhaps let down a little by the second half of the last stanza, when the burning imagary seemed somewhat contradictory to the previous images. Overall though good work'' (7)

"I like the use of Autumn and Winter in the first stanza, it gave the poem a sense of personality. Thats why this first verse was filled with emotions, deep and sincere.
The second part was actually my favorite. Wantimg to lose yourself but at the same time you alos want someone to be there to hold you, a poetic contradiction of wanting to be free but at the same time to be held." (7)

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"Dreaming of You" by Tara-Kay

"How hard it is to get rid of the shock after reading one of this poetess' writes, sometimes. I was deeply speechless by everything I understood, deep emotions between the lines. Very, very beautiful." (10)

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"Rewrite Me," by Liliana

"All what I could here from this 'sad' poem is musicality. It is perfectly written with so much mind-provoking imagery. I really like the way this writer has evolved to become an excellent poetess. The idea of becoming a blank page, a sample of nothingness, mirage, maybe, was awesomely delivered, and the shivers you get from the whisper in the end: rewrite me is, ohhhh.... That sure reminded me of: I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined, yeah... It opposes the thought though. Really sensational. GREAT." (4)

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"Perhaps Love," by Phoenican Cedar

"Really sad, I felt raw emotions throughout the whole poem, the ending just killed me." (4)

Congratulations to all poets enduring the server switch, especially to the winners and HMs and hearty thanks to the judges for persevering.

Awesome wins again!!
I loved sibs piece "Janis"!

And once again thanks for the HM! lol

Mmm, Amazing writes! congratz errrbody!

Congrats all!!

Congrats all.

Hats off for the winners, congrats for winning, great poems indeeed..
HMS.good job people!

thanks for sibsib and the judges for their efforts :D

Thanks, and well done to the other winners and HMs :)

Congratulations to all

Thankyou judges for awesome picks

Thankyou Sib for the update of PQ theology

Congrats, one and all!

Thanks for all the votes and comments, guys. I think this poem officially has had more "activity" than anything else I've written! It's kind of funny to me, actually, because I think the poem itself is very mediocre. But I was feeling pissed and needed a snarky outlet. (I think some purer souls saw less snarkiness than actually intended... or maybe I'm just not good at being snarky?)

In any case, it gives me a jolt of perverse pleasure to see it on the front page. Just think.... only 80 more comments until it's there permanently. That would be a thorn in Janis' bum for sure.

Sib, we can make this happen....lol

Its totally going to happen...*evil laugh*

Bevis: heh heh ... (snort)
Butthead: she said snark
B&B: heh heh

Larry

Well done all...

Congratulations to all of u winners..hope it will b you congratulating me one day..lol

Congrats everyone!!Woohoo! (:

Congrats winners! Nice to see you all on the front page and especially Sibs ;)

Congrats HMs & nice work judges.

Congrats everyone! ;P

Sibs, your poem cracked me up~! XD Deserved the win, lmao. I hope Janis will see it. :P

HMs! well-done, loved this weeks reads. ;) Thanks Sibby.

Thank you, and congrats to the other wins and HMs. :)

I say we try to make Sibs' poem an All Time Favorite so it stays on the front page... FOREVERRRRRR

I'm already workin' on it lol