Weekly Contest Winners - July 27, 2020

Hi, everyone! MA here. Hope you're all well. This week, we only had 2 judges as before, and many thanks to them for their time and comments. Noura's heart-wrenching poem, "Wreck", uses a common idiom and twists it, and there's a feeling of sinking below rock bottom compared to the phrase that usually focuses on achievement, and here, there's only destruction, only wreckage. The site broke the tie for third place, highlighting Andrea's ode to nature in "Growing Old, In the arms of Nature", that not only inspires, but shows how her soul and nature are woven together, and she could not be her without the elements. Some very clever and neat poems this week, congrats to all!

(and thank you judges for the comments and votes on my poems)

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"Wreck" by Nourayasmine (10)

"The reference to "killing two birds with one stone" was really unique in this piece. This saying is often associated with a feeling of triumph, yet here the complete opposite was achieved with just a few lines.. How even the highest heights and probably the greatest sacrifices can make us feel numb.. We don't care.. And we never wanted anything. The sense of hopelessness is so strong in this poem, well done."

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"Reclaim" by: Poet on the Piano (10)

"Reclaim is a strong, strong poem. It’s a poem which is full of grief and longing. There is no romanticism that is usually attached to the idea of ‘home’ - the persona has not yet found home, or perhaps the word has lost meaning. The title could allude to the idea of reclaiming yourself, digging up all the weeds that fester, the introspectiveness throughout suggests this person knows what they need to do, but some self-doubt creeps in here and there, especially towards the end. It becomes almost desperate in tone with the repetition/listing in the final stanza. This is a poem that many will be able to empathise with. It’s a personal poem without being overly so."

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"Growing Old, In the arms of Nature" by: Maple Tree (7)

"Andrea’s nature poems are always a delight to read, and this is no different. It’s another well woven ode to her obvious passion for the natural world. There’s no story arc here, but the wonderfully whimsical final stanza gives the image of a woman slowly succumbing to the world around her, at peace. There is an admission that here is where she belongs, and the romanticism of that is particularly resonant with me."

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"Dépaysé" by: Aegis (7)

"I found the comparison between mirror shards and egg shells very crafty - it wasn't written like this explicitly but that's why it's so clever. Very effective use of wording using the simple concept of sharp objects in contrast with something soft and fluffy.. It was emotive and imaginative."

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"Remnants" by: Saerelune (4)

"Remnants is a short, simple, but emotive poem, which tells of the wild, tumultuous remains of lost passion/love. There’s a sense of regret here, yet the acknowledgement of the effects this person has had on the writer. She lies still desiring them, still loving them, still thinking of them."

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"Retrogression" by: Poet on the Piano (4)

"The opening stanza felt like a slap in the face. I could immediately feel the burn, the pain, the grief. The following stanzas are equally emotive, yet a bit more abstract.. It makes me wonder what's beyond the sentiment of hopelessness/sadness. I think I would've preferred a bit more direction/meaning there rather than ambiguity, but the ending lines sufficiently bring me back to the original impact I felt in the beginning."

Thank you for hosting MA and thanks to the 2 judges for their time and effort. Congrats to the Winners!

Congratulations to the worthy winners and thanks to the judges for their time and efforts :)

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Beautiful work as always. Thank you judges for your time and making the tough choices. Thank you Mary Anne for hosting. Happy writing everyone!

Congrats everyone!!!
Really wonderful poetry this week :)