Maple's Jan. Prompt Challenge results!

Well this was crazy!!!

Every Poem was voted on! Tons of voting support and lots of people said this was a hard challenge to vote on, I agree!

we have tie's for placements and so here is how it turned out...

I want to thank all fifteen writer's for digging deep with this challenge, they all did an excellent job! I am going to post all the poems votes so you can see how wild this voting went. Ill even post a few comments made by voters at the bottom!!

Congratulations to Darren for squeaking by at the last minute and winning this challenge by one point :-)

***************** Results ***************

First Place Winner:
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Poem #4
A dying plant prompt
By Darren
41 points

Second Place Winners:
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Poem #8
French Bread
By Mr Darcy
40 points

Poem #6
Old Tree prompt
By Poetess
40 points

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Third Place winners:

Poem #1
Train Ticket Prompt
By Formidable Muse
39 points

Poem #12
A church pew prompt
By Poet on the piano
39 points

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Fourth Place:

Poem #9
A memory from Childhood Prompt
By Dixiedaisy
37 points

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Poem #2
a political figure prompt
By Bob Shank
34 points
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Poem #13
The smell of lilacs Prompt
By Adreamer
32 points
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Poem #7
being underwater prompt
By Larry Chamberlin Godfather
28 points
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Poem # 10
Cologne prompt By
Cassie Hughes
25 points
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Poem #5
A Garbage can Prompt
By Baby Rainbow
25 points
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Poem #15
smoke prompt
By Silvershoes
22 points
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Poem #14
A Locket Prompt
By Ben Pickard
20 points

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Poem #3
Taste of Medicine Prompt
By Jennie Marie
18 points
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Poem #11
Growing older Prompt
By Michael D Nalley
11 points

***************************************

Comments made by Voters:

Dixiedaisy comments,

Poem #12 (5pts.)
Decrepit
(A church pew prompt)

These two stanzas speak volumes on the prompt chosen. Imagery was so intense that it brought me back to my childhood days of going to church. All the memories are as vivid now as then. I grew up in a Baptist church while my mom was Pentecostal Holiness and Dad didn't even bother to go to church, because he felt there were more hypocrites there and he'd just do his worshipping from home. I loved this poem and thought it was my favorite amongst the entries perhaps because it's most relatable. Can't wait to find out who the writer is when posted on their account.

"Its voice is now demolished.
Constructed in mahogany,
devoid of song -
no more light from sun
or stained glass windows
or renewed hearts."
^^^
This stanza has so much power because it actually makes you think of the construction of the pew and Windows way before the church was formed. The ending line in the stanza about "renewed hearts" and the fact that there are no longer testimonies, songs, prayer or baptisms gives a heartbreaking reality to forlorn religion

"The only sounds that echo now
are dusty memories and duets
of ghosts that can't bury their past.
This church is testimony
to the love prayed for,�
vowed, abandoned..."

^^^
This stanza gives hope that there were lives "saved" through process of vows, prayers and love. Then with one single last word "abandoned" comes right back and snatches those previous hopes away. The eerie thought of ghosts whom can't bury their past gives a reason to assume that members and guests of the church whom were prayed for, that the prayers weren't enough and it was effortless attempts to save their soul.

Whomever this writer may be, you have just amazed me with this poem. Love it!

____________________________________

Poem #10 (4pts)
Reminiscent
(Cologne prompt)

As some people with a sixth sense would seem that the smell of perfume or cologne is one of the most recognized signs of someone from the afterlife trying to reach you. I don't feel like this poem was based on someone's passing and the remembrance of them, though that is how it relates to me as such. I felt like it could also be about a lost male partner or a father, since the word anchor which is mentioned in a very masculine description depicts the poem as well as cologne has a tendency to be masculine though not always. This was a shorter write but had a lot to say and powerful images were portrayed throughout.

__________________________________

Poem #6 (3pts.)
(Old tree prompt)

Though I think the repetitive nature of all the "you's" and "yours" in the poem was distracting, I still felt this was one of my favorite poems submitted. I admired how the poem took the reader through different scenarios of a trees life. How memories of childhood secrets, sheltering during sun or rain, and even the insinuation of perhaps a father being hanged for the simple color of skin. It seems as though this writer may be familiar with the south and it's brutality of weather and even maybe the atrocities of prejudice during the 60's in this era. Lovely poem that I would find more aesthetically pleasing to eliminate many of the "you's" throughout the poem. Nothing will be lost in the removal but a much more straightforward poem with tons more depth.

____________________________________

Poem #3 (2pts.)
Taste of medicine
(Taste of medicine prompt)

This poem is a stark reminder that when alcoholics go through DT's, they will do anything to get a drink. Similar to someone feigning for drugs.
I had a friend when I was younger whose grandmother always had a drink, she called it her ba-ba. She would do anything for her daily drinks. She had some fooled into thinking she didn't drink anymore until she became disabled and couldn't get to the liquor store. She then became "sick" with a cold, requesting cough syrup often from a myriad of people just to get the alcohol from the cough syrup to cal her nerves and shaking hands.
I enjoyed the way this poem was written and it also serves as sort of a public service announcement that not all medicines heal

Poem 1 5pts = Poem #7 being underwater prompt: This poem is excellent. The imagery the portrayal of diving, being under water was as clear as: water. The repeated word, 'bubbles'; was a great reminder of where the story was taking place. The descriptions of the undersea brought realism to the seascape. The fact that this poem is tragic was balanced by a welcome splash of levity. I liked this poem a lot and found the whole piece captivating. Certainly a piece to re-read and marvel at.

Poem 2 4 pts = Poem #12 A church pew prompt: The sense of the church and its pew, its textures and coloured light are vivid here. The woven history of it being a constant place to lean on whilst life's hardships came and went lent itself to a sense of wisdom. The Overall I liked the melancholy feel of this piece and sad reflections.

Poem 3 3 pts = Poem # 10 Cologne prompt: A lovely nugget of a poem which harnesses the power of smell and its direct link to our memory. I can relate to this and know that although the aroma is full of sweet memories, it is sometimes too painful as it reminds us of our loss. I love the alliteration of the last two words!

Poem 4 2 pts = Poem #14 (2 points) A Locket Prompt: The imagery and portrayal of sadness are excellent in this poem. The use of the word scab repulsed me, but in a good way, a way that made me feel the pain. The closing statement, a plea to succeed where they had failed: an honesty that is both humble and sad. I also enjoyed the rhyme as it enhanced the general feeling.

"I feel the French Bread was a winning poem even without the catastrophic ending. "

"The beloved dog story is a clich�©, but so well done that it became fresh again."

This contest was amazing Andrea!

Congratulations Darren!

So glad to know the poets behind the poems. I was correct in some of my guesses, others just blew me away! Every poem written was great.

Wow, I was totally surprised by the authors (except a couple).

Congrats, Darren, Michael & Poetess. These were outstanding poems!

Michael, I made the comment about the poem being a winner even without the ending. You are a true master of the genre!

Well done Darren and everyone, to be honest - some wonderful pieces. I read everyone twice and my votes were still so hard to cast.
All the best,
Ben

I think the best poems have won. Well done. Great turnout. Andrea, you are a poetry contest goddess.

Well done to all the winners. It took me ages and multiple readings to decide where my votes were going the quality of poetry was just so high.
Thanks to Andrea for running the challenge too, it was great fun. :)

This has made my day, (It has been a long one-working 15 hours straight)

Thanks to everyone who voted, thanks also to those that took part and made this a successful challenge.

The biggest thanks to Andrea for hosting and kicking me up the bum.

You are welcome everyone this was fun to do...

Darren I didn't have to kick you hard Gigggggles

This has been an amazing contest and one that will be talked about by our grandchildren's children. lol

Andrea, you have hosted a brilliant contest. It was timed well after the New Year and gave a necessary spark to the site. Your almost daily commentary was riveting to read and helped, I' m sure to keep the momentum going. Thank you so much for the thrill of the contest. You are a star... Out of breath? I am! :O)

Congratulations Darren. You are a dark horse, but one who certainly knows how to write a winner. I will look at my old shrivelled Geranium in a different way in future. Well done!

As for my joint 2nd place and the 3rd places, well, it really was any ones contest and we should all be duly proud. *claps all round*

Larry, your poem was phenomenal from start to climatic finish. Thanks also for your praise, it is well received.

As for everyone else. I read and re-read very poem 3, 4 and even 5 times. I changed my own votes and cried out when I had to relegate a poem from a voting slot . To be honest this was the hardest decision I have had make all year, if not longer!

I mentioned to Claire (my honey girl) that if I saw these all published in a book I would buy it. Yes, they were all that good!

Well done, one and all.

Take care,

Michael

This really was a great challenge.

Congrats to all. I wish I could have voted for all of them, lol.

And whoever left the comment- thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to clean it up =P

Congrats to all

These were all great poems with great prompts

I agree with Michael....they were all wonderful poems and Andrea you did a awesome job with the contest.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Congrats!

Congratulations to all. These were great poems!

Congrats to all! Thank you judge for the in-depth comment and for Maple of course. What an awesome turnout!

Y'all are welcome for the comments. Hope I didn't offend in anyway. Those poems I picked were my favorites, but I wanted to comment each one but didn't have time.

Wow, this really did sweep the site by storm.

Congrats everyone, not just on the winning four places, but on doing so well in general. Amazing writes everyone and beautiful comments on each of the pieces thus far.

Thank you Andrea so much for hosting this, it really was perfectly timed and extremely fun!

Haven't been on here in a while, so I just saw this. So, Congrats everyone! These are all wonderful pieces.

Thank you Andrea for hosting, I enjoyed being a part of this. (:

Welcome back.
Great way to re-break the ice (while waiting on a train?)

Thanks, Larry. ^^