Weekly Contest Winners - April 15, 2019!

Hello, poets! Happy Monday. This week, we have three very clear winners, with verses by Tanya, Jane and Daniel. We experience trying to reach the light and keep from sinking in "Nautilus", the call to live and let ourselves be moved in "Air" and the unity and wholeness of a lasting love in "Vesica Pisces". Congrats to all! And a special shout-out to our HM's as well as Andrea, who moved many with her inspiration poem titled "The Bird Feeder", where she will feed and comfort those who need it the most.

Have a lovely week :)

-MA

____________________________

WINNERS:

"Air" by: Tanya Southey 10 + 7 + 4 = 21 points

"Nautilus" by: silvershoes 10 + 7 + 4 = 21 points

"Vesica Pisces" by: Daniel 10 + 7 + 4 = 21 points

________________________

COMMENTS:

"Air" by: Tanya Southey

"When life becomes stifling it is time to change, move and breathe. Tanya reminds us in this neatly presented poem the importance and significance of air and freedom it represents in all of our lives." (10)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"It would be wonderful if we can stop bad times, pause the misery like a freeze frame and recuperate awhile. However much that is not possible, just knowing the potential for respite may help us push through the crap in our lives." (7)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Tanya writes of how life has this way of chewing you up and spitting you out. We all need to take time to catch our breath, gather our strength, collect our wits. Life is a crazy thing and so are those moments that take our breath away. Thank you Tanya for reminding us to just breathe." (4)

__________________________

"Nautilus" by: silvershoes

"As a double play metaphor the Nautilus sinks into the depths, whether chambered arthropod or manmade vessel. Contentedness or lethargy seem to present themselves yet the opening stanza hints at more: perhaps validation and satisfaction are what is at play but the demanding self cannot accept such wonders." (10)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Depression is so deep, and swimming out of is always tough. It keeps dragging us down deeper than it did before. Holding onto dim light, that slips away easily like water. We start with devastation, then suffocation and at last giving in. I love the title, it is like wrapping for the poem that looks beautiful, yet holds a punch!" (7)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The poem starts with this sentence: “Is there a word for having no words” the question marks are not implemented though. Right away we realize the poet is experiencing a feeling of, as she describes: “contentedness.” That is why words which are sharp objects, in that tranquil state of silence perhaps, like glasses, lose the edginess of their ages to the roundedness.

But in that state of contentedness feelings even seem funny thing, because they make her sink deeper and deeper into herself. But in that heaviness that makes her sink, there is a lightness, freedom, that is why she is “gliding across the ocean floor” at the same time.

The surprising aspect is that she still sinking while gliding across the ocean's floor. Maybe there are two simultaneous images, superimposed on each other in the poet's mind.

So as the light trail, that evidently, she is chasing, that in which are “fade(ing) away before I(she) ever reach them” but because Of the ‘IF’ in: “If there’s any darkness left below me” you feel she is actually looking for darkness, she reveals that the darkness is her home (death perhaps) and promises herself to get there.

A good looking poem!" (4)

_______________________________

"Vesica Pisces" by: Daniel

“Ours is the space between the circles;”

So what “ours” is referring to here. Is it X's and O's, or Crosses and arrows? Why cross and arrows? they remind me of the Arrow Cross Party! Though it is not hard to assume them geometrically, visually, this way, within “Vesica Pisces”

I love this part: “wholeness masquerading as two.”

This sentence aliens itself with the title very well. And the next sentence: “We are shy in its brevity” Though it seems very personal, not everyone would experience the same shyness if experience it at all.

“You hold the sun on the tip of your tongue, I swallow the moon”

The two spheres of moon and sun even though they have two circles in commune with “Vesica Pisces”, yet it does not seem that they are coming from the same mathematical imagery.

And after being shy in brevity, the poet feels to express that he and also: “We are motionless in its gravity”

But of course, as a geometrical entity, gravity could not have any effect on us.

And I like the ending very much when the poet feels that the twoness of him and his beloved (perhaps) is being erased, and he dissolves in the presence of the beloved as a sense of sacrificing courtesy to portray with his colorful feathers of poetry that he has chosen her/him/it: “oneness masquerading as you.” (10)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I never knew that circles coming together could create such symbolism, like art, religion, sex and inspire terms like, ‘the womb of the universe’. This unique poem deserves my 7 points." (7)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Probably a deliberate play on words: Vesica piscis (circles links with center points on each other’s circumference) and Pisces (sign Of two fish liked by cosmic tails). The spatial relationship described as crosses and arrows perfectly reflects the latter while the overlapping nature of union matches the former. In the end it is a beautiful love poem." (4)

_______________________________

HM's:

"The Bird Feeder" by: Maple Tree 10 + 7 = 17 points

"In that Café" by: BOB GALLO = 10 points

"The Poe" by: Scrittore = 7 points

"Day and night (Palindrome)" by: Michael = 4 points

"It took one phone call" by: Dagmar Wilson = 4 points

_________________________________

COMMENTS:

"The Bird Feeder" by: Maple Tree

"Maple Tree has written many poems about her daughter Robyn. Knowing how ill she is and her struggles make this piece all the more poignant. Being her mother she will always be there for her. She will also be there for all the little birds that have lost their way. She's Earth Mother and all who seek comfort can find it amongst her feeders and baths in her own enchanted garden." (10)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So much emotional content. This poem is adorable. The urge of a mother for feeding the birds or as she put it: “fill its (yard or their) hollow stomach.”

The poet has built her fantasy world which is more legitimate, beautiful and poetical than the reality. She sees if she feeds the birds, her special bird would come to her like the famous Field of Dreams saying: If You Build It, They Will Come :

“I know my special bird will come to me I must feed her, protect her and comfort her the way I did when she was born; but she won’t be alone- they will come.”

She knows, she gives you assurance in her motherly sweet dream, in the symbolic world that she has created: that her daughter, the special bird, would come, and through her, because of her, she would feed all the hungry birds.

But who those hungry birds are: “All the fallen victims of drug addiction nightcrawlers and day walkers; the ones nobody wanted around them”

Of course, they are. The mother heart is bottomless.

The special bird urges her: “to gather - once they have fallen”

In the last stanza, the poet reinforces her commitment to nurturing all those who are either birds or those who’re earning their wings: “it shall be a fortress for all who earn their wings,”

And she wildly opens the peacock tail of her fantasy world so excitingly:” I'll keep watch over all the feather flyers and that one special bird- shall be their queen.” (7)

_________________________

"In that Café" by: BOB GALLO

"First of all the description in this poem took my breath away, that it felt like I am living the moment (which is hard for me to do in real life); holding onto my favorite coffee in one hand and my pen in the other. Pouring out the sweetness and bitterness of the drink. But not only the moment is what this poem holds, a deeper meaning within each stanza. A scream that’s urging to taste pain of the poet. What a great write this is!" (10)

________________________________

"The Poe" by: Scrittore

"What a lovely nod to Poe. She writes of his darkness and despite the joys she sees all around her she admits to her struggle with the darkness as well. A lot of us fight these dark thoughts and hope the light of day brings something better. I hope she too feels the warmth of the sun." (7)

___________________________

"Day and night (Palindrome)" by: Michael

"The toil of life can feel endless. Michael’s Palindrome depicts this nicely, showing us that often our daily stresses repeat time after time. If you have ever tried this form, you will know how difficult they are. Well done." (4)

________________________________

"It took one phone call" by: Dagmar Wilson

"What made me love this is the honesty and courage of sharing personal life with us all!! The rawness of the poem, made me feel that it is ok to let go if things the way they are, without dressing them with similes and metaphors.

“it took one phone call and everything has changed.”

It is the simplicity that conveyed it all." (4)

Congratulations to the winners and Hm's- Hugs to all of you and your beautiful poetry!

Thank you Judges and Moderators for your beautiful comments, support and compassion- <3

Well done to all the winners and hms this week. Thank you to the judges.

Ben

Congratulations to all the front page winners and HM's! Week after week these pages are filled with beautifullness. Mary Anne thank you for hosting and always the judges for your time and choices.

Congratulations Jane and Tanya! Lovely poetry, and some really wonderful HMs, especially Andrea’s.

thank you to MA for hosting, and the judges for the comments and taking the time to read as always.

You guys are awesome.

Thank you judges for the unwrapping of my poem. Your comments are as deep or deeper than the poem itself. Sincerely, thank you.

"The surprising aspect is that she still sinking while gliding across the ocean's floor. Maybe there are two simultaneous images, superimposed on each other in the poet's mind."
^
I admire that you caught this... the juxtaposition of images.

Congratulations to all the poets and poems featured this week.

Congrats to the front page winners and to the honorably mentioned. Thanks, judges and thanks, MA for hosting.

Thanks to our Moderators and judges for showering so much love on all of us.
Congrats everyone

Much love
S....

Great lineup this week. Will look up more Tanya Southey.

Thanks to the judges and the host. Thanks for my comment, My thanks are also extended to dear Mark and Dagmar Wilson for nominating.
Haha I also want to thank princess Abby who graced us with sharing her personal thought.

Hi All :)
Congratulations to all the winners this week, and all HMs awarded. Thank you to the judges, and for my HM and comments, much appreciated.
Thank you Scott, for nominating

Much love, M :)x