Greetings, Croutons,
This is the first time I've judged a contest with a box of tissues, as I'm not ashamed to say by the end of it I was a tad watery eyed. One thing I have noticed from the entries is that many of you write your poems locked in an attic, and are fed lettuce under the door.
A fine crop of entries, I couldn't discard any, a lot of thought and work went into them, and as usual a real pleasure to see how everyone interpreted the theme. I will be running another one after my next contest which will be a lot more light hearted with different rules, but also I will make the contest nineteen or twenty lines, as someone wanted to enter a Villanelle giving you more flexibility. Anyway, on to the podium ( and I don't take this with a pinch of salt, as there is nothing worse than sodium on your podium) -
1st place - Elaine George
I read and re-read the entries over and over, it has been difficult to pick a topster but this one really called out to me- sad, beautifully writen and haunting. Many congratulations, Elaine.
2nd place- nette Onclaud
The whole tone of this piece is gentle, delicate, like needlework. The lines 'Tonight I gently pat her own quilt laying on my bedside, lining our decades of sweet remembrances' is particularly moving. A lovely write, congrats, nette.
3rd place- Carrie Richards
A lovely tale of loss, with a nice rhythm to it, polished off with a bit of womanly 'keep calm and carry on' grit. Well done, Carrie
3rd place- Emile Pinet
This is beautiful. And for a contest with a sewing machine in, nice to see a male poet place so highly. And I don't think you're a relic at all, Emile. Well done.
3rd place- Kim Rodrigues
Now, here's the only take on the theme I wasn't expecting, and a wonderful stroke of imaginative genius from Kim. It is constructed to almost read like a magic spell, and I tested the theory by reading it aloud in my best 'Wicked witch of the West ' voice, and it works. However, my good lady has put her coat on and run out with a look of panic on her face. Well done, Kim.
3rd place- Jerry Hackett
I do like this- it flows so well, and the line 'Her helpless initals still etched in the rust' says so much. Congrats!
4th place- Larry Bradfield
Nice to see another male featured highly while I was judging, unless another female poet out there suffers from hair loss, in which case I apologise.
4th place- FJ Thomas
This is lovely but sad, losing someone to the throes of dementia, I guess, and one of the nicest descriptions of passing away with the line ' he sat and kissed her quickly cooling hands'. Fade to grey..... Well done, FJ
4th place- Line Gauthier
Everyone were sort of funelled into a theme with my choice of lines, and a popular topic was women at home and men off to war. This stood out for its last Stanza with the arrival of the dreaded letter, and it first being left unopened, either through denial or until her own truth had sunk in first. Very powerful. Well done, Line
4th place- Sandra Haight
I nearly lost it whilst reading this, and I bet Sandra did while writing it. Deeply moving piece, well done, Sandra x
4th place- Jan Allison
A fictional reminiscence based on some fact from Jan, I've visited Coventry on several occasions and it's amazing anyone came out alive at all. A fine narrative, but you didn't have to include that top photograph, Jan- I already knew Tom Jones was a singer :)
4th place- Andrea Dietrich
Similar in style to our winner Elaine, with unfinished material and unfinished dreams, a lovely Quatrain from Andrea, And there's something about velvet and love- a good choice of fabric for the piece, methinks. Forgive me while I grab another tissue...... Congrats, Andrea x
5th place- John Lawless
A sad war veteran tale, I believe, and the standout line for me is 'lost in the grip of a chevron's cold stain' which, I think, is genius. All in all, a fine write, well done, John.
5th place- Nina Parmenter
Another lovely write with a couple of eye catching phrases- 'half knitted dreams' is so appropriate, and 'thieving decades' is terrific- I relate to that more with every passing year. Lovely piece, Nina, well done.
5th place- Frederic Parker
A wander through place and time, Frederic has produced another poem with some fine phrases in it. Enjoy. I did. Well done, Frederic.
5th place- Carolyn Devonshire
A civil war story of love and loss, and 'hope was extinguished in a young girl's heart, the first time she and Ben had been apart' was probably very common, sadly. Nice write, Carolyn.
5th place- Ralph Sergei
A fine write on the pointlessness and futility of it all, and a sad ending as time takes it's toll. Welldone, Ralph
5th place- Seren Roberts
A bleak piece, the local Council inspecting a shell of a building for re-use, once a happy home. 'Boxes were ticked on the form carried...job complete' gives a cold, cutting edge to it. Fine write, Seren, well done.
6th place- Victor Buhagiar
A haunting piece. Spooky. Never go to places like this with a candle. Alone. Ever. Thanks for the chill, Victor.
6th place- Susan Gentry
Susan goes off on another tack with an intriguing piece, an interesting ending. What would she find? Nice write, Susan
6th place- Broken Wings
A warm, tender, loving reminisce from Constance , and I'm sure you did her proud. x
6th place- Harry Horseman
A fine piece, hugely descriptive and how horrible to find oneself repairing battle scarred clothing. I'm assuming 'Tunic Mill' is a place, Harry, but I've googled it and can't find it. Do let me know.
6th place- Julia Ward
Another trip down memory lane, nicely written, Julia.
6th place- Beata Agustin
It is so easy, in times of war and crisis, to forget God and who is in control, but here, Beata reminds us in her fine write.
7th place- Subimal Sinha-Roy
A fine homage to a mother and her honest labours and love for not just family but everybody. A worthy write, Subimal, well done.
7th place- Laura Loo
A fine Quatrain from Laura, very profound and much enjoyed. well done x
7th place- Reason A Poteet
Hard times mixed with tragedy in a strong write. Well done, Reason
7th place- Theresa Stephens
Another spooky tale, but fortunately this time, it was her nan. And you can't be frightened of your own Nan. Other Nan's yes.....
7th place- Jean Murray
A sad rummage from Jean, and that double whammy of imagining first her Mother, then missing a father is very touching. Lovely piece, Jean, well done x
7th place- Pixie Dust
For someone of her age to do a reminiscence like this is quite a feat, though I was concerned about the phrase 'making due' but on researching it, it is used, though not as common as 'making do'. Well done, PD
8th place-
Joyce Johnson- Lovely memories from Joyce, and I like the way the dog snaps her out of her reverie.
8th place- Curtis Moorman
Nice recollections of a Grandma from Curtis, and a special one when she is your closest friend. Nice piece, Curtis.
8th place- Charles Messina
This has some lovely touches and a nice rhythm, nicely done, Charles
8th place- Robert Lindley
Bringing the horrors of the battlefield to the fore, Robert's piece reminded me of the tour I did of the Somme, where soldiers heading for the front marched past a huge hole. 'A bit wide for a trench, sarge, isn't it?' said one soldier. 'It's a grave for you lot,', said the Sergeant.
9th place- james edward Lee Snr
And finally, a fine comment on the futility of war but the reassurance of a living God who will get us through it and be victorious in the end.
***** Thanks, everyone, for entering. Off to buy some tissues :) **************