Weekly Contest Winners - November 13, 2017!

  • Poet on the Piano
    6 years ago, updated 6 years ago

    Happy Monday to you all! This week, we are reminded of the love and hope we can bring to one another. Two of the contest wins this week were beautifully written and dedicated to Andrea and her daughter, not to mention Brenda's "Baby Bird" nominated for an honorable mention. We then have a short but descriptive piece about volatile emotions written by Hidden Eyes, who is new to PnQ and just joined this month. Congrats to the winners & HM's. Big thank you to the judges and we continue to send nothing but love to Andrea and her Bird <3 Take care everyone, and hope you all have a good week!

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    WINNERS:

    “to you, Andrea, and your Bird” by: Ben Pickard 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 28 points

    "Little Bird" by: Black hole 7 + 4 = 14 points

    “Overturn” by: Hidden Eyes = 10 points

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    COMMENTS:

    “to you, Andrea, and your Bird” by: Ben Pickard

    “This piece is incredible, it captures what so many of us wish we could express for such a well-known member of our community. I think it is wonderful that the author here really managed to capture Andrea's style without it feeling like a foreign author or being too much like her work either - everything about this piece was balanced perfectly and totally on point. The word choice, style and flow were all prime examples of how free verse can be beautiful and still have a pattern to it. Great write, well worth the nomination!” (7)

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    “The tone of this piece and the loving support behind it brings me to tears. This poem gives life and has a spirit of hope that I can only imagine is hard to hold onto. The ease and flow of the rhymes is soothing, like a lullaby for those who are holding onto every last word of encourage. Sometimes, I think it’s too easy to give up and say, how can we help someone, how can we give them a piece of our heart and send them warm thoughts when we haven’t walked in their shoes? Yet, there’s healing in this. And I felt that small glimmer of light that will hopefully spread and stay with both Andrea and Robyn. Beautiful dedication. A poem filled with vitality and assurance.” (7)

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    “This piece by Ben moved me each time I read it especially knowing the background story behind the meaning off this piece and I’m sure Andrea and ‘her bird’ would be humbled by the whole piece and the site for that matter has everyone is thinking of them at this difficult time.” (7)

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    “I had to pick this amongst all other wonderful poems dedicated to another wonderful poet not only because it expressed strength and support for her, but all because this poem exudes a kind of happiness in it. It is filled with life and beauty, and the imagery used - it brings tears in my eyes (in a good way). And the structure of the poem, the rhymes and the choice of words, they all add to the beauty this poem beholds.” (7)

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    "Little Bird" by: Black hole

    “A poem with a beautiful, uplifting and encouraging message. Touching write. This piece overflows with love and courage. Beautiful tone created by words endearment such as sweetheart and pumpkin. Nice rhyming too. Great write.” (10)

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    “A soft, encouraging piece. I love the deliberateness of your wording, the strong utterance of “I will always be with you – remember” and the last line “nothing is to weep”. It’s calming and brings that reminder that one is never truly alone. That although death may be eminent, and it may be cruel, one does not have to face its coming alone. Well done.” (4)

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    “Overturn” by: Hidden Eyes

    “I am in lack of words to describe the beauty I see in this writing so I'll keep my words short just like your short and crisp poem. In very few words you gained the attention of your reader and delivered your thought and message precisely. Your description of emotions as mobile and undependable and following it, your usage of perfect similes is remarkable. An extremely beautiful write.” (10)

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    HM’S:

    “Baby Bird (for Robyn)” by: Brenda = 10 points

    “return to sender” by: hiraeth = 10 points

    "she can't hide forever behind those eyes" by: pmmurphy = 10 points

    “Seasonal Thoughts” by: William Mae = 7 points

    “Dented not broken” by: c cattaway = 4 points

    “Everything is You” by: ddavidd = 4 points

    “I have learned to read the silent” by: pmmurphy = 4 points

    “Rise” by: Jamie = 4 points

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    COMMENTS:

    “Baby Bird (for Robyn)” by: Brenda

    “There is a lot of love here for Andrea and her baby this week, but this piece really blew it out of the water, there were references but no names except for in the title and that was beautifully thought out. I love how this could be used for so many people when their loved ones go through something difficult, but right now its for these lovely ladies and the entire community is able to feel the sentiment here. The - between stanzas was amazing, it really gave the piece an air of flight and continuous movement even though the breaks were necessary. I also enjoyed the way Brenda gave her words such incredible weight without making the piece too long or complicated or anything like that. Absolutely stunning of a write.” (10)

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    “return to sender” by: hiraeth

    “Mark always has this fabulous way of writing words which in my humble opinion connects with the reader and this is no exception. The words run off the tip of the tongue like honey drips out the bottle and it oozes with profoundness, one of which bees would be have grazing the front pages I’m sure : ) I particularly don’t have a specific ‘best’ part because this is just fascinating.” (10)

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    "she can't hide forever behind those eyes" by: pmmurphy

    “The metaphors in this are amazing and give a spark to this piece. I love how lyrical your lines are, how there’s this underlying pull between the dangers and intoxication of you, and her refusal to engage in that. There’s a sense of protection but also this notion that this woman is fierce, trying to survive on her own. One of my favorite lines that I keep coming back to and reading is “maybe I too can understand how black is more than a hue but a way of living”. Wow. Upon my initial read, I took it as she is a symbol of darkness, a metaphor of depression perhaps. She has a heavy history that doesn’t let much light in, that isn’t well understood. The imagery of the last few lines in this piece give me shivers, as if there is a desperate move on her part to remain seemingly clean, unstained, unblemished… yet this darkness is all too consuming. It swallows the good and pure. Such a provoking write.” (10)

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    “Seasonal Thoughts” by: William Mae

    “The incorporation of seasons into physical romance is beautiful. It has a lovely tone; it was a passionate and engaging. I love the flawless rhyming too. Over-all, a simply wonderful work.” (7)

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    “Dented not broken” by: c cattaway

    “This piece oozes so much passion (in my opinion) for the people who have fought the fight and been able to live and tell the tale. The rhyming was well done.” (4)

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    “Everything is You” by: ddavidd

    “The beautiful language and the depth of this piece are amazing. Every stanza in this one has a beauty of its own. The sentiments were related so beautifully that it was poetically captivating and bittersweet as the same time. From what I get from the content, the love we have for our departed love ones lives on after they are gone, and every now and then, we look at things and remember everything. Excellent work.” (4)

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    “I have learned to read the silent” by: pmmurphy

    “As ddavid said, "you create beauty with minimal effort." With simple words you've made a wonderful creation here, and all one is left to do here is marvel.” (4)

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    “Rise” by: Jamie

    “This is a short write, but it seems effortlessly and flawlessly penned, which don't seem like they are possible together, but they were pulled off incredibly here. The emotions were captured well and the images had personality and beauty to them despite the connotations they carried. It's clear the author has grown in strides since whatever inspired this, but it wasn't so obvious that the poem became boring. Definitely had the inspirational notes to it as well, which were nice to see from the author as well.” (4)

  • Ben Pickard
    6 years ago, updated 6 years ago

    Humbled, empty and honoured somehow this week. The only real happiness I find in winning with this poem is that it means people have read it, found even a glimmer of something positive, and that Andrea and Robyn truly are in all our thoughts which is clear by all the well wishes they have received, not just on this poem, but site wide. Thank you to the judges.

    Ben

  • Brenda
    6 years ago

    Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Judges, thank you so very much for your lovely comments and HM on my poem. Thank you Mark for nominating this and Mary Anne for hosting.

  • Maple Tree
    6 years ago

    Robyn and I would like to thank Black Hole and Ben for their poems, for the judges heartfelt comments and to all of you for your support and love through this tuff time....she is back in the hospital...5 times in three weeks....so each time I read her a poem she makes me read it again and again....

    To have poets write such beautiful poetry...for a fellow poet and her daughter is such a priceless gift....we thank all of you...

    Congratulations to all of the winning poems and HMS....

  • Kitty Cat Lady
    6 years ago

    Congratulations everyone, winners, HMs and all the nominations, it was certainly a moving week!
    Thanks to the hosts and judges as ever for your time x
    =^.^=

  • mossgirl19
    6 years ago

    Congratulations, our winners and HMs! Beautiful, heartfelt poetry this week. Thank you judges and to Mary Anne for hosting.

  • BlueJay replied to Maple Tree
    6 years ago

    Andrea, I think we should start making youtube videos or sound cloud bites of each author reading their own piece to you guys. Then you save your voice and it's even more of a grand gesture just for the two of you.

    And yes congratulations everyone this week was incredibly overwhelming when it came to talent and thought!

  • Larry Chamberlin
    6 years ago

    Congrats to the winners, especial the tributes to Andrea and Robin.
    Thanks, judges & MA for posting.

  • naaz replied to Maple Tree
    6 years ago

    Andrea, for us the true meaning of the win, when you and your bird will win this fight.
    Thank you Andrea, and thanks to all the pnq members.

  • ddavidd
    6 years ago, updated 6 years ago

    Thank you for my comment. Thanks to Black Hole( Naazz??) , Dagmar and Liz (mossgirl19) for nominating me. Thank to Poet on the Piano for hosting

  • naaz
    6 years ago

    Sorry judges, I forgot to thank you for choosing me among this week winners, and thanks to rest of the pnq team.