Weekly Contest Winners 13 July 2015

The judges were captured this week by metaphysical pondering and mysterious loves. Madison's 2 am prose rambling carried weight with its interwoven thoughtful threads. Meme takes strength from the penultimate unknown love. Finally, Ben, Naughtymouse, is immersed in the past like a man momentarily possessed. Another Ben, Pickard that is, gathered two separate 10 votes on two poems. Well done!

Winners
Short of Breath by Adreamer 10+7+4=21 points
John doe by Meme 10+7=17 points
Not in Service by Rings of Poetry AKA Naughtymouse 10+7=17 points

Honorable Mentions
Tease My Eyes Then Leave Me Behind by Ben Pickard 10 points
I Remember. I Wonder. I Realize by Ben Pickard 10 points
Summer's Nature by Baby Rainbow 4+4=8 points
I lost the gift by Everlasting 7 points
Momentums by Gadfly 7 points
Moon Connector by Baby Rainbow 4 points
Moments Last Forever by Beautiful Soul 4 points

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Short of Breath by Adreamer (10 Points)
Its an inspirational self reflecting piece that I found myself deep in my thoughts while still going through its lines. The poet used simple language with such beautiful similes and metaphors.
" stars (fueled and passionate) and snowflakes (frigid and stoic) "
^^ Referring to the structure and nature of stars and snowflakes to deliver a point in such a poetic way I found to be interesting.
I loved how the piece progressed, as if it was a monologue, and how it all ended. The simplicity of it is what kept me wanting to go back and read more.

Short of breath By adreamer (7 points)
This poem is absolutely breath taking and deserving a win!!!
"I find it inspiring that emptiness and fear are brave enough to offer us a chance to question and test our faith" <------ absolutely love this statement. How true is this? You see we should always look at scary emotions as opportunities to grow in faith. I thought that was beautiful.
"I have noticed something fascinating
in the way humans manage to be stars (fueled
and passionate) and snowflakes (frigid and stoic)
all at once - without ever so much as batting an eyelash"
^^^^ this was captivating as all get out and I am so drawn to the word "manage".. You didn't use like or as, you didn't try to compare to create a comparison, you almost took authority over your own creative entitlement as a poet and decided to just say what is. We manage to be stars. Not like stars. Not as stars. We are stars. I love the authority you just took in being an author right there.
I just loved the ending stanza and the title, life is so confusing sometimes and we feel suffocated, but the depths of this poem really shows how to be uplifted and encouraged in dark times, recognize your light, recognize you're not alone. This was a really well written piece and I must say, this proves how absolutely far you have grown as a writer.

Short of Breath by Adreamer (4 points)
I really like the opening lines here and tying the use of days and stars to inner feelings works very well. Using stars makes me think that those feelings are generally dark currently, something further emphasized by the repeated mention of pain.
I enjoyed how it was mentioned we need these sort of moments/pain in order for us to be able to grow and test our faith and courage. "Poetic therapy sessions." I adore this. Because poetry is therapy for so many of us.
I also enjoyed the transition from the somber start to the somewhat hopeful turn of reminding us that others have the same problems as we do. That people before us have overcame them and we can to and reminding us the sun banishes darkness- in this case our darker thoughts.
The last three lines are what I enjoyed the most. It helps remind us that we just have to keep going and life will get better no matter how bad it currently is. Beautifully written. (4)

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John Doe By Meme (10 points)
What made this poem to me a 10, is the that final little segment and that last striking question. It made the poem to me, so much so, that I had to reread it after the question, "....Who were you before they broke your heart..?".... I love the periods before and after that question it gave me a sense of, wow, who is this person that makes the author respond this way? What happened to this person? Better yet, after all the description stanzas , what is it about this John Doe that still draws the author to him? A poem that makes me reread, that makes me question, is an excellent poem to me. The sadness I felt after reading and the unknown questions is actually what I love about poetry. Sometimes we base votes on the creativity of words, this here I am basing solely on feeling. I felt all sorts of ways when finished with this. Almost wanting another poem with the answers. Well done.

John doe by Meme (7 points)
Adore the first line. So often we see without really seeing things. The use-age of half stitched smile makes me think that the smile is painted on and tightly held but not a real one.
"Breathing but still asphyxiated " This was by far in my opinion the most powerful line and it stands out from the rest of the piece. It makes me think about how often we're dragged down by life and struggle to survive, in essence-painting on a smile daily.
The next few lines paint the image of someone in a coma- wordless pleas, silence, lifeless body, imprisonment. Which again reinforces the idea of life bringing us down.
I particularly love the last two lines, such intensity in that open ended question. Very powerful write. (7)

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Not in Service by Rings of Poetry AKA Naughtymouse (10 points)
I'm in love with the scenery Mouse creates in this piece. I keep re-reading how the rain stutters and I fall more in love with it each time that I do, it's beautifully worded.
Combined with the use-age of storm it really sets the atmosphere and backdrop to the poem and using "exposed." as a stand alone line works very well.
The mention of the night bus reminded me of Harry Potter, although I'm unsure if that was an intentional reference.
By mentioning remembering how you once were paves the way for a somewhat mournful closing. No longer are you as you were and what you wish you still were.
I really enjoyed how Mouse heard a smile and felt a breath, that's different and a phrasing I've not seen before and the last line was somewhat bittersweet for me. Artfully penned. (10)

Not in Service by Rings of Poetry AKA Naughtymouse (7 Points)
He is one of my favorite poets because he writes with passion. Because he makes every word feels personal. And this poem was not an exception!
I like the title choice, it fits perfectly with the point conveyed in the poem.
Right from the opening verse I felt the vulnerability within him, the picture I saw was vivid and I was hocked to the emotions in this piece immediately. The second verse showed me the poetic side in him, and how poets are always linked to their poetry, it's a bittersweet feeling when we become nostalgic even in our poetry. And oh my how he chose to end the poem, the contradictory adjectives gave the ending such a different feeling. And like the poet himself I felt a shiver at the end because I felt his words. As always, an a amazing poem.

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Tease My Eyes Then Leave Me Behind by Ben Pickard (10 points)
This poem truly moved me and I was all teary by the time I finished reading it. It brought back memories as well as the conversations that was spoken before I lost a loved one. I really like the opening line "tease my eyes then float away" there is much to be taken from it and the visual behind that sentence took me into the hospital room where a loved one is about to depart. A touching writer which put me into the writer's shoes...

I Remember. I Wonder. I Realize by Ben Pickard (10 points)
This poem is very well written ,which is often hard to do on a long poem . it brought to mind about every infatuation I ever had and progressed to a realization of how images are powerful and beauty is in the eye of the beholder ,yet the subject is often blinded to the lies that a flirt may leave us with . That was the very strong finish in this poem

Summer's Nature by Baby Rainbow (4 points)
Although the author chose the nature genre this poem read more like a love poem with beautiful natural imagery .

Summers Nature By Baby Rainbow (4 points)
I really enjoyed the speeding up this poem did, I wasn't entirely captivated by stanza one, but it picked up by stanza two, and then stanza threes use of "burst" had me visualizing, and the ending stanza was sort of a stanza that really makes the reader question how they perceive things. Perceive not only nature, but perhaps life. Do we live with our eyes open or closed? Do we allow ourselves to see the beauty in all things? Nature and life poem almost mixed in one. ..nice write!

I lost the gift by Everlasting (7 points)
In the usual weeks of excellent nominations I can't help but think of how writing makes it easier to get the deeper meaning of a skilled poets work . I really love a bit of reality while dazed by reflecting of where my pen has taken me and left me at times . To the author know it may not always be as strong but it will always return to a master or a slave to the ink.

Momentums by Gadfly (7 points)
Interesting write! A look at poetry, its inspiration and the birth of it. Inspiration takes birth when the mood, atmosphere and environment combined together makes you want to take the pen and see it dance. If you let it go, it flutters away but it will return with its own interpretation! I really liked how the writer has described inspiration like a butterfly-it comes and it goes...lovely read!

Moon Connector By Baby Rainbow (4 Points)
I think everyone who reads this poem will definitely without a doubt feel a connection to it. Who hasn't looked at the moon and thought of it as the only thing that linked them to the one they love? I for myself do it a lot. In the moments of extreme happiness, so in the moments of depression and sadness. When I am alone I just look up and think "at least where are looking at the same moon, where standing under the same sky" sometimes that helps to go through whatever it is that I go through.
Loved it!

Moments Last Forever by Beautiful Soul (4 points)
A short write but it says a lot about love's moment. Words aren't necessary, kisses or embraces are not needed to be spoken or asked for. When that moment is right the eyes says it all, sets the mood and within two hearts a smile blooms for love is beautiful when hearts understand each other and a lovely moment is forever captured in one's heart, mind and soul...nice write!

Great choices, well deserved! And thanks for the comments judges :)

Congrats to all.

Well done - some wonderful pieces again and thanks to the judges for their time/comments.

Thankyou so much for the nomination and especially to the judges for their time and wonderful comments, really I am totally freaked by their kind words, congrats to all Hm's and winners! I've read all these poems and they are fantastic!! Big Loves PnQ

This week there were a lot of wonderful pieces, amazing pieces everyone. Really, they are each so beautiful.