Weekly Contest Winners: 26/09/16

Hi all,

Posting from my phone while I'm out of state so please excuse any formatting issues. I just want to say thank you to our judges who are prompt every week with commenting and voting, being in Australia you make my turn at hosting much easier. It's also nice being able to post this early! Congratulations to Our 4 winners this week, I'm able to say 4 because a collab won! Well done to everyone involved.

WINNERS:
For the most part by Yakari Gabriel: 10+ 7=17
Symphony du l'un piano abandonne by Senyru and Xanthe: 10 + 7 = 17
By night by Maple Tree: 7 + 7 = 14

HM's
Ships from Sand by Ben Pickard: 10
Things are different by Mayday: 4
Go Boldly By Dean Kuch: 7
A wife's blight by Ben Pickard: 4
8 Years later by sunshine: 4
Her Plight (Monotetra) by Meena Krish: 10
Dark days consume me by Em: 4
August 24, 2016 by Mahal Ko Kuya Ko:10
You're The Creator by Nicolette T: 4

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Ships from Sand by Ben Pickard

Ben has it seems a wonderful ability to take any subject in this case comforting a loved one through a difficult and emotional time and take us on an a dynamically visual journey that is magnificent.

This beautiful sonnet takes us from rainbows losing their joyous
hues to "A stricken heart can break and water flow, but broken hearts will mend and roses grow"" Ben paints a vivid dramatic image of a man torn with emotion screaming at the storms that rage and takes us on a journey of emotion creating a visual and auditory masterpiece.

For me This is poetry at its very best. The ability to paint such vivid and emotional imagery is a gift indeed (10)

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By Night by Maple Tree

A beautiful and melancholy vision. Nature entwined around emotion and sound. I love the visuals. The first stanza setting a tearful scene that inspires an
instant affinity with the writer. The portrayal of aged and forgotten then the beautiful comparison of majestic peace with nature was to my mind
genius. Despite the terrible sadness of the piece the finale, that single line that changes everything and delivers a message of hope that no matter how old we feel or how bad things get that the sun will always and forever rise by morning. An emotional write that is truly inspirational (7)

This piece is filled with so much contrast and emotions. I love the perspective and the allure to this amazing, unique piece. The images not only convey the sorrow this author is experiencing but they manage to convey a sense of beauty despite that pain. Absolutely stunning piece with extraordinary sense of storytelling. The entire audience gets to try on a different pair of shoes and see something they've experienced from another side and I personally love pieces that can do that (7)

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Things are different by Mayday

An upbeat little poem that shows the writers insightful perception that there is more that goes on under the surface of other people than what we see on the outside.

That just because someone looks a certain way doesn't mean that it is who they are on the inside.

Here we have the reveal that the subject of the poem has had to deal with a lot in their lives yet has learnt through these experiences to let go of things that would break them. They have taken control of their lives and no longer fear disappointment and grin in the face of adversity. A person that lets lies and pain just wash through them.

An ingenious and inspiring write that shows that life is what you make of it and you choose how to react to it. (4)

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For the most part By Yakari Gabriel

Not only are you so in tune with emotions you know how to perfectly convey them in poetry.

" mostly, I think that my womb will remain intact
that it will dry up. won't stretch for any life"

^^ Oh, How these lines break me for all that I thought could be poetry you summed up in one line. But you are wrong in a sense, you have given birth to poetry in the purest form... True and heartfelt and deep from the womb of every reader. (10)

Yakari, had me in tears.. I do love her writing, always have and this poem is incredibly raw and emotional. She knows how to get the reader. I have never read such a spirited, truthful and explosive poem to date, until now.. very powerful! (7)

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Go Boldly By Dean Kuch

I've never been a huge fan of the Villanelle. Probably because it usually seems forced when written. You have managed to change my mind about it. IMHO you have created my favorite thus far. I am highly impressed with some of your word choices and grammar usage. Overall, the capitalization of "Him" was important for me as was the message in the poem. The use of alliteration was interesting within the form as the form doesn't require it and made it more phonetically pleasing. (7)

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A Wife's Blight By Ben Pickard

You are truly a master of Sonnets. If anyone ever tells you otherwise they surely are wrong. Captivating and spellbound with each word is the best way to sum up my feelings. What an absolutely amazing wordsmith you are. (7)

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8 years later by Sunshine

Another simple piece with the potential to knock socks straight into orbit. Though it is short this write had me thinking of all the people I've lost over these years and the final line stung long after I'd initially left the page. Heartrendingly beautiful all while maintaining the pungent ache of mourning. (4)

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Symphony du l'un piano abandonne by Senyru and Xanthe

On their own these poets are phenomenal masters of our craft, but together they etch a space into the hearts and minds of all who read their masterpiece. This piece has some of the most extraordinary imagery of any this week and the word choice overall is gorgeous. Both voices mesh into one beautifully and I love that I cannot tell where one pen was dropped or another was held. Love and so many other emotions drip from every aspect of this piece - sweeping the audience up and away from anything else that might be going on around them. The scene laid out before us is an elegant painting or a musical number all in a league of its own. Fantastic piece, definitely worth some light. (10)

The French taste is just different. The yOUR in the last line is beautiful. The way everything was put in this Collab is just genuine.

Starting with the wording to the flow to stanza's connector. It is a very lucky collaboration and a flowing one.

The visualization and its means in this piece are priceless.

Very beautiful, hope to see more collabs by these poets. (7)

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Dark days consume me by Em

Em, knows how to lay her feelings and emotions on the table and allows you to read her sadness.
This poem is an emotional, simplistic and elegant piece of pure sadness.
Wonderful write by Em this week! (4)

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Her Plight (Monotetra) by Meena Krish

This form is just beautiful! Very elegant and the flow is pretty to read!

The message is a heart wrenching one... Meena blew me away this week. To write of darkness and sorrow and outline it in a new form is just priceless! Just a lovely, yet sorrowful poem! (10)

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August 24, 2016 by Mahal Ko Kuya Ko

The poem is very touching. I fell in love with the narrative tone, seeing this again triggered my choice... the poem is powerful.

The mass of love and longing in this poem is unbelievably touching.

The title is too personal, which made an impact. Also gives so much credibility to the poem.

You are very creative and the way you penned this makes it feel forceless and tender.

Thanks for sharing. (10)

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You're The Creator by Nicolette T

I love motivating reads, but hate over-exaggerated joy in general. This poem leans more towards lyrics. Fits as a motivational song.

I feel like the last lines could have been lighter, as in the closing one sounded a bit forced or maybe long.

But that did not impact the fact that I really felt the need to highlight this wake up call, or reminder.

Thank you for writing this and sharing. (4)

Thank you off posting. Some great poetry again this week.

Well done all winners and to all other HMs.

Thanks judges as ever

Judges, judges, judges, you are all fantastic. Your comments are wonderful to read. I have to say, this post makes my day, mainly due to the comments you make!

Congratulations to all winners and HM's. It was a tough week, with many quality poems from old favourites and new ones too!

Congratulations
Xanthe, Yaki, and Mark, it's a pleasure to be on the front page with all of you!

Thank you judges for your comments!

Congratulations to all HMS....made this a nice day!

Well done to the winners; another fabulous week of top-draw poetry that must have been as difficult to judge as it was pleasurable to read.

Thank you for my hms, and a big congratulations to all the others who got one this week.

Take care, all,

Ben

Well done all, especially the judges for the phenomenal comments. xx

Love these poems this week!!! Congratulations guys?!!

Grats

Nice going! I love it when a collab wins! Andrea, your break from poetry is officially over now! Yaki, clearly superb!

Thanks, judges & thanks Mel for hosting.

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Once again, amazing writes all around. Loved the moderating and judges comments.

<3

kisses my people!
thanks

Just a little side-note, the collab's sort of unofficial, we wrote it a long time ago but never really did anything with it. Just came across it recently, and decided to post it. Anyways, thank you judges & mel for hosting. Also congrats to all those who won & picked up a HM. :)

Congrats to all the Winners and the HM's!

Thank you judges for your time and thank you for the HM. Thanks Mel for hosting.

Conratulations to the Winners and HM's!

To all the Winners and HMs congratulations...you all did great. :) cheers