Contest Winners- February 25, 2013

Hey all!! Just an FYI, I know I've been pretty prompt with posting contest results as soon as the site changes winners, however I got a new job that prevents me from doing so, so all future winners will be posted later in the day. So plan your anticipation accordingly lol

We had 2 clear winners, and our lovely site broke a tie between the 10's for the third win! Congrats to all whose names are mentioned.

Little
by Colm - 10+ 10 = 20

In the brown of your Eyes
by Everlasting- 7 + 4 = 11

Freedom
by: Tara Kay (10)

HM's:

Angel
By Poet on the Piano (10)

Death (Acrostic and Palindrome)
by Meena Krish -(10)

The Only Thing We Are
by Real Meaning (7)

Lonelineness
by The Huntress (7)

Bleeding Crimson Rain
by Hellon - (7)

I'm Like Yesterday
By Everlasting (7)

Toys (Cascadent)
By Meena Krish (4)

How I see you (loop poetry)
by Hellon - (4)

Skeleton
by The Poet Behind The Poems (4)

Below Is Soundless
by: Lebanese Phoenix (4)

WINNER COMMENTS:

Little
by Colm

I am usually not much a fan of poems with too many adjectives/adverbs scattered about, but I am willing to make an exception here because I feel like exactly these words are what make this poem so special. The poet knows how to keep his balance of interesting, sophisticated wording and simple everyday wording while also incorporating some sort of melody throughout the poem (it honestly feels like the lines are singing on their own, I especially enjoyed the sibilance of the second stanza). To me this must be one of this week's technically more nuanced poems, but there's more to this poem than that. I like the way its message is illustrated by different scenarios of how a person could be regarded as "little", scenarios that seem to take so little space too (i.e. small lines)! It takes a few reads to truly let the words sink in, because I believe that most would be too enchanted by its melody at first read, but once the reader grasps its meaning, he/she is sure to be blown away. That's what happened to me anyway. Kudos! (10)
--------------------

Little
by Colm

I am already in love with this poem, I read it way too many times and I think I still will read it again and again. I must say that the title gave nothing about the piece which made me really curious to want to know what the whole thing was all about!

The first verse was spot on; I loved how all the states you were in led you to where you think your home shouldn't be: smart word choice in here!

One of my favorite things used in poetry is the use of words and songs to describe a behavior or an emotion, thus the last line in your second verse was breathtaking to me.
And last came your final verse which had one of the most touching lines I read in a poem..

"it is small wonder and cure
that my factory heart
remembers to beat"
^^
The factory heart part was so EPIC! Since you referred to it as human made organ rather than it being created of flesh and blood; a normal human heart would remember to beat on its own, it would keep and save memories by itself but in your case use of factory heart leads to the conclusion that it cannot do things on its own and that it should be you the one who control and direct its action.
One of the best poems I read in a while. (10)
----------------

In the brown of your Eyes
by: Everlasting

This was definitely a poem that embodied 'you' and I liked the shorter lines and the whole format of it....it was cleverly crafted and I feel the poet took the lead in writing something that uses the mind and senses so I am woven into this moment, this understanding that occurs. Fantastic metaphor, the poet's repetition with "and then you saw" and "not in your eyes, not in your smile...." really brought color to this piece. I love the crafted play off what is light and how dark has entered this person's life, it definitely makes me think and I will most certainly read again. There is something so intriguing in these lines "when you found out that I was the universe you aimed to have but realized that earth was really where i was", I just absorb these words when I read them, this relationship that has been called on....maybe this person aspires to be like you and truly be your one and only, yet finds out you were there all along in the warmth of their eyes. Incredible, can't say much more, these verses were unlike anything I've read before and I hope to see them some day in print and in bookstores! This takes me on a journey and is written with such soul. (7)
-----------------

In the brown of your Eyes
by Everlasting

I thought this piece to be very unique, its style reminds me of a cascade, words seem to tumble and stumble, representing an almost raging train of thoughts. At first I wasn't much fond of the re-occurring images of stars/eyes/light/etc, but after reading it a few times I discovered that every re-occurring image seemed to be shown in a different light each time it appeared. Sometimes the images even seemed to slow down due to the pace of the poem, it honestly felt like watching the words in stroboscopic light. This poem is a perfect example of how simple wording and images can still have much impact if composed in a different way. (4)
--------------------

Freedom by: Tara Kay
This poet never fails to write poetry that is both passionate and extraordinarily inspirational, always leaving me evaluating my own life and the questions I harbor also. The start of this piece is very reflective, as I enjoyed each description, each curiosity about what freedom really came down to. I was told many times by some people I admire that freedom is not doing whatever you want to, but doing what's right, letting the truth be known. The scenery the poet depicted was marvelous as it expressed how we feel when we are free....yet there is much more than just feeling. The poet mentions how freedom is the senses and this "every trip, fall, rise and redemption..." and that touched me the most. Freedom is tangible and it is in what lays ahead. Beautiful, beautiful! (10)
-------------

HM COMMENTS:

Angel
By Poet on the Piano

What a beautiful piece this is... love the words choices, very descriptive, fingerprinted windows, shivering snowflakes, how creative is that! There is so much to this write, love, nature, its spiritual and magical as well. The imagery is amazing, I can picture the poet sitting at her desk in class with a far away look in her eyes, I see those fingerprints, hear the wings, see the snow covered ground and more flakes falling from the sky... I feel that we all have our guardians out there protecting us and this piece expresses that from the title to the very last line. This piece just draws you in, it makes me feel so peaceful and serene. It flows so smoothly which just adds so much more to the write. (10)
------------------

Death (Acrostic and Palindrome)
by Meena Krish

This is a very difficult mixed form to undertake, To tie an acrostic in takes some figuring out because the end letter of a sentence will ultimately become the beginning of a new sentence.
I like how 'soul slips away' is used as a mirror that leads us to the poem repeated but in reverse.
That is just the layout and the forms discussed.
But what makes it worthy of 10 points is the content, there is a huge eerie feel to this. Silence and darkness work well describing the feeling of death, linking these with comfortable words such as 'aroma' and 'home' is very clever. A very well thought out poem with so much depth and imagery in so few words. Well done. (10)
------------------------------

The Only Thing We Are
by real meaning

Upon reading this poem, one word seemed to pull at my heartstrings (and might have even pulled so hard that all of my strings broke). That word is "passion". There's something about the tone of this piece that seems to scream "passion", I could almost imagine the poet himself reciting this poem in theatrical fashion. Although alluding to something quite dark near the end, it still felt like a celebration of love. Many words were repeated throughout this piece, it felt almost like an illustration of the "eternity" that the poet's trying to describe. I found myself especially drawn to the words "cobblestone", "endpoint" and "pinnacle" (albeit not repeated). All in all, a cleverly constructed poem, although a little flawed by its (minor) grammatical errors, which made me give 7 points to this still marvellous piece. (7)
----------------

Lonelineness
by The Huntress

I honestly felt the writer's melancholy in this piece, it hurts how loneliness can linger deep in one's life and become the solo friend that never fails to accompany us wherever we go. I saw the desperation of wanting an interaction with others in the opening of this poem, but unfortunately all the writer had was the silence of nothingness. Then the yearning to for the writer to have what others seem to have left me thinking about myself and how sometimes I envy others for having someone in their lives while I stand alone where I am right now.

"For an artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness. "
^^
The best part of this piece was the incorporation of that quote in it. It is so true in what it conveys. It is so powerful in what it means that I fall in love with it!!

And what an ending to this marvelous piece. The wondering of what would be left of you to be remembered broke my heart and I felt it: now I honestly wonder myself what is it that will be remembered of me? Amazing piece. (7)

-------------------

Bleeding Crimson Rain
by Hellon

Who cares if this has won previously, there will be members who haven't seen this before. This is a masterpiece in poetry. You have taken an event in history that we may all be familiar with and given it real poignancy. This poem makes us sit back and have a real think of how terrible this was. It also cleverly describes the irony of calling this bomb 'baby'. Your fine detail is what makes this poem, describing flesh melting is really strong imagery and very haunting. In fact that third stanza is one of the very best I have ever read on here. I loved the daydream like imagery of the final stanza. Finally the pace and tone is perfection tied together with an accomplished and unforced rhyme scheme. (7)
------------------

I'm Like Yesterday
By Everlasting

When I first read this piece I was like HUH? Once I went back and read it slowly, I was like WOW... this is a very creative and thought provoking piece. I am the same as I was yesterday as I am today as I will be tomorrow, my future becomes my present which is now my past, we cannot hide from our past no matter how hard we try. I would say that this writer has a very clever mind... this is almost like trying to solve a riddle. Well done! (7)
-------------------

Toys (Cascadent)
By Meena Krish

What an interesting form, I love formed poetry and I've not seen this one before. I like how the writer explained the form at the end, thank you for that. The topic was perfect, toys, something I think all of us moms and some dads too I'm sure, can really relate to. We do want our children to have fun and enjoy their toys but we also like to keep a clean house and expect them to clean up after themselves, so to have the toys spill from the closet, priceless... love the realness of this piece, it flowed well and you nailed the form Meena (4)
----------------

How I see you (loop poetry)
by Hellon

Nice to see a special event poem nominated. Also nice to see a poem written in this style. Loop poetry can sometimes read very repetitive. It is easy to fall into a trap of justifying the layout and form of the poetry at the expense of the detail. Not only have you sidestepped this trap, you managed to throw in a rhyme scheme for good measure. I feel you captured the essence of your chosen subject very well. It has a lovely feel to the whole piece. Well written. (4)
---------------

Skeleton
by The Poet Behind The Poems

Such a dark and intriguing piece. First of all I like the title it makes a statement without telling much about the piece. And you made the whole poem revolve around what the title may hint, sometimes we fail to see what lies beneath. So powerful and deep and the word choice suited the emotions expressed in the piece. Well done! (4)
---------------

Below Is Soundless by: Lebanese Phoenix

I just fall in love with the atmosphere and feel of dark poetry. And I greatly enjoyed the way this poet wrote this piece like I could read the process of his thoughts, the doubts and the truths he knows for certain. I liked the tones in between the lines that showed me this character is not planning a way of escape because there is none. How simple phrased some of these lines were like " I've heard that Below is soundless. Once you give in, you can't resurface. So today, I'm still swerving waves." That reference to what is down below being soundless, no echoes, no sound bouncing back is quite eerie and lonesome to come to. You know what I mean when I say there isn't any fluff to this? Like every word emphasised more that hopelessness, how the character has yet to hit the bottom, still lost in desperation. Wonderful piece!

Congrats winners and HM's!!! Beautiful pieces and thank you judge for the HM and comment that was really sweet =)

Good works. congrats to all.
thanks judges & Chelsey

Great job you three winners and thanks judges for the hard work in all your comments and pickings. :]

Congrats, winners and Hm's!

Congrats to the winners and the other members with a HM. What a pity the front page has disappeared but, for those who don't know...if you click on contest winners on the left hand side of your page you can see this week's winners there.

To the judge/judges who voted/commented on both of my poems this week I just want to say thanks to you...very much appreciated and encouraging. I would really like if comments made by judges could be pasted onto our accounts...otherwise they just go to waste which is a real shame because a lot of time/effort/thought goes into them every week. I think it was suggested in the past that the host could do this...don't know what happened in the end with that idea but...seen as how Chels has started a new job maybe the mods could take it in turns to do this....just a suggestion. Thanks and congrats to everyone once again.

Some judges protested that they did not want their comments posted under someone else's name. when they finished their terms a couple of judges went back and posted their own comments.

Really? My Thoughts... For example if you posted the judges comments to me...couldn't you just say...COMMENT POSTED BY JUDGE #...whatever and then leave the comment? The judges do a 3 month stint I believe...what's the chances of them finding the time after that to gather all the comments they have given over that time and finding the poems they gave them too...much easier to give them on a weekly basis and ....I'm sure..if they came via the mods most would realise that the mods didn't actually give these comments...

When I was a judge, I used to save my comments along with the author's name and title of the poem, so that it would be easier for me to paste them later.

Also, I thought mods were to reveal who the judges were after their term. Why is it not happening now?

I believe judges can still have the right to remain anonymous after their term is up......

Two judges went back and posted their comments last term on my work.

Hey! I dont get paid enough to do all that work!! LOL jk of course.

What exactly would be the point of posting the comment on the poem itself?? I was going to respond to your post Hellon but then I thought, well...I better not form an opinion on that til I actually know the purpose lol.

I feel though, we might as well not do a weekly winners thread anymore if we make it individual and personal leaving comments on the poem itself. What would be the point then? Really just for people to be nosey and see who got a mention....but that would play a role in the inactivity we were discussing.

I like posting them here I dont see the need to post them to individual poems as well. If its to gain another comment, just copy and paste your judges comment and do it yourself. haha

No but really, sometimes I dont think logical, and I also have been sick, so if you could help me see what the point of that is, I will be open to doing that as a part of the hosting duty.

Thank you judge for the comment...it was a surprise to see the little symbol by this poem...and it made me smile after a long day at work and to know it touched someone is always good.

Congrats to the other winners and all the HM's and of course to Chelsey :)

What exactly would be the point of posting the comment on the poem itself?? I was going to respond to your post Hellon but then I thought, well...I better not form an opinion on that til I actually know the purpose lol.
^^^^

So that the comment was put to good use and not just left on this comment thread? I know the Queen did paste her comment on my poem after she stood down as a judge and I was very grateful to have it on my poem rather than just read it here...it made it more personal to me.

I was going to respond to your post Hellon but then I thought, well.
^^^

Doesn't make sense...your were going to? when, in fact you did...

I don't understand why you are attacking me here...this was not a new suggestion...someone else had mentioned it before and I thought it was a grand idea...now let me ask this of the judges...when you put so much effort into writing 3 comments per week justifying why you voted on a particular poem...don't you thing your comment could be better utilised if it could be added to the poem you voted for..albeit annonymously at the time of comment?

I really appreciated both comments I received here and I'm not going to make this into something it's not...I would have liked to have had them added to the poems by you or a mod but if that's not appropriate then fair enough...

Attack you? Jesus woman...this is why I have to put my statements in parenthesis when addressing things to you...example (no sarcasm intended) so you wont blow things out of proportion. I wasnt attacking, merely wondering actually.

I ended my post with "I was going to respond to your post Hellon but then I thought, well."

But went back and edited it and responded anyway without taking that part out..whoops.. Im going to blame that on me not feelings well and blonde moments lol

Guess I just feel like its a lot to ask one of us to copy and paste comments on 15 poems like we already dont have a lot going on..Its not like you cant see votes and comments at all, thats what the point of posting them here is. ...I get the utilising the vote, it adds a comment to the poem and thats considerate, but as a previous judge, I use to always comment the poem I voted for anyways. I always left my contest comment and actual comment different. One longer than the other. Different wording....so thats probably why I dont see the point because I did it anyways.

Up to you guys though, I do majority rules

If someone wants a judge's comment with their submitted poem, they have the ability to copy and paste it in themselves. It is the same (in terms of ownership of the comment) as a mod or the contest host doing it. Comments can now be edited, responded to and deleted, so it should be easy for the rightful commenter (the judge) to claim and discuss the comment down the track if they wish.

I'm with Abby and Chelsey on this one, if a poet wants to they can copy and paste comments themselves to their poems. It's too time consuming to expect Chelsey or the mods to do it when it can be easily done by each individual member if they so wish.

Also, thanks for the comments on my poem 'Little,' which I didn't expect much from at the time of it's conception but its always nice to get positive feedback. Well done to other winners and HM's and continued thanks to judges and Chelsey for the work :)

Abby...I think you're fabby! I had no idea we were allowed to do this but now that's it's been suggested by you and confirmed by a mod then it's an option worth thinking about. Personally I'm not sure how I feel about actually pasting a comment on my own poem..I'll give it some thought but...it's nice to know it's not breaking any rules if I do.

Thank you Judges for those two wonderful comments, I love them.

and congrats to the winners as well as the HM's.

Congrats to the winners and HM's.
Thank you judges for the HM for both my poems as
well as for the comments..appreciate it.