Weekly Contest Results 2016-07-25

Wry observation and melancholy fill the front page this week. Michael swayed four judges with his subtle but cutting truth, ironically set off by the dry wit title. It happens to be set forth in my own favorite poetry form, the syntuit.
From pandas and inequality we drift to Mahal's bittersweet reverie of times not gone and yet less substantial and Andrea's recognition that writing is not enough and must not stand in the way of True Experience.
Congrats winners and HMs. Thanks, judges for meaningful comments and timely posting.

Front Page

Former Places by Mahal Ko Kuya Ko 27 Points
Everyone Loves a Panda (syntuit) by Mr Darcy 25 Points
See You in October by Maple Tree 14 Points

HMs
Cloud Gazing by: Ether 10 Points
Missed by Poetess 10 Points
The Grove By Meena Irish 8 Points
Black Corn by Sir Lancelot 7 Points
Consequences of Playing Doctor by Someone Invisible 4 Points

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Everyone Loves a Panda (syntuit) by Mr Darcy 7 Points
Wow! You wouldn't know it by the title but this poem is so relatable to today's current events. You also managed to nail it within a few lines in a form. Just wow. I am overwhelmed with the poem and my heart is not sure if you aren't one of few who truly "get it".

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Everyone Loves a Panda (syntuit) by Mr Darcy 7 Points
A message we are much in need.
A creative way of playing on form and words.
I believe poetry and literature play perhaps one of the most effective roles
in influencing people and making change on larger scales.
Yours states with clarity the think line
that makes a difference between nature and man. If only everyone could fully understand this.
Touching.

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Everyone Loves a Panda (syntuit) by Mr Darcy 7 Points
With what is going on in the world today, the reader cant help but be touched by this eye opening poem by Michael this week! Truly a powerful, formed poem... wonderfully written!

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Everyone Loves a Panda (syntuit) by Mr Darcy 4 Points
A seemingly soft colourful introduction in the first two line in this thought provoking Syntuit style poem.
"Contrasting colours of nature
shine equally"
With line three revealing a powerful conclusion
"unless they are human".
A thought provoking sentence that finishes the Syntuit's first two lines perfectly and shows how humans whilst also made up of many colours are so different from the rest of nature.
There is no racism in nature all colours are equal. What a great message. If more humans looked to nature for behavioural etiquette instead of trying to thrust their beliefs on Nature then what a great place Earth would be.
An excellent Syntuit with the required three line five /seven/five syllables
with the third line's intuitive conclusion.

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Former Places by Mahal Ko Kuya Ko 10 Points
This is a sorrowful water color painting poem!
Just breathtaking!! In all its beauty, its dripping with sorrow and yet the reader cant help but be filled with peace and comfort. I was just taken by this piece!

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Former Places by Mahal Ko Kuya Ko 10 Points
One of the saddest and most elegant poems that I have read in a while.
Your word choice is so classical and deep,
I loved the metaphors and all of their
underlying messages.
The title itself makes you feel grey,
it reflects the mood, perhaps anything
former and everything past-related
somehow makes us feel blue in most cases.
I was mesmerized by this piece.

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Former Places by: Mahal Ko Kuya Ko 7 Points
Nostalgia. That is one word I keep experiencing over and over again in this poem. I love your own voice and belief of what nostalgia is, the hidden beauty and that it has the opportunity to blossom, yet that doubt and reality seeps in. This gave me chills: "You made me feel like they're poetry." That hits the heart so hard. That those roads and cities and paths will never be what they used to, they will now be empty, not enough for your soul anymore.
"You might have forgotten
the way you made me harbour hope
from a pale summer moon."
- Beautifully written. Nice alliteration here with "harbor hope". That warmed my heart.
And everything beautiful, shining, now makes you sad. A sadness that seems to hang over you.\
One suggestion though:
Wasn't the biggest fan of these lines, they just seemed awkward and purposeless: "I've never been on this road/ for a several months now."
Emotional write. Thank you for sharing!

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See you in October By Maple Tree 10 Points
As always beautifully written, worded and mesmerizing. I hope this was metaphoric and you are not leaving. However, it is understood, though you will be missed. Back to the poem, there is something about the fall that makes everything come together, and it certainly feels that way in your poem. Everything connects and comes full circle before the cold barren winter.

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See You in October by: Maple Tree 4 Points
Oh, Maple! How you steal my heart. How many of us here can nod our heads in agreement to writing giving us strength and hope for the future? It allows us to breathe outside of our mind, to share what seems to sometimes suffocate us. The second stanza gave such depth, reminding me that we cannot push away the darkness or demons and simply wish them away. We have to face them.
I applaud you for speaking about wanting to no longer "hide within metaphors", as I think we all can easily talk about our pain in a way to make beauty, yet we may still need healing in another way.
Beautiful, Maple. I cannot wait for your rebirth in October.

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Cloud Gazing by: Ether 10 Points
I am not familiar with your poetry, Ether, but it gave me a strange sense of comfort to read. There is structure to this piece without forcing emotion. It's a simple kind of depth, if that even makes sense. I love the ominous presence of the clouds, the comparison that as the clouds change and rain falls on the earth, there will be that calm at the end of the storm that this person brings you. So much inner turmoil in this, between this person not being able to "understand why", which I perceive to be understand why you are leaving and saying goodbye. Maybe this person cannot read what is truly going on in your heart, that there are too many storms and moments of unclarity. That realization that despite the fact you love them, it doesn't affect the outcome of a situation. Of the consequences even. Painful, truthful piece.

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Missed by Poetess 10 Points
A heart breaking poem. Especially if you have ever lost anyone dear to you.
The introduction sets the stage revealing how difficult it is to put into words what you feel when someone close has passed on.
Then the lines that portray the sun regretting not being warmer and the moon not giving more hope on dark nights when there was no end. This gives a little glimpse into what was happening leading up to the passing.
This is elaborated on with the writer wondering whether the person had even looked up and seen the stars.
You get the impression that it was someone beset with darkness in their lives, a heavy burden of some kind a struggle with illness and despair.
The next stanza reveals the inner pain of the writer and gives lie to the initial belief that they couldn't or wouldn't be able to find the right words to say how
they felt.
Then the reveal that "missing" is about much more than just
missing, that instead
"there is an emptiness in the world that wasn't there before"
An emptiness in the world that can never be filled.
Perhaps a young person that passed and that the emptiness is all the things that they will never achieve and the lives that they will never touch.
Finally the last two lines bringing it back down to the more personal message again.
"I miss knowing you are in the world.
I miss knowing you are alive".
I don't think that there is any better words to sum up how you feel when someone you love dies.
It is a poem that pulls at the emotions and the heart strings which can be seen by the number of votes and nominations already received.

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The Grove By Meena Irish 4 Points
Stunning poetry by a very talented writer. This poem doesn't disappoint the reader. I agree with a couple of your comments, it has a very calming effect on the reader. Puts me in the mood to write.

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The Grove by Meena Krish 4 Points
Meena has the ability to grab you with her nature poems and make you feel like you are wrapped within a silky bed of moss... like a nature poem Hammock! Just beautiful!

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Black Corn by Sir Lancelot 7 Points
Sir Lancelot has written a technically perfect Sonnet
(Sonnet: - 14 decasyllabic lines (a decasyllable is a metrical line of ten syllables)
that can be rhymed or unrhymed in the requisite format a-b-a-b / c-d-c-d / e-f-e-f /g-g
He paints an emotional tale of unrequited love and the toll it takes.
A colourful journey that combines nature and deep emotion. In Stanza three the heart pulling wish for just one last kiss desperately seeking an end to his woes.
Then in the final stanza the image of corn being black in stead of gold is a powerful one that echoes the darkness and in his heart. Truly compelling.

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Consequences of Playing Doctor by Someone Invisible 4 Points
There is this smart vent in this poem. It could have been a much stronger piece if revised and cut down in regard of wording and fillers. But the feeling and theme were very powerful that it just got my whole attention.
It's both a mourning piece, and an alarming one. It shares the sad thoughts of the writer and opens the eyes of those who might benefit from the experience.
The sadness in this piece is a killer.

Congratulations everyone

Congratulations to Michael and Mahal...it's a lovely feeling being on the front page with you both.
Congratulations to the hms...just beautiful reading I must say..

Thank you judges for the touching comments

Just wanted to say, I am not leaving the site, I'm just taking a break from writing for a while, I have some other things I need to focus on, but posting poetry is not my only passion for this site, it's reading and commenting...I will be doing lots of that...it's comforting and soothing for me...heck, I may even run a challenge in a few, you never know.

Thank you everyone for your care and thoughts!

PS, it's my 6 year wedding anniversary with Mr Pike today...so this day is a lovely day indeed <3

Congratulations to all.

SL

Well done everyone AMAZING poems this week!!!

And Happy Anniversary Jim & Andrea!!! :))))

Awesome poetry, thank you for posting Larry..

And Andrea, may you guys enjoy a lifetime together <3 my best wishes

Double congrats, Andrea!
What a timely anniversary gift.

Congratulations everyone! (Especially Maple, we love you & Jim!)

Thank you judges and Larry for posting. Have a great week everyone :)

Thank you everyone!

We. Love you too MA

Congratulations to the Winners and HM's!

Thank you judges for the comments and thank you for your time and thanks Larry for posting.

Happy Wedding Anniversary Andrea...have a lovely day :)

Congratulations to all the winners and HMS! Wonderful writing from all! Thank you judges and Larry for your comments. Andrea, Happy Anniversary to you are you honey! What a doubly nice day.

Congrats winners and Hm's.

Happy Anniversary Andrea to you and your hubby. It's mine and my hubbs anniversary too.

Awww happy day !! Congratulations

Congratulations Winners and HMs all deserving.

Thanks for posting Larry

Congratulations all round. Group hug anyone?

I got two HMs in two weeks on the same poem? Not bad. Lol

Congrats all winners and HMs.

and Mrs. Pike on your anniversary!

I'm down for a group hug!

Wow thank you for the review.

I didn't even realise you did this every week for the winners and HM's... it's been many years since I gave this site time. I once had a different account with more "awards" (I guess that's the term). But deleted it some years ago, and this account stayed as my backup/now full-time account.

My poem was indeed about leaving a love: a lover I met in Berlin while I was there for a few months, then having to leave him as I found out I was accepted into postgraduate study at a university in Vienna. Sad, but for the greater good.

Thanks again for the review. Congratulations to the winners!

Congratulations to the Winners and thank you, Judges! (:

Group hug seems like a great idea Michael haha :)