Weekly Contest Winners - January 24, 2022!

Happy Monday! This week, the judges both voted for Kate's "Fireflies", a nostalgic piece about the magic and innocence of catching fireflies, and what it meant to live carefree and uninhibited, how that may differ from now. Next, RM's "Nude" is a short but expressive and visual piece, the process of writing our most raw emotions out. Last but not least, Jemia's "Luna Seer" holds very melodic verses and imagery, as well as introspection and a sense of surrendering to the night, or letting one's thoughts drift without direction. Some interesting themes and interpretations this week! Congrats to Vera and AR for the Honorable Mentions, and many thanks to our two judges for their time and dedication.

Have a wonderful week!
-MA

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"Fireflies" by: Kate

"I found this to be a lovely wistfully, engrossing poem that was full of love. Yet it also seems to have darker undertones. Perhaps I read it wrong and yet perhaps not. One can never truly understand the thought behind the writing. Lovely to read and a well deserved nomination." (10)

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"This piece captures the essence of why it's important to preserve our ecosystems - the fireflies, such a simple insect impacted the poet in such a huge way. Growing up and having that little bit of 'magic' to you is so important, being able to rely on them on dark nights but now that isn't the case anymore due to their global population dying off from pollution, pesticide and so much more. I think the poet did an amazing job capturing the nostalgia the fireflies has for a lot of us, and why they're so important. It can also be read as growing up, you lose that magic, but both are true." (7)

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"Nude" by: RM

"What an absolute masterclass in imagery! Truly a poet's poem; weaving together verses with rich imagery. It's so concise, every verse is carefully laid out in this poem. I love the ending stanza - 'Oh, the sun must be full of pity,/again'. A perfect ending to this piece - pushing back all these feelings of insecurity, something be amiss, back to the sun being 'full of pity', that it isn't by design, by anyone's doing but just one of those days." (10)

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"Luna Seer" by: Jemia De Blondeville

"This is a really hard poem to critique as it can be read in a multitude of ways, dependent upon one's frame of mind at any given time. I've read it time and time again over the last few days. Each time it reads a different way. I think what captivated me is its flow and knowing said flow may perhaps be a metaphor. A captivating poem which leaves the reader guessing. Well written and enjoyed." (7)

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"Matres Panem" by: Vera Campbell

"Love the latin title, 'Mother's Bread'. There's something about this piece, there's a sense of soft resign in these words yet somehow manages to feel empowering, like it won't always be like this. Very beautifully written, I could easily imagine this being part of a lore for a story or something!" (4)

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"Identities" by: AR

"This poem grabbed my attention because it has a feeling I can compare to. Not sure if I got its true meaning as every poem raises different questions and emotions. Sometimes we are not what we are conceived to be. The facade that we portray may be so so far from who we truly are and what we truly feel. We can never fully know what is in the heart of a poem and every one means different things to different people I keep thinking "the tears of a clown". Perhaps not correct but it's how it made me feel. A fantastic poem that most can relate to." (4)

Thank you judges!!
Congrats to the front page winners and thank you for hosting MA!