Weekly Contest Winners - August 26, 2019!

Hi, everyone! It's a rainy day over here so I hope today can bring someone a little bit of sunshine. Quite a few of the judges were on the same page about this week's results! Tanya's poem, "Strangers", touches on how we look for a place to call home, where we belong. With "Empty Nest!", Kitty bears all the love and emotion of watching her child grow up. Then, we have Andrea's piece, "Mute Crickets", that is heart-wrenching and speaks of the loneliness of not hearing the crickets sing and dealing with loss in other ways. Congrats to Tanya, Kitty and Andrea! Please note that Dagmar's poem "While others are sleeping" also tied for third place with Andrea. So congrats to Dagmar for tying as well as her other HM with "I am not alone". Well done to everyone else! Thank you to our judges, for your time and dedication! There is only one week left for our judges, so please keep that in mind.

Take care :)

-MA

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WINNERS:

"Strangers" by: Tanya Southey

"Tanya’s poetry is often pure simplicity and is effective enough not to need verbose adjectives, deep metaphor or complex imagery. This is a compliment as simple poetry can run a risk of not offering enough to come back to, or heavy in cliche, but this is not. It’s a wonderfully crafted poem that juggles with the feelings of belonging. Excellent." (10)

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"I don't how a piece has created this indescribable feeling in me, but of course this is no surprise with your poetry! I felt a sense of familiarity in this, of self-reflection and that ending line was so satisfying and validating all at the same time... I just took a happy sigh. I loved the contrast of this strange land we might think of as a new place, when it may very well be our homeland, or our heart. People not looking like you, different food, different culture, a language barrier, all of this gave me the feeling of being those millions of miles away physically. But even here in our "homeland", others can act and speak and look similar enough, yet we may still feel like an outcast, like someone we don't know or haven't understood. Taking the time to call strangers "neighbors" and to invite them into our homes, well that applies to us too. How often do we pass others by and make no effort because they appear to be strangers, or different than us? How often do we neglect our own needs, desires, because we think we are not deserving? That is how I took this piece, to be about self-care. A profound write with wisdom etched in each line. I especially liked the consistency of "In a strange land" for the first three stanzas, and how you structured this to give an even greater impact in the fourth stanza." (10)

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"Tanya describes being a stranger in a strange land. Not knowing the language or the customs. She's alone, in a strange land. Sometimes we are all by ourselves even in familiar surroundings , everything is strange, we feel strange. We feel strange in our own skin, at least this is what I got from this piece. Well done Tanya!" (4)

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"Empty Nest!" by: Kitty Cat Lady

"Why I gave this a 10 is because it showed me strong emotion I am new to. I live in a very family oriented environment, and I love that. I am not a parent, I cannot imagine how it feels to have your child go independent. This feels like it can be an emotion of a father, who his daughter is getting married.
But here it feels more of a special moment, with a special son. I feel devastation of a cliche image, but a home where a child grew in will never be empty. I could feel how proud the mother even while facing all the labeling.
The ending is really powerful!!
“My sun and moon are eclipsing”
^
This here is my favorite part of the ending. There is a moment here, the mother knows it’s going to be tough and dark, yet she knows it is beautiful and will pass.
Wish you all the best!" (10)

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"From the moment a child is born to most mothers their child becomes the center point of their world. It is a life long journey that will not end until one or the other passes. They feed and nurture and do without themselves - dedicating their lives to ensure that their child is well and protected and grows up able to deal with what this world offers. Yet there will come the inevitable time when the child must leave the nest and go out into the world alone where the Mother can no longer protect. This leaves a huge hole in the life of the mother and a period of bereavement for the life they had together and of what may come. Feelings that rebels against the unknown future full of uncertainty and fears of which they can do nothing about. For any mother this is an emotional time but Kitty reminds us that you cannot pigeon hole every mother the same for each has had their own struggles and each bond is different and unique. She opens up a door into the world of such bereavement in this brave and emotional write that offers a rare glimpse into what it feels like to her when a child leaves the nest." (4)

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"Mute Crickets" by: Maple Tree

"It's hard to imagine crickets as mute, as not being able to make that noise we all know. Just last week, there was cricket in our ceiling at work, and I subconsciously acknowledged its presence, when it moved, etc. It lived in this "dark" you speak of, this place we can't see firsthand. There's a gentleness and a sadness in not being able to hear these crickets sing, as listening to their song would be familiarity or comfort perhaps. You could feel another presence. Just nitpicking, but last line, "ounce" should be "once". I was not prepared for the last few lines, because no one should have to face such suffering, such grief in knowing what your daughter is going through. But know she will always remain in your heart. As always, I'm deeply moved and touched by Andrea's raw emotion and vulnerability, as well as her connection to the things in nature, creatures all around us, that we often take for granted or think of as nothing but noisy." (7)

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"There is a typo in this poem. ‘Ounce’ should be ‘once’. Other than that, Maple has crafted another heart-rendering poem.

‘I've lost a speck of me
down in the darkness
where the crickets dwell.’

Is wonderful." (4)

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HM's:

"While others are sleeping" by: Dagmar Wilson 7 + 4 = 11 points
"In Your Tears" by: Mark = 10 points
"Space Travelers" by: [M(/)U] = 10 points
"Did you" by: Enrico Miguel Ulep Catalico = 7 points
"I am not alone" by: Dagmar Wilson = 7 points
"Obsession (Sonnet)" by: Daniel = 7 points
"As we stand through time (Tetracty & Eintou)" by: Meena = 4 points

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COMMENTS:

"While others are sleeping" by: Dagmar Wilson

"This poem is weighty with morose and poignant imagery. The poet creates a sense of the end of something, and self reflection is a prominent theme. I loved the frankness here, the slowly moving hours, the acceptance, the daydreaming. It’s a very very lovely, but stark piece." (7)

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"The title fits so well because I too, while others are sleeping, have been kept awake by my mind, by depression, and no one is awake to notice. The question of "Who else is weeping" is heart-wrenching as well as filling glasses with alcohol yet feeling empty. Then, yearning for this paradise, this end to the pain and a way to feel full, to not have to deal with the weights in this life.... it's surreal and truly makes me think of the things we often try to fill life with often leave us empty and wanting more than this world can offer. Only thing: third line of first stanza, should "is" be "are"? " (4)

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"In Your Tears" by: Mark

"This poem encapsulates all that is wonderful about love at its best. It is a promise made by a lover to his love that they will have a life full of love together and that even when they become old he will still love her and find her as beautiful as he did the first time they met and more importantly should he leave before she that he will still remain with her in spirit to help ease the pain and bring dreams to her of times they had together. It is a beautiful poem that brought tears to my eyes and I feel will touch the heart of any romantic soul." (10)

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"Space Travelers" by: [M(/)U]

"This piece spoke volumes of melancholy about relationships lost. The way she wove in gravity and how we would fall out of a relationship differently and fall at different rates was so beautiful. It's so true you know? You do fall apart at different speeds and levels. Such a lovely way to bring this to life." (10)

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"Did you" by: Enrico Miguel Ulep Catalico

"Enrico brought up a lot of good "did you's" in his piece. Sometimes we have everything going for us but we can't muster even a smile. Its empty inside and our tank is empty. I pondered a lot of these in my own life while I was reading this. You really start questioning our sanity when you can't find happiness in anything." (7)

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"I am not alone" by: Dagmar Wilson

"I love how positive the title is. The poem is short yet powerful. When life throws its toughest fits on us, the faith we have is what anchors us, it gives us the well and strength to keep moving.

In P&Q we are reading the poetry of mothers who are suffering with and for their children. As a daughter it makes me sad, I keep imagining what my mother would feel in such situations. My heart goes to you, and I pray for your daughter a better health." (7)

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"Obsession (Sonnet)" by: Daniel

"How many times do the ghosts of unfulfilled wishes and dreams haunted each of us at some time or another in life? This poem whilst about the haunting and obsessing about an unresolved love interest could equally refer to any unresolved issue in life. Anything that is unresolved has the ability to weigh heavily on our hearts and minds and can quickly grow until it is overwhelming and obscures the good things in life. Regret is a powerful emotion but as the final couplet reveals it is of no use to us when we are dead. Perhaps then a message to us all to let go of fears and concerns of things that have long gone past our control and to instead live for the now and the tomorrows." (7)

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"As we stand through time (Tetracty & Eintou)" by: Meena

"First of all, I am in love with the form(s) of the poem, and how well it fits the content!
The great love in here and its deep roots is a reason this beautiful relationship flourishes. The second part/stanza is almost like you are renewing your vows. A really beautiful poem, and testimony of love!" (4)

Well done, all , and thank you to the judges for their continued time and efforts.

Wow. I wasn't expecting that! I was desperately upset when I wrote and posted my very non-poetic rant this week and the simple act of getting my thoughts down and sharing them has really helped me.
The lovely comments, the nomination from Scott (thank you) and now the win and lovely judges comments are so hugely appreciated. Xx
Well done to all winners, HMs and nominees and thanks to the judges and mods :-) x
=^.^=

Congrats to the winners and all those who picked up a HM!

Thank you MA for hosting and thank you judges for all your hard work :)

Some strong pieces this week :)

Congratulations to Tanya, Kitty & Andrea. The ladies sweep again!
Congrats to the HMs as well.
Thanks judges & thanks, MA for hosting.

Thank you so much for the lovely comments and the typo heads up...my eyes are a mess lol congratulations to everyone and thank you to all who work hard each week. Hugs to all

Congratulations all you amazing writers! Ladies, beautiful sweep! Thank you Mary Anne for hosting and all the judges for making the tough choices.

Congratulations to the front page poets :)

Thank you to the judges for their time given each and every week

Much love, Mx

Congrats to the Winners and those who
received a HM

Thank you Dagmar for the nomination and thank you judge for the comment.

Thank you for hosting MA and thank you judges for your time and effort

Congratulations Andrea, kitty, and Tanya
Thanks you judges, moderators.

Thanks to Mary Anne for hosting and for all the judges for giving up their time to judge. Congratulations to the front page winners:Tanya Southey, Kitty and Andrea and to all of the HMS: Mark, M(/)U, Enrico, Dagmar, Daniel and Meena. Keep up the good work. Milly x