Weekly Contest Winners - September 5, 2016

Hope everyone has had a good start to the week (and to all in the U.S., hope you enjoyed Labor Day).

Congratulations to all the winners and HM's! Such awesome poems highlighted this week. Thank you so much judges!

_________________________

WINNERS:

"A touch of innocence (collaboration)" by: Mr Darcy 10 + 7 + 7 = 24 points

"Apples That Float Away" by: Ben Pickard 10 + 7 = 17 points

"Excerpt 954" by: Britt 10 + 7 = 17 points

__________________

COMMENTS:

"A touch of innocence" by: Mr Darcy and Maple tree

"By now I am sure you two are aware of the special connection that you share when writing. One cannot decipher the difference in whom wrote what. Amazing! As many poets know when writing that once someone reads it they may take a different view of opinion on it. The poem becomes adapted to fit their personal thoughts. With this poem I kept picturing a Salvador Dali painting. In this picture I envision a man distraught with grief and alone trying to find solace in the sea, he sits upon cliffs with dates engraved upon them. Perhaps they are dates important to him and his thoughts. With grief in his forethought he spies the tiny warriors fighting through their daily with an ingrained fierceness about about them. There are oddities in the vision as there would be in a painting of Dali. I found this poem most intriguing because I know it was meant in a more pure form of just watching nature." (10)

- - - - - - - -

"Without the notation that there were two author's for this piece I never would have guessed there were. The voices blend together seamlessly and the style is incredible much like the word choice and level of vocabulary. While I will point out that the descriptions were a little shaky from time to time this pair definitely made up for that with their on point phenomenal use of each other skill. Perhaps it was only shaky in my opinion as well, so that is always something to keep in mind. The second stanza is really where this started to leave the page and become a true creation of its own - a movie or a painting or some other work of art to each individual within the audience, but no matter the form, the execution was spot on wonderful. Absolutely fantastic piece from a purely dynamic duo." (7)

- - - - - - - - -

"What a truly wonderful poem. Such rich visuals. A mystical mirage of emotion silences waves that crash over thousand year old rocky shores. immediately sets the scene for an ancient rocky beach. The image of salty air shaping his thoughts. The army of crabs scuttling on the beach Crystal pools of possibilities, and micro worlds existing beneath the tension building out of curiosity. Sheer genius a poetic gem making so much more of what to many would just be a beach scene. I am genuinely in awe, an excellent collaboration." (7)

_____________________________

"Apples That Float Away" by: Ben Pickard

"This poem screams of fall, the rising of emotions, and the pure luster of life. I was tossed between meaning, but it touches the reader. Ben has that ability with his writing, well done! (10)

- - - - - - - -

"Very interesting title, it's actually somehow sweet and I know it's not very appropriate to describe it this way, but it's actually, cute.

But then, I read the poem, and it's a very sad one. Very realistic, yet very poetic at the same time.

Although the words connect effortlessly, but the metaphors and lines are soo deep, so rich and beautiful. The imagery is praise worthy and touching.

Is all this ugliness, in fact, just ripe in me,

^ this is simply a killer.

The last line, was nailed. One of my favorites, this poem became." (7)

__________________

"Excerpt 954" by: Britt

"9 is a sign of termination., 5 is a symbol of benevolence. 4 is a number of protection."

I know this might not connect to that which was on the mind of the poet, but when through with the poem, the feeling it passed over to me, threw me back to these numbers and their symbol which I've read online earlier.

The poem is utterly simple in word choice, but the impact it has on the reader is impossible.

I literally said, Wow, loudly, when I reached that last line. It struck me hard.

Very sad, emotional, and straight-forward." (10)

- - - - - - -

"What I love about this poem is how raw it is in the opening. It sets tone with a question that demands an answer. It can be taken a few different ways. One could think it's from a teenager questioning their parent on why everything is just Black and white with no gray area, or as the poet has written rainbow. It brings me to my younger days when I questioned everything and my parents thought because their love was enough and so was their answers however vague they may be." (7)

__________________________________

HM'S:

"Birth parent" by: Sunshine 7 + 4 + 4 = 15 points

"Destruction at its finest" by: Deeplydesturbed & Brenda

"Reminiscent" by: Mahal Ko Kuya Ko = 10 points

"Roses Sweet" by: Everlasting 4 + 4 = 8 points

"Systematic Desecration in Darkness" by: Rob = 4 points
____________________________

COMMENTS:

"Birth parent" by: Sunshine

"Small poems, that pack a powerful punch are a true joy to read. I was blown away by this piece. The ending is creative and hits you to the core with emotion, deserves to be highlighted." (7)

- - - - - - - - -

"I chose this poem for different reasons. The title made me feel this is going to be dramatic, or this is going to be really good, or really bad. Being specific in the title that this is about "birth" parents, raised in my mind the probability of having other parents or no parents at all. And that was sad in itself.

However, this poem, consisting of about 13 words; touch that thin line that connects my heart threads together.

Unfit, to swim, in my blood stream...

who could have thought of wording it that way, I found it both effortless and genius. Sad and touching. A very creative idea in my opinion to speak of blood, thus relating the actual connection between the poet and the parents, and then using the words swim/stream to show the broken tie of that relationship that even blood did not connect it well..

My admiration of this poem is purely emotional and also admirable of the idea that never crossed my mind before.

Well done." (4)

- - - - - - - -

"Wow! Such few lines but packs an enormous statement within. Thank God for single parents, role models, foster parents, aunts uncles and the like that give our lives the sustenance we need. Just because you gave birth or helped give life does not make you worthy to remain in it." (4)

____________________________________________

"Destruction at its finest" by: Deeplydesturbed & Brenda

"This week has been so difficult to judge with so many superb poems. What a phenomenal piece. The imagery is spot on, an excellent poem, so visual and rich and full of meaning. The first stanza sets the scene with imagery of half dead willows, trickles of stagnant water, brittle branches, flowers long gone. The second, reasoning why the forest is in such a state. Acid rains, corroding our world, killing our flora, infecting, gouging,,, The Earth was never just ours.
Then the finale - The result - Animals dying out, the damage too far gone and the vision that we are the virus that is destined to destroy yet another beautiful planet." (10)

________________________________________________

"Reminiscent" by: Mahal Ko Kuya Ko

"Wow! This one is something pretty much every member here relates to at some point or another within their life story, and this week, this author definitely hit that feeling out of the park! Effortless, simple images with a personal twist allow the pain to effect the entire audience as well as clear the poet's mind (we hope) of some of the heartache. It is elegant in its own way, and this piece really does touch the hearts of the community. The author's voice is clear and still extremely unique while managing to continue playing off of a universal experience. The diction elevates the piece with a nice contrast to the easy images, and the graceful flair that was incorporated among the sorrow/longing was amazingly captivating. Stunning piece." (10)

___________________________________

"Roses Sweet" by: Everlasting

"A bitter sweet poem. Interesting layout that works really well. It allows time for reflection at each point. Full of emotion. Although about a bird it seems to be a metaphor for so much more." (4)

- - - - - - -

"The style in this is by far the aspect that caught my eye the most. It is refreshing to see something both free form in nature and systematic in style. The author's voice is powerful in a subtle way - which also amazed me. The gorgeously effortless tone makes this write not only soul shattering but nothing short of angelic either. Very well balanced and yet a little emotion heavy - which is common, but difficult to articulate so masterfully. This write shows a diverse set of skills and showcases the epitome of longing for another lifestyle - or even a person with another path to follow." (4)

__________________________________

"Systematic Desecration in Darkness" by: Rob

"Rob knows how to rock this poetry with his incredible, detailed dark poetry.
I adore the rhyme scheme, it's not used often and fits perfectly with this poem, very rich in visual display!" (4)

Congratulations to the Four members on the Front page

Seamless collab, guys!

Thanks judges & MA. Congrats to the HMs.

Congratulations Winners and HM's!

Thank you judges and thanks MA :)

Thanks judges as always for your time and for posting.

Congratulations winners and HMs

Many thanks again to the judges for their time and thoughts and well done to the other winners; I thoroughly enjoyed reading those pieces. Well done also to all the hms.

Ben

Congratulations to Britt and Ben!!!!

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments,

This is our second collaboration....and I have to say,
Writing with Michael is a true joy!!

Thank you Michael for writing with me!!!

Congratulations to the HMS....just beautiful poetry all around!

Congrats winners.

Thank you judges.
I guess I hadn't thought about it but.. some of my vents do come out as systematic. Interesting, interesting.

Congrats winners and HMs!!

Thank you for the sweet votes and comments. I did not know those numbers meant those things, but isn't that just perfectly fitting? I love when things like that happen!

Congrats winners and HMs

nice to see a Collab win.

Thanks for posting, MA. Congrats winners!

Congratulations to the front page winners! Amazing writes all around. Congrats also to the HM's and thank you judges for your time and comments.

Just back from the Norfolk Broads: http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/explore/Broads.aspx

Lovey to return back to a win.

Thank you to the Judges for your lovely comments and to Andrea who manages to teach me something whenever we write together.

Well done to the other winning poems and the HM's.