Weekly Winners 10.19.2015!

The judges had a wide variety this week, so lots of love to share all around! Congratulations to the winners (the site had to make a tie, told you the judges had lots of love to spread!) and all the HM's!

Thank you judges for all your hard work, and making this week run so smoothly and easily! We appreciate all your hard work!!

Winners!
Grains of Sand by Ben Pickard
Divided by Britt
Inwards Outwards by Beautiful Soul

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Grains of Sand by Ben Pickard:

"Another brilliant sad poem for this week. It was an easy choice to highlight this poem.

I actually really liked the structure and was fond of the general flow of the poem. However what drew me most to this one was the very creative closing shots at every part.

The poet worked well on closing his lines, each on its own, making a very powerful poetic entity, rather than just relying on a powerful poem ending.

I really loved the Grains of Sand metaphor, reflecting how He the character sees his Sanity.

It was simply brilliant ! Mad and in one sense and another its very passionate too!

Awesome work!" (7)

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As per usual the judging was a challenge . I usually go for the light at the end of the funnels in timeless funnels but the truth that there is no real safety in words to shield us from every day reality caused me to remember that every hair is numbered like every grain of sand. (10)

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Divided by Britt

Another poem I am voting on based around emotion, must be a sad little sap this week. This poem gives me goosebumps, simply because I can't even image feeling like the poet is feeling in this piece. The confusion, the heart ache, a feeling of wrongness and rightness all in one heart. If I could describe this poem I would say this is the poets way of sifting through her thoughts and trying to make sense of something that does not really make sense to her. I'm fond of a lot of imagery the poet uses, 'softness to bones' < a beautiful contradiction, 'fetal position', 'joints cracking', these makes the reader away that this experience is painful, it's literally causing bones to ache. I hope this writer finds comfort and solace very soon. (7)

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This is a body chilling, blood circulating piece of poetry. It takes you in a tour of goosebumps to the last word. Unbelievably touching.

The wording is naturally flowing, with all its depth and poetic squeeze, still it flows as if the poet just went on typing the way they honestly felt. Not one word felt like forced.

Amazing closing line...thank you for sharing and a winner by all senses. (10)

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Inwards.Outwards by Beautiful Soul

One of the first steps in healing is in the diagnoses . This is a bold analogy of common issues faced by most of us in need of facing ills of society. (7)

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I'm not even sure where to start with this poem. You twisted metaphors, you crafted cliches and expressions and turned them literally, inside out, hence the title I'm guessing. I found this so intriguing, I couldn't even feel any tone, I couldn't even tell if there was a sad mood that was supposed to jump on me when reading because I was super entranced by the wording of this entire piece. I really enjoyed this write and you should be proud of it. Good job. (7)

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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Altared Plans by Larry

When it comes to a poem like this I can't help but let myself be wrapped in the writers words. It is a clever and difficult form, but that is not the reason I decided to vote for it. It's the emotion. The fact that I too felt like I had experienced a loss, a loss that sits on my skin and is never truly made sense of. While I say that, it's also evident to me that the writer has an understanding of the loss, an acceptance. However, understanding and acceptance doesn't always make the wounds heal, some wounds are with us for life.

While I said I didn't vote this on the the form itself, I must commend you on writing a form I've never seen before, did you create this? If so you're one clever Godfather. I also want to add that I really like how the shape of the form (almost like an hour glass) was symbolic of time running out, or an ending, much like the story or moment in your life you were depicting. Congratulations on writing a beautiful poem that is very worthy of the front page. (10)

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Sad poetry, striking this week.
The title itself, brought the Marriage theme directly to my head. And the the blend of words, expressing one's self in such flippy wording way "word of your.." "and yet- never alone" "never alone"-"married"

It's just an amazing form that was written in a great way. The tune of sadness and woefulness and somewhat that sense of blame, is just touching and raw like fresh meat.

Well done! Nailed the form with great emotions. (4)

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Jumping Ship by JaneDoeWrites

I voted for this poem last week and I am voting for it again for all of the previous reasons I stated. It's the adventure and excitement you create for the reader that really allowed me to get hooked on your words. Thank you for taking me down a journey (for the second time), it's been a wonderful experience to share with you and I really do hope this poem ends up on the front page this week! (4)

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No Need to Fear the Dark by J Nair

This poem delivered, for me, a very important profound spiritual theme in reflections of lessons revisited. (4)

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Weeping Beneath the Willow by ssenevol

I loved multiple things about this poem. I like the word play with weeping a here, and how you found comfort during your weeping being underneath a tree who can "relate". I also loved the imagery here, the peacefulness, the inspiration that rings beautiful in the end of this stanza. Very honest write, emotional and altogether a positive statement in the end. Well done. (10)

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Caring Hearts Entwined by Ben Pickard

Ah Ben, yet another beautiful written poem sir. I really enjoyed this write and the scene that it painted in my head. The poems that I can get wrapped in the story typically are favorites of mine. Like most people say about you work, for you favoring rhyming, this piece has nothing too forced or tacky, it is a brilliant piece of love poetry and I enjoyed every moment reading. (4)

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Transition by Baby Rainbow

On reading this I gather this is something
very personal to the writer and at the
same time it is a write that some can
relate to. The opening lines:

The air we breathe feeds poison into my lungs,
tainting my blood and cursing my heart.

Its an interesting one for without saying
or isolating it conveys about the very
society we live in. The gossips perhaps,
their expectations and so forth just
consumes us and leaves us down heart-ed even guilty.

Demons:
they watch from a distance
as they claim me into their evil spirits
and trap me out here forever,
as one of them!

^^The use of demons here can be the
very people who are turning our live sour
and miserable; so much so at one point
or the other our hearts too tend to
bend and we become one of these
"demons". Maybe my interpretation is
wrong but that is how I see it here.

But I am now one of them -
it is all that I can be
to ensure there is no damage done
to those who touch my heart.

^^Such a saddening situation that without wanting to and been tired
of fighting we get into that world so
that in a way we can stop others
becoming a captive in this demonic world. Or we can save the ones we
love by pushing them away. Some sacrifices are worth it and at the same
time it can never be understood by the others. Overall a write that tugs
at my heart. (10 points)

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Lamp by E

I feel this is more of a psychological write-like a self discovery of oneself.
Coming out into the open or into a
lighted world after been trapped
within a darkness called war within oneself. We are our own enemies and
it's the same "we" that make misery
and life cold.

The opening lines:

Down. Down. Down. Down the rabbit hole,
I go, downward, deeper, and it's dwindling

^^It got me thinking about Alice in Wonderland and in a way that too
is a journey where Alice discovers her inner strength to battle the outside
world.

The title Lamp is very fitting here too. For it is this very light that brings
brightness to the world, to the blind helping us on the road of discovery.
A nice read. (7 points)

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One moment at the time by Dagmar Wilson

Our past can teach us many lessons
and from each experience, we learn to
grow emotionally as well as mentally
and that is what this write is all about.
Though short it drives the message
across that no matter what happens,
the past is not going to hold the
writer down instead she will pick herself
up and keep moving ahead; looking
forward to the tomorrows and its events. Nicely penned. (4 points)

Thank you, judges, for your sweet sweet comments on my poem. I appreciate them!

Congrats all and thank you judges!

Many thanks to the judges for their time and encouraging words. When I joined this site, I the was stunned by the quality on it - even a little intimidated, dare I say. Nothing has changed about that, so to be regarded as a worthy winner is still a huge honour for me.
Congratulations to the other two winners which are exceptional pieces and also the excellent hms this week.
All the best
Ben

Congrats to all.

Congrats to everybody! :)

Thanks to both judges for the comments. I read Hellon's Rictameter & was struck that a ContraRictameter would perfectly create an hourglass. The poem had to be about running out of time.

Thanks to Britt for posting and thanks to all the judges.

Congrats to Britt, James and Ben. Wonderful poems! Congrats to the other HMs as well.

Awesome week, and thanks for all the time Judges :)