Weekly Contest Winners - January 21, 2019!

Hi, everyone! A big congratulations this week to Noura, MU and Mark on their emotional pieces, and also on writing not only vulnerably but with a kind of openness that as poets, we know is sometimes hard but necessary to portray. Noura's poem expresses lament about what should be a chance at a new year, yet with that comes loss and questioning what will remain, what will last, hence the depth of the title.... We have MU's eloquent poem about the impact of someone's words, the kind of echoes they could inspire if given the chance, that words that can bring us comfort and warmth.... and Mark's heartbreaking poem regarding his mother, grieving her loss more than the seasons and expressing how her love shaped him.

I think it would be an understatement to say these poems affected us all a little in their powerful emotion!

Thank you to all of our judges and congrats again, to each and every one of you.

~MA

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WINNERS:

"Transience" by: Nourayasmine 10 + 7 + 4 = 21 points

"Lost Words" by: M.U. 10 + 7 = 17 points

"How I Miss You Mother" by: Mark 10 + 4 = 14 points

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COMMENTS:

"Transience" by: Nourayasmine

"Noura's poem is filled with this bittersweet emotion. It is a new year and generally we are filled with new hope. Things have got to be better, don't they? For many though we are filled with sadness and feeling hopeless. Lost relationships, dead end jobs, that hamster wheel of monotony, just a means to an end. She brings home how this planet is in chaos and we just keep doing the same thing and expecting a change. The true definition of insanity." (10)

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"This lady doesn't post much, but she never disappoints when she does, not least because we, the reader, know that she speaks from real life experience and that she has suffered genuine hardships. When art is genuine, it is instantly noteworthy simply because, if nothing else, it portrays an emotion that the artist needed to paint, metaphorically or not. And that deserves to be paid attention to. Don't get me wrong, however, this lady is more than just genuine. She has an ability to convey that emotion succinctly and cuttingly.

I have to be honest, whenever I finish reading one of this poet's writes, I almost feel guilty because I have gained a moment of pleasure from the privilege of reading and that seems almost parasitic considering the traumatic nature of a lot of her work.

Why, then, have I awarded this 7 and not 10? In all honesty, it could have been 10, but I always feel free verse needs poetic devices aplenty to raise it obviously above prose (alliteration, imagery, metaphor etc) and this piece isn't overflowing with them. However, I am equally aware that - should a work of art become overproduced, as it were - the very authenticity I was raving about becomes lost." (7)

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"You were too brave to do it once again
because I was no longer waiting.

Should I thank you
for waking me up from that nine-to-five job of running down the streets of the poets?

Should I thank you
for giving me the presence of a poem
which guaranteed my weekly share of
nicotine and cholesterol
consumed well?

Or should I say...let's celebrate
for making me feel alive
again!

Coz...
if this is
what you write in a monotonous routine,
I would love to stare blankly
at that giant ball of sadness in chaos
without any escape." (4)

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"Lost Words" by: M.U.

I have to be honest, there are some wonderful pieces of varying types of poetry this week and this free verse write was simply stunning to read. It left me cold by the end, and if any form of art moves you in any way, then there is little else we can ask of it. As to the content, well, it is the quiet heroes who are the most heroic, if that makes sense. Unfortunately, some of us scream and shout a load of nonsense and people listen, while others talk quietly and never get heard. We often never want to make that little bit of extra effort to hear them when the rewards could be so vast if we bothered. Of course, there are those people that do wonders, speak wonders, love and give but never seem to have any faith in themselves or belief in their own beauty. It seems that is the case here and that is sad indeed. (10 points)

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"I was getting weaker
and had no strength left
to float upon the river of endless feelings
when your words shined like stars
upon the free verses of water
and guided me to the shore of poetry.

I was going to freeze
in the mountains of emotions
when the wind of your words had
given me the warmth of love.

I was going to disappear
in the ponderousness of sentiments
when the spell of your words
had brought me back to life.

I was going to be lost
in the echoes of silence
when your words whispered into ears,
and I started walking
on the ripples of my heartbeats
defying the gravity
just to find you." (7)

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"How I Miss You Mother" by: Mark

"There are few words that can describe the loss a mother feels on losing her child but for a child losing its mother is equally heart breaking. This poem is a tribute to a much loved mother who has passed and is truly beautiful. It portrays the great loss that her passing has made and would touch the heart of anyone who has lost their Mother. A poem that touches the heart." (10)

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"Every week, this talented poet turns out sonnets for fun but, unfortunately in my opinion, they rarely get the recognition they deserve, on this site at least.
In honesty, this one doesn't always flow fluently, despite being written in pretty flawless iambic pentameter. The semi-colon in line eight, for instance, adds nothing there and only serves to disrupt the rhythm that iambic meter naturally provides. I also think that "And shine that glow to when I lived a child" could be altered somehow as it just seems a little forced, at least when worded like that. (note, I have no suggestion to offer!)
But that's the point: this form is incredibly hard and I think we often take their writing for granted. Above is nitpicking and only suggestion. Mark has written a moving and lovely sonnet (again) this week." (4)

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HM's:

"Heavy, Part I" by: Poet on the Piano = 10 points

"Life" by: Naaz = 10 points

"St Mary's Church, Wedmore" by: Mr Darcy = 7 points

"Deal or no Deal" by: Michael = 7 points

"The River's Bend" by: Ben Pickard = 7 points

"Back Then" by: Michael = 4 points

"Full Circle" by: Purple = 4 points

"Lullaby" by: Maple Tree = 4 points

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COMMENTS:

"Heavy, Part I" by: Poet on the Piano

"Ever since
I have breathed in the spring of your words,
my thoughts aren't distorted anymore,
and hope has started planting feelings
in the soil of my soul.

However,
once the corners of my lungs
had become dusty with ashes of sorrow
while burying the insecurities of my past;
Once the periwinkles of pain
had circled the island of my desires.

Winter has been over
and there is light of your language
portraying the season of verses
in which I can hear the songs of the birds
freed from the walls of suffocation.

And in the midst of January,
something has changed in my heart;
It's rich, yet not heavy." (10)

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"Life" by: Naaz

"Nailed it!" (10)

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"St Mary's Church, Wedmore" by: Mr Darcy

"This poem is dynamic with dark undertones. Revealing the dark secrets of the Bells and all the treachery and evil that they see. Very cleverly written with superb metaphors and imagery and many faceted views woven within. My favourite part: "Molten brass bones, age slowly and groan in the voice of the beast" This poem is just so powerful and vivid." (7)

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"Deal or no Deal" by: Michael

"Much sympathy for May, heartfelt, from the Englishman." (7)

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"The River's Bend" by: Ben Pickard

"Ben's sonnets are truly breathtaking. This particular one seems as if he channeled the great bard himself. To write of love in such an eloquent way makes you just sigh. Oh To be his muse! He allows us to see what true love can do to a person and how it can benefit everything you come into contact with." (7)

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"Back Then" by: Michael

"This poem brings back memories of being a child running free during the Summer holidays. With great rhythm and rhyming it spins a tale of life as a child in the countryside, playing in fields all day long until it was time to go home for tea. A very sweet reminder of times gone by when kids ran free and enjoyed the countryside instead of being stuck indoors with computers and TV." (4)

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"Full Circle" by: Purple

"Nice write, broke the circle of the trapped, deep stuff!" (4)

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"Lullaby" by: Maple Tree

"Maple Tree shows us the depth of a mother's love for her child. No matter what has happened, no matter how many times bad things have occurred, she loves her child. She loves her child deeply with all her heart because simply this is her baby. This child she would move heaven and earth for and if she could take away her illness she would. Because that is what a mother does. Her lullaby to her child is the song of her heart." (4)

Jane, thank you for hosting this week. A lovely introduction that is almost Larry-esk. Also, big appreciation for all the hard work from the judges - you rock!
Congratulations to all winners and fellow HM's. A personal thank you for the judge who commented on my poem. I confess this poem excited me to write and hone to its finished shine.

Hi All :)

thanks Jane for hosting.

Congratulations to all front page poets, and HMs awarded. thank to the judges for my votes and comments, and to all the judges who do a grand job each and every week.
Thanks to all poets on nominating my poems, much appreciated.

Much love, M :)x

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Beautiful writing all around!Mary Anne, thank you for hosting and judges for your time and making the tough choices.

Thank you judges for your votes and congrats to all involved. *rose*

Congratulations to the front page poets and honorably mentioned. Thank you judges, and thank you MA for hosting.

Well done, all. Wonderful to see a sonnet on the front page but then I would say that, I suppose...

Take care and thank you to the judges for their time once again.

MA rocks!

Thanks to MA for nominating my poem too.

Congratulations to everyone.

Moderators, judges, poets, thanks to all of you for making it possible.

For creating another wonderful week and reminding us how beautiful life could be.

Love you all!

I love PnQ so much. Thanks everyone. <3

Congrats everyone
Thanks everyone for making it possible.
Much love

S