Weekly Contest Results - May 8th, 2017

Mark here! I'm posting the results earlier, since I probably won't be able to post it after the site turns over. Better early than late. :)

Congrats to all those who won & picked up a HM. Thank you judges for all your hard work as usual. <3

Without further ado, here are the results!

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Winners:
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A soldiers Frosty Field by Ben Pickard (34) - 10 points + 7 points + 10 points + 7 points
Words are no longer enough by Pagan Paul - (17) - 7 points + 10
Permission to breathe by Britt (14) - 10 points + 4 points

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HMs:
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The Songster by Frank (11) - 4 points + 7 points
A worthy Warrior Call By AngelaLuisaCory (10) - 10 points
Callanish Standing Stones by Angela LuisaCory – (8) 4 points + 4 points
Finding Gold (Acrostic) by Jessica -(7) - 7 points
Effervescence by Lvi Joe (4) - 4 points

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Comments:
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A soldiers Frosty Field by Ben Pickard
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I have to give this sad poem 10 points. The rhyming is perfect, and every line was very descriptive and held my interest throughout. Well done Ben! (10 points)

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As with most of your poems that I have read you construct very strong imagery that helps transport the reader within your poem. I like the way you bring other aspects into your piece, the tawny owl for instance which adds breath to the overall scene at the same time adding depth to the main theme. The rhyme and meter is excellent “Taken Far Too Soon” rhyming with moon a master stroke and pivotal within the poem. A sad topic and one that has happened to often. Your poem a fine epitaph… (7 points)

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“A crispy silver moonlight shone
upon the frosty leaves;
aside a gravestone, in a field,
a lonely woman grieved.”

Quite an opening here, sets the scene very well- a woman alone in a graveyard, beneath the moonlight. As the poem unravels, we see exactly whose grave it is she is visiting as well - the soldier spoken of in the poem’s title.
A sad poem, in its analysis of grief amidst the death of a loved one, in this case a soldier, but with truly beautiful images scattered throughout and so very detailed. To the specification of an owl breed, to the epitaph “Taken Far Too Soon”. This piece is very particular in its photographic nature, each image important to the overall scope of the work.
As well, the poem is mindful of its readability; the lines flow nicely together, pauses placed at the proper moments to allow for a breath, and the rhyme is unforced and well-matched.

An excellent write from Ben this week! (10 points)

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The title is really catchy. The poem had this vivid distinctive wording that made every single scene very realistic.

It was actually descriptive to the point I was able to imagine every scene.

Beautiful and touching. Amazing work, I think you nailed it. (7 points)

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Words are no longer enough by Pagan Paul
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This short romantic poem I found to be heartfelt and beautiful to read. Rhyming wasn't perfect in places I felt. For instance, I would of used the word 'past', instead of the two sylabal word 'beyond', which I thought would improve the flow, but overall, this is an enticing poem to read and deserves a place in this competition. (7 points)

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Stand-out poem, loved the flow and how good the writer is with words.

There is an amazing rhythm all through the piece.

The title and letter behind the poem have a very sensual and sweet connection.

Very different and praise worthy.

I can sense the passion and eager, well done. (10 points)

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Permission to breathe by Britt
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Wow, firstly the way the author grows more aware of their own power as the piece goes on is incredible and highly inspiring. The voice is strong and the strength displayed by that use of voice is overwhelmingly beautiful. Absolutely nothing about this piece disappointed me this week and even though I don't have a lot to say (but I wish I did) every element of this piece was spot on. (10 points)

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Oh, the drama in the title worked well, before even reading I felt this heavy load on my chest.

What a beautiful, sad, happy motivating and strong poem, all at once.

The writer speaks of experience and knowledge, that's clear, and how so much of a tough experience that taught the character about being strong yet the hard way.

A very touching poem, I was moved. Well written. (4 points)

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The Songster by Frank
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This piece has many different emotional levels to it and those each add a different perspective to the piece. I think that is what I love the most about this piece. The emotions and view points allow for so many takes on the piece and endless reading and mulling over, but even better than that is how the word choice was so carefully done that none of the words really had any strong connotations to them. And that embellished the piece beautifully. (4 points)

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The natural element of this poem is truly pleasing in its imagery - the avian thematic littered within its similes and in its study of nature’s musicality. There is a power within the similes as well as they take of strong diction and original description:

“like a hoarfrost’s coruscation
on the barbed wire of an inmost hurt.” - What a pair of lines. Extremely well-thought-out and well-written.

The repetition of the opening line, to open the second stanza also, emphasizes that the poem is about “the songster”; pay attention to all this beauty being presented to you, but do not forget the poem’s subject. A truly wonderful poem! (7 points)

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A worthy Warrior Call by AngelaLuisaCory
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Beautiful rhyme and meter, this poem simply falls off the tongue. When I read a poem like this, that is so effortless to read, I find the impact of the message that much stronger. When I have visited such places as this, where men have fought and died and you stand where they stood, there are brief moments when you feel transported back in time and you stand in their footprints. That is what I sense when I read your poem. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does it’s an eerie yet exhilarating experience. Beneath the rhyme and meter, you created wonderful imagery and took me there, Thanks for the journey. (10 points)

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Callanish Standing Stones by Angela LuisaCory
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What a beautiful poem this is! An unusual subject about these Standing Stones in Scotland. The rhyming was perfect and each line captured my interest. A well-deserved place in this week’s competition. (4 points)
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Another beautiful rhyming poem by you this week. Maybe outwardly simple to some but that simplicity is hard to master, apart from the easy flowing rhyme and meter much lays hidden within. Well-constructed, you have created vivid imagery of these Callanish Standing Stones that have come to life at your touch and the age-old hands that created them. So, few these days take the time to give credence to places such as this. Thank you for taking me there! (4 points)

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Finding Gold (Acrostic) by Jessica
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The humor in this piece, even if it was not intended, makes this not only relatable but almost feel as though it was written while in a state of delirium or maybe even just spur of the moment storytelling while still laughing at yourself. There's a great use of adjectives in this piece that make the title all the more fitting as well. But really, what I feel this piece expresses the most is what so many people feel about their crafts and skills. While we poets have journals and journals of ideas and chicken scratch arithmeticians and engineers have graphs and charts that could quite possibly contain a similar stroke of genius that could lead to all new technology or a brand-new type of currency or something big and I love that this speaks to both worlds so effortlessly. (7 points)

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Effervescence by Lvi Joe
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Well-titled, as the poem plays of off (at least at first blush) both definitions of effervescence - the physical fizzing, bubbling as noted in “soapy water”, “those bubbles”, and enthusiasm as so entrapped within the now shattered “dreams” to close the poem.

Even without any mention of color in the poem, one can really visualize a frothing, bubbling and the radiant collection of colors refracted throughout such a concoction: “a vibrant spectrum”.

The ending, though sad, closes out a fascinating poem in which the author does well in choosing his words to most powerfully present the piece’s message. (4 points)

Congrats to Ben, Paul & Britt. Love to see a mixture of old and new members stepping up with such excellent work!
Thanks, judges & Mark for hosting.
Great work for the HMs.

Congratulations to all winners this week and well done to all participants. The standard of poems as always is very high.

Congrats all!

Not to step on any toes, but Britt scored 14, while Frank has 11. Should Britt's poem not be one of the winners? Lol

^^

Yes, an unforgivable error there, Mark... lol

Well done to everyone this week; some truly wonderful poetry. Many thanks to the judges for their time and wonderful comments, as ever.

Ben

Corrected

It is not stepping dear Poetess, What is right is what is right.

Thank you so much to the judges, specialty for my wonderful comments. ( I wish I knew who) Thanks to the host, and thank to Ben who nominated me.

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Awesome writing all around.

Ahh, thank you sweet judges. <3 I'm so appreciative.

Congratulations all around!

Congratulations to Britt, Ben and all the Honourable Mentions.

Woops my bad guys, I was compiling the results while I was waiting for the last judge, the last judge's votes put Britt ahead and I forgot to switch the results around before I posted. Thank you for catching that & thank you for fixing it Larry!

Gee Mark, are you still mad about me leaving? Hahaahah

Thank you Mark and judges! Congratulations to all! :)

Congratulations to Ben, Britt and Paul!!

Congrats to all those who got HM's, thank you judges for your time
and thanks for hosting Mark!

Damn right I'm still mad D:<

Pagan Paul you deleted your winning poem