Contest Winners- June 17, 2013

Hello all..before you read any further to see the winners, note that I made a huge mistake this week when calculating. Apparently I am a big f---ing moron who doesn't know basic math....
Last night when I had checked the votes I thought Britts poem had won. Got on this morning and saw Karla's poem had more points..without triple checking (since I overlooked it when I "double checked" last night) I cast a vote to Britts poem to make sure it went to the front page..

With that being said, please, don't be nice to me... get out your bag of rocks and stone me because I am so irritated with myself. Seriously, have no clue how I could make a really easy, stupid mistake by not seeing that Karla clearly had 14 points. I am so sorry Karla, and to Britt...Im a terrible host, your stereotypical blonde who reallllyyyy needs some tutoring in math again.
I feel terrible and am super embarrassed!

Please remember this isn't a mod problem (to answer a question that may come up, yes a mod could have cast a vote to Karlas to send it to the front page, but no one was online this morning when I made my error) ..my fault entirely.

Anyways, Here are the winners and HM's if anyone still cares :( wahhhhh!

WINNERS:

Now that You Killed Me
by Real Meaning 10 + 7 = 17

Kuebiko (In the Beginning)
by Hellon 7+ 7 + 7 = 21

The verb in the infinity
by Karla 10 +4 = 14

HM'S:

Tumultuous
by Britt - 7 + 4 = (11)

Shut Me Up.
By: Linda Leavers (10)

If I Were You
by Chelsey (10)

Brazilian Secrets
by JaneDoeWrites (10)

Gaunt
by Poet on the Piano (4)

Scribbles
by Beautiful Chaos (4)

A Letter to Depression
By: Tara Kay (4)

WINNER COMMENTS:

Now that You Killed Me
by Real Meaning

I enjoyed this poem, specially this part:

Now there is no redemption for me but in song
now that you killed me
I live in you
in you
I only belong!!

What I like about the poem is the comparisons. How the narrator seems to compare himself to a scorpion "like a scorpion that bites its mother to spring Farewell to you, to another version of me." The use of "another version of me" led me to believe that the poem is speaking to the narrator but I can't assure that. The voice of the poem could be speaking to anybody. However, my first interpretation is that we often make mistakes and it takes a long time to notice them, but once we do, we try to fix them and we are happy to say farewell to them but we know they will always be a part of them because we commit them. When we realize them, it hurts but there's nothing else one can do. Second interpretation, this poem is about love and perhaps deception. I also like the assonance and rhymes in the poem and the May be's. Well done (10)

Now that You Killed Me
by Real Meaning

Real Meanings metaphoric display of pure wordsmith unity is what I'm going to start my comment out with this piece! He has captured the sadness and loneliness of pain with such grace that I find myself finding more detailed meanings each time I read this.

Real Meaning has a unique ability to capture many messages in very few sentences and with this piece he's done that and much more...

"Like a scorpion that bites its mother to spring
Farewell to you,
to another version of me,
another cling of my being
to your sting."

To be molded and melted into sadness, and trying to overcome such fear of heartbreak, is emotional in itself, and then the way he writes this piece, especially this stanza here, I can't help but cry!

Truly and powerful and heart gripping poem, well done!! (7)

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Kuebiko (In the Beginning)
by Hellon

I am glad Hellon is showing us how Kuebiko was in the Beginning. I grew attach to him since the previous poem. This piece tells a sad but common story.
What I like is that it's not over emphasizing sadness but rather wonder, while at the same time it leaves the reader wondering what happen to Sally? My guess, Sally grew up . . . It makes the reader connect with the characters as well as to think how situations like this happen in real life. After reading the poem, now this explains why Kuebiko had torn cloths on the other poem. Well done. (7)

Kuebiko (In the Beginning)
by Hellon

I love that Hellon wrote (or at least posted) another poem about Kuebiko. The first poem was definitely worthy and so is this. This poem is beautiful in it's simplicity... but knowing we can delve deeper into a stronger message. I love this so much because it reminded me of my grandparents. They were together for YEARS, so in love, and did little things that drove the other nuts just to get a rise out of them. It was so fun to watch because you knew it was all out of love. Here I love that Sally fusses over him.. it seems as though he feels proud and like she won't be mad long. Again the simplicity in this piece is my favorite, as is the tone. Really beautiful. (7)

Kuebiko (In the Beginning)
by: Hellon

I enjoyed how the author made more of a storyline and described the beginning of this scarecrow's life. It gave more color and vision as to what he is made of. The author never fails to be artful in her way of expression and I adored how this was a tale told, but within the verses of a beautiful poem. The character that I imagine to have such a warm smile is Sally, and it makes me wonder all throughout this piece whether she is a friend, a farmer, or maybe a little girl who has an imagination and visits him often.

The author has almost an enchanted way of writing this because it makes me believe this is where the scarecrow came from, how he started off a charismatic, sweet man, and evolved into a scarecrow, or was depicted that way. I felt the warmth of both characters automatically in the beginning... especially with the hat blowing off and Sally having to catch it. It warmed my heart- very playful too!

The ending again is so clever in it's mystery. It's like those stories you read when a child visits someone who is an outcast or not welcomed necessarily by the world and brings them liveliness, but then don't come regularly anymore.

It's heartbreaking and I adore the youthful atmosphere. The author gave this scarecrow much more than a voice, but a heart. Lovely read!! (7)

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The verb in the infinity
by Karla

This week I was truly drawn to creativity and unique depth in my poetry selections this week, and Karla's poem "The verb in the infinity" is at the top of my list!!

Truly a creative, delicate and emotion love poem. Karla awed me with her deep and in depth word usage, capturing her inner beauty and mixing it within. This piece shows strength to carry on, the ability to rise above a broken heart perhaps, as well as adding a mystical and magical flare, which is one of the many things I adore about this piece.

"Life dances in me every single day
and my nakedness opens closed doors.
When nothing I have,
I still have myself,
I still have our mountains and there
hunters and deers have only one heart."

I want to highlight this portion of the last stanza because it holds such a powerful meaning and what it means to be comfortable and ok with being single perhaps... Such a beautiful and creative way to describe such positive emotions-

I can't stay enough about this poem, Karla has made me speechless with this piece, well done! (10)

The verb in the infinity
by Karla

What a gorgeous love poem. I have read this so many times, and I have to say my favorite part is how Karla incorporated nature into the piece. So simple, yet complex, as nature often is (as is love). This was such an easy read, flowing right off the tongue with beauty. I really liked how she brought the hunter/deer in from the beginning to close it up. An odd pairing in love but realistically they share the love of outdoors so it made sense. Compassion and passion for something/someone is a strong feeling. That last stanza has me in awe.. such a poetic beauty. I can't stop reading this poem! (4)
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HM COMMENTS:

Shut Me Up. by: Linda Leavers (10)

The emotional intensity in this piece blows my mind. It's completely phenomenal how the author opened herself up and let these emotions run freely without restraint. There was definite insecurities, self-doubts, confusion about the path of the relationship, and the passion in this piece, from wanting him to ignore the woman to moving ahead and leaving behind remnants of the piece. There was an absolute battle going on within the author and it's trembling through this poem. What I pictured in my head was the author struggling to find herself and becoming lost in her own storm of thoughts, then near the end, she is exhausted and surrenders herself. Near the end, I found myself seeing her standing in the rain, finally letting go and just pleading to be held, to be made secure.

I know this must have been an incredibly personal and difficult poem to pen, but the author has expressed such truth that reaches me about releasing your emotions because otherwise, we may end up lying to ourselves about it. Such a journey, a phenomenal, moving write!
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If I were You
by Chelsey

This poem has a grammar mistake in the first stanza that made me think twice about giving it a ten.. but that third stanza alone is proof enough that this needs to be seen by people. The third stanza is what makes the poem for me.. It's absolutely gorgeous and so full of faith it warms my heart. We can turn to God any time and ask Him for anything.. and thats proof right here. Help us be more like Him, if only we could be. He shows us so much mercy and grace, love and forgiveness that it really overwhelms a person. This poem made me think, and made me realize a lot about myself as well. Really a beautiful poem. (10)
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Brazilian Secrets
by JaneDoeWrites

I've found what I love about judging is that I often come across a poet who I haven't seen before and immediately fall in love and wonder WHY I haven't read their work before. This was one of those times. This poem blew me away and I've found myself coming back to it time and time again.

I see this poem as being about depression and self harm? And usually if I interpreted a poem this way I never even dream of choosing it for the weekly contest because of the controversy surrounding both issues and the small chance someone may decide to follow these paths themselves.

Upon reading this however I found this poem doesn't glorify either illness but instead speaks about the stark reality of both and in a marvellously poetic way.

"where abandoned
pennies drift atop, likewise,
she's spent being unspent."

I have been sat here for several minutes trying to find a way to articulate what these lines do to me, emotionally. And after struggling to find the words all I can come up with is thus: Quite simply, they kill me.

It makes me think that she has so much potential trapped within her, that is there but can't find its way out. That she has so much to offer and give yet the depression clings to her making her think it is non existent.

"my calloused hands
have grasped paintbrushes in place
of knives,"

Another part that killed me emotionally. It brings the reality of self harm to the reader with such an impact-that you have become your own canvas, that your paintings are now carved upon yourself instead of on paper.

I can't get over this poem. The starkness and the emotion is incredible and I applaud the author for managing to write about two illnesses that have such negative attitudes towards them by society in such a moving, emotional, poetic and beautiful way. Well done. (10)
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Tumultuous
by Britt

What I love about Britt is that she can pack in so much meaning into short pieces and she always does wonderfully with club/site challenges.

I've seen challenges where each word begins with the letter of the last word and the like, but never one with such a random sequence such as this one and for that I think this was beautifully created and I can't imagine it can have been too easy to link them altogether in a way that made sense.

"Lazy jurors talk greedily, "

I love this line, it makes me think of jurors sitting in a room, not really caring about the accused but only wishing to be off doing their own things again and not giving the situation full consideration-which is all too common with our legal system nowadays.

"falsely accusing today's youth."

I love how this ending line connects so deeply with the first. In fact, they could even stand apart and make their own small powerful couplet in my opinion. I wonder, was this intentional or something that just happened while writing?

As always, a beautiful and thought provoking write from Britt. (7)

Tumultuous
by Britt

Challenge's are a fun thing to do and when you create a piece such as Britt has here, it really makes me smile. She has taken all the letters and poured out a fun and creative poem, mixed with an outstanding message to boot! Had to highlight this piece!

Britt has a talent and gift for packing a small poem with such force!!

"Lazy jurors talk greedily,
hearts yielded, eyes washed
inside troubles" -

These lines gave me a tongue twister feeling, although its not a tongue twister, and that is one of the many things I admire about this poem!!

The message is what really got me thinking; Humans take on such a HUGE responsibility in today's society, when it comes to judgement and decision making and I for one felt and took a ton of thoughts with this small and wonderful poem.

Very fun and lively piece!! (4)

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Gaunt
by Poet on the Piano

I too originally thought this was about an eating disorder to begin with and was expecting the poem to lead down such a dark path because of the sombre tone immediately created within the first verse. I was surprised, then, as I read further on and realised that this was not about an eating disorder but perhaps the distance between two people that were once incredibly close, I ended up thinking it was about a couple that have since gone their separate ways.

I was fond of the sudden transitions in each following verse, from having the reader think this will be about an eating disorder, to the verse of chewing gum (Again tying in with initial thoughts as gum is used by many anorexia/bulimia etc sufferers as a way to curb hunger), and then mentioning the two houses.

I thought the ending was perfect. Tying once more with the previous lines ("I need to be more thin") and adding such a bittersweet tone to the melancholy that has been present throughout by mentioning this other person sneaking in. I see it as this person is constantly sneaking under the author's defences and guards?
The metaphors and imagery in this are what really blew me away, elegantly penned. (4)
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Scribbles
by Beautiful Chaos

I wasn't keen to the title of this poem nor to the poem as a whole, but after reading it for about five times. Funny, I started liking it. It has this mystery that itches me to find out what that place is call. The way the lines are broken and the rhymes makes the poem interesting to read. I like it, and at the end of the day this one of the poems that I remembered. Scribbles, ironic! they are hard to decipher so I guess that's why this poem is title like such. Oh and I also feel the emotion in this piece. Well done. (4)
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A Letter to Depression
by: Tara Kay

In a way, I read this as an anthem to life. I loved how the author immediately pointed the fingers at depression, speaking to it brutally but not letting any part of her spirit slip through her fingers and into its hands. This poem came alive in my heart, especially with the voice and spirit of the author, testifying she has never been her own person with depression so near.

These lines touched my soul so much:

"Remove your shoes from my feet
because they keep making me
walk in the wrong direction,
and I just want to find myself my way,
not yours."

- There was such passion in this part, this confidence seeping out that spoke to me. I think when we really ponder our future plans, we map out "directions" in our minds.... unsure which one will be best for us or what we'll do in the end. Here, though you don't know what the future holds, you know you want to find yourself your own path. No one else's.

Words may not be equivalent to actions all the time, but they still have impact. And voicing this is a start toward a lifetime of overcoming depression. You never once said "You win", no, you fought back to say "not again".

An emotional piece that sparked such hope! (4)

Mistakes happen Chelsey, I put it down to you working so hard girl.

Congrats to the winners and all the HM's, some amazing pieces highlighted this week.
And thank you to the judge that commented my piece, means a lot to me.

Thanks to all the judges and you Chelsey of course!!

^ That's right. Don't beat yourself up about it Chels, it happens once in a while. Plus, we all know you always do your best :]

Congrats to all the winners & HM's, so many moving poems this week! And thank you judges for my HM and comment, it was very well-thought out and I appreciate the insight. The judge completely hit the meaning too.

Wow...I've only just noticed this! Thank you judges for your very welcomed comments. I'm glad you like this little character. Your thoughts and encouragement have made me eager to expand on him...I've done a couple of sketches of him this afternoon haha!!!

Congrats to the other winners and HMs.

That's okay Chels!Thanks judges for the lovely comments.

I knew you'd be humble about it Karla which is why I adore you...I'm sorry again. I will be quadruple checking now so we keep the fairness around here :/

Congrats guys! <3

Thanks judges and Chelsey. Everyone makes mistakes. ;) We all still love you to pieces!!!

I thank you guys. flattered for the recognition.
Love
ddadidd

Thanks judges for the (actual) HM :)

I'll be nice to you, Chels. lol. I know you feel bad enough. Just know I'm exercising amazing restraint by not poking the bear, bwahaha.

Hush your mouth. I'll man handle your ass like I did before....on your back, pulling your hair hahahahha

Thanks for being nice guys. you shouldnt be

Everybody makes mistakes sometimes Chelsey, no one begrudges you, we're all human, and none of us are perfect...you do an amazing job every week, even with your hectic schedule.

That sounds totally inappropriate, Chelsey. lol

Excuse me as I go scrub my retinas after reading that.

Omg. hahahahhahaha!

You guys are sick....but I do like how that sounds now that I read it..

30% , remember Britt? bahaha