Weekly Contest Winners - November 26, 2018!

Happy Monday, everyone! This week we had judges in agreement about BrownEyedBabe's emotional and all too terrifying struggle with depression, trying to hold on to the light that her children bring her. This is also her first win and I want to thank her for sharing a personal, vulnerable piece. Also highlighted is Tanya Southey's beautiful imagery of memories with her poem "Refuge". Congrats to Danny on his third win upon his return: "Cower" is a dark piece, where others have found multiple meanings, and to me speaks of facing a fear and trying to discern what our mind tells us. Powerful pieces this week! Thank you to our judges and congratulations to all HMs. Thank you to the one judge for your comment and vote, and Andrea for nominating it. Have a good week :)

~ MA

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WINNERS:

“Torture of the Mind” by: BrownEyedBabe 10 + 10 + 10 = 30 points

“Refuge” by: Tanya Southey 10 + 7 + 4 + 4 = 25 points

“Cower” by: The Prince 7 + 4 = 11 points

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COMMENTS:

“Torture of the Mind” by: BrownEyedBabe

“Depression is a terrible thing, it lives inside you like a second version of yourself and now and again takes control. This poem is very sad, it begins with those two words, (which I looked up the term, good morrow means good morning despite sorrow) It trundles down the path of huge desperate emotion. There is hope in the writing, as the children are mentioned and sometimes these can be the only thing that keeps us alive. Then the sucker punch at the end. A great piece, hard hitting and desperately sad.” (10)

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“For someone who has sunken into the depths of depression this poem is terrifying. It is all too easy to fall prey to the sadness, the profound life deadening nihilism that is the experience of this malady. The glimmer of hope sparked by her children is heart rending in its temporality.” (10)

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“This portrays so clearly and painfully how merciless depression can be. How, even with the innocence and smiles of children, of those who should bring such light to our lives, we still can sink into that darkness. That fear of our demons and what depression is capable of. A vulnerable, emotional piece that is brave in itself for sharing what can often be something we worry others won't understand. The burden of wanting to be emotionally present for your children yet struggling in the worse way, unable to summon that bright light. The last dismal line of "until it's not" is a shocking truth to many who hope depression will leave for good after its visit.” (10)

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“Refuge” by: Tanya Southey

“When memories are all we have, it is up to us whether we let it hurt us or make us happy.” (10)

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“A poem of reminiscence, yearning and that human desire to belong with someone, to feel wanted and loved and supported. I love the way you presented this piece so each line has a few words and flows softly. It makes me think of memories that have changed us, of seasons passing, and we still hold on to that feeling of warmth when we felt the fullest.” (7)

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“Two vivid snapshots and the closing stanza paints a scene out of a dream.” (4)

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“This is a simple poem elegantly written. I have chosen this as my 4 pointer because it is a great example of flow. It reads beautifully and has a calming tone. There is enough imagery to make it interesting and the poem forces a smile at its conclusion. I just loved the whole pace of this. Very calm and relaxing.”( 4)

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“Cower” by: The Prince

“Most of The Prince’s poems appear to be very-much-so open for interpretation; to me, this poem is about someone who doesn’t want to let another person in. To our protagonist, possible lovers end up being “some kind of foul creatures [… at …] the window panes.” He uses wonderful imagery and meticulously perfect word choices to guide us through a dark, gothic setting. Of course, the ending is open to interpretation; although the last couplet highlights that “no creatures were there at all.”, one must also keep in mind that it’s just a possibility upon opening the door. What actually lay outside, neither we nor the protagonist know at this point, but that open ending ends up being both heartwarming and, at the same time, leaving the reader craving for more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this multiple times.” (7)

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“This was an intricate and fascinating read. It took me a few times reading it over again to understand it, but it was definitely worth the time. Well done.” (4)

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HM’s:

“Gender expectations” by: Poet on the Piano = 10 points

“Second thoughts” by: Michael 4 + 4 = 8 points

“Farewell” by: BOB GALLO = 7 points

“I always thought” by: Olivia = 7 points

“Living Dangerously” by: Satish Verma = 7 points

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COMMENTS:

“Gender expectations” by: Poet on the Piano

“Gender Expectations is an amazing bridge, between the past and the future, for all the individuals who think people these days are saying “You shouldn’t designate someone’s gender until they can choose their own!” Instead, what is actually being said, and what is aching resonantly throughout Poet on the Piano’s poem, is that we feel for the children who grow up in a world of pink or blue, long hair or short hair, dresses or pants, prince and princess; we feel for their struggle, understanding how inevitable their plights may be as they grow older and find they might not fit into the two molds they are given. Granted, it will not be a struggle for everyone, but one must wonder how restricted an environment we grow up in and how that influences our life’s decisions. It is clear that Poet has endured this, and that story is told through a well-worded piece highlighting society’s role in this suffocation/restriction of options. I applaud the courage it took to write and share this.” (10)

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“Second thoughts” by: Michael

“This is a chilling piece, that is to say I actually had goosebumps reading this, not knowing what to expect. You have expressed so much distress and emotions, telling this man's story yet offering another ending. The carefully chosen wording of "noose chokes" and leaving readers with "throat of the air" almost took my breath away. Penning such a personal moment, wondering if this man was simply too tired or if a memory flashed in his mind, something to hold on to... it's emotional to think about. I can honestly say I've never read a poem like this and I think the brevity of it had even more of an impact.” (4)

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“This poem hit me hard. It is a very brief piece, but it is so topical in a society where depression and suicide are at societal highs. I especially like the wording at the end where Michael says “the noose chokes”. It plays with the reader’s mind and causes the thought, “Maybe he did it after all.” A very clever diversion technique for a reader who thinks they already know how it ends because of the title, and overall a powerful write.” (4)

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“Farewell” by: BOB GALLO

“This poem presents the paradox of giving up all memories in order to remember the true essence of his father. While it may seem a self-contradiction the reality is that we clutter our memories too much with some memories while obscuring the full body that occurred day to day. Forgetting the drama lets the daily kindnesses flow through.” (7)

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“I always thought” by: Olivia

“This one hit close to home. Sometimes we let people have an influence over our lives that controls us and we don’t even know it until they are gone and we are left to sort through what happened, and pick up the rest of the pieces of our heart that they continued to break instead of healing. It’s a really hard process, and one that we are usually left to do alone which is the hardest part. You are strong, even if you don’t feel it right now. Hang in there.” (7)

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“Living Dangerously” by: Satish Verma

“What I love about this piece is its complexity. You really need to sit and digest each stanza. There is so match imagery climbing out of this piece that makes it breath taking. It is also quite compact. Each stanza contains only words necessary to continue the story. A challenging read that is worthy of my 7 points.” (7)

Hi All :)
Congratulations to all the front page splashers, and all HMs awarded.

Thank you to the two judges for their votes and varied comments of their perspectives

Thank you Jaime for nominating

Much love
M:)X

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Judges I dont envy you having to pick between all these amazing writes. So a big thank you to you all. Mary Anne, thank you for hosting!

Happy for the winners and HMs
Grateful to the judges for showering so much love on all of us.
Thanks to our hardworking Moderators and to all the beautiful members for their time to read, comment and obviously nomination.
Much love for pnq family..

S

Thank you once more. I can only echo what’s already been said. Big appreciation and love for you guys. :) Keep writing, supporting and pushing each other!

May I also mention congratulations to the other winners! I thought Maryanne and Michael’s poem were front page worthy, moreso than mine so I’m humbled. :)

well done all involved keeping the site ambling along....

Congratulations to the winners & HMs
Thanks to the judges & to MA for hosting.

Congrats to all the Winners & HM's
Thank you judges and thank you for hosting
MA

Thank you judges, host and thank to Hellon for nominating me.