Oh smack my nature loving soul! This piece is breathtaking!!! Really a beautiful piece Xanthe!!

This is beautiful, job well done

:O :O :O

Awesome!!!

I love the slight repetition in the third and second last stanza. It defined what you were trying to convey even more.

The poem flowed so well and I love the nature aspect. I love when poets talk about seasons because they can really describe what you are feeling.

Xanthe I totally love this piece.

x

Soft susurrus beneath my leaves
promises me no sunlight, for the
cold has been crucified within my
core for far too long, and I try to
dream of tomorrow each night;
of falling into your hands at last.

--- Firstly, I like your use of the word "susurrus," which is like whispers but to me it adds a sense of calmness and tranquility. Also when I started reading this stanza, I was not sure what this poem was about specially that it had no title at first.. XD
Then as I went on to read the others stanza, I understood. My first thought was that you were personifying yourself as a Tree since it talked about "my leaves." However, the last line assured me that it wasn't a personification of a tree but of something else " falling into your hands at last." haha, it will be fantasy if the tree falls into someone's hands since the tree is big compare to one's hands. So it will be nonsensical for me to still think that is about a that, also after knowing the title "Winter's Apple."

But nights evanesce and tomorrows
always lose their colour - in time.

No one wanted me, thus I was left
alone for another Spring. Others
were favoured, others were brighter,
others were... everything I was not.

-- I like what you did with the entire piece, If you took away the title, you are inciting the reader to guess what you are...
along the way of each stanza, you are giving us subtle hints.

also, I like what you did with punctuation, " ... " the paused added suspense, and then ending "everything I was not," It was striking at least for me because I was not expecting that. This one was my favorite part of the poem.

I was left, yet again, but this time
through Summer. The sun left some
thirsting for water and for Spring.
But I - I grew stronger, and brighter.

--- To me sounds that the apple of the tree, was used to staying alone, and from that the apple grew stronger. Could it be that the apple got more nutrients when there were no more apples hanging in the tree?

Others became dull, others lost their
luster, others... simply couldn't hold
on much longer. I watched with
wonderment as they were swept away.

Alas! Winter came. I felt alone; the
best feeling I've felt in a while...

---- So with this last stanzas, I'm thinking about the apple, the apple took advantage of the difficult situation in which she was instead of falling because no one wanted her, and as the other's apples- those who were brighter and favored first and who no longer were- started to fall or being picked , she was in awe? perhaps for realizing that things do change for the better, if you are strong and patient, and also if you learn instead of falling after a disappointment.
But then the last lines.. Winter came, I felt alone, the best feeling I felt in a while... I'm thinking that just as the title, you are a winter's apple hence, you were not ready to be picked in summer, or spring. Only on winter, so all the other apples were picked because they were ready to be harvest, it was their time. So Xanthe, your poem is giving me two messages, There is a time and place for everything there is no need to rush, and to be patient and not fall from any disappointments.

I loved this poem so much. Excellent.

Beautiful write about nature / life. Well done ;)

Yes, this is very beautiful. I am glad that you won the challenge, because you deserve it. It was a fun one, wasn't it? Praise to Luce!

'Soft susurrus beneath my leaves
promises me no sunlight, for the
cold has been crucified within my
core for far too long, and I try to
dream of tomorrow each night;
of falling into your hands at last.'

^ I do always try to find the meaning behind your poems, Xanthe. They are always interesting to me :) This is a beautiful beginning, but I have a problem with one word, 'crucified.' I don't think that it works in the way you are using it...unless you mean that the cold is causing you anguish, but the wording has made it so that it doesn't seem that way. I am probably reading it wrong though :] 'Crucified' is a very strong, very touchy word to some, so it is a very good choice.

'No one wanted me, thus I was left
alone for another Spring. Others
were favoured, others were brighter,
others were... everything I was not.'

^ This is probably my favorite stanza, because I can feel the agony in here and it is astounding to me. Most (if not all) have often felt this way and I hate it a lot. Being treated like we are nothing because we are not 'pretty' or because of some other crazy aspect. Makes me mad sometimes thinking about it. I really like this one, because it is the strongest stanza in here, and it is beautiful.

I can't really give constructive criticism here, because there is nothing to criticize about it. I can only praise it :)

'Others became dull, others lost their
luster, others... simply couldn't hold
on much longer. I watched with
wonderment as they were swept away.'

^ The ones who endure the most usually survive. For some reason, I always think that you are talking about a tree, instead of an apple. The way this is written reminds me of trees, but the word 'luster' doesn't quite fit there now does it? Another beautiful stanza right here, Xanthe. This is my second favorite part because it shows that the seemingly 'weak' and 'ugly' looking ones can survive.

'Alas! Winter came. I felt alone; the
best feeling I've felt in a while...'

^ Beautiful ending as well. When everything is dead, you alone are the one thing to survive. The sweet silence is beautiful sometimes, is it not?

Like I said, I can only praise it. Sorry this is such a long comment, but I had no real constructive criticism to give.

Excellent/beautiful
5/5

Really great poem Xanthe, I enjoyed reading it a lot:)

Awesome piece girl.The first stanza is divine.

Absolutely gorgeous write here, Xanthe.

'
No one wanted me, thus I was left
alone for another Spring. Others
were favoured, others were brighter,
others were... everything I was not. '

-heartbreaking

I hope this wins.

One thing I'm not keen on is the end. The 'Alas!' is too over dramatic. Exclamation marks in poetry are soooo hard to pull off. :/

The descriptions you used here were great! I like how you tied in the seasons. At first, I read this piece as it was a person and not through the point of view of the apple. That is what makes this poem so great, the versatility in how it is interpreted.

"No one wanted me, thus I was left
alone for another Spring. Others
were favoured, others were brighter,
others were... everything I was not. "
^So much pain here...I think a lot of people can relate to this feeling of being second best to someone else. You expressed that flawlessly here. I loved this piece!