Subject Poetry Contest.

Thank you, Cassie and Danik!

The next subject is "January".

The deadline is January 31st.

Ianuarius

In winters tightening grip we face
these dull, grey days in lassitude and
lose ourselves in plans for summer sun.
Wishing time and life away
seems to be a speciality of man.
Why can we not see the beauty of what is?
The monochromatic calm after
garish onslaught from colours
nature never sought to birth.
The freezing blanket wrapped
tenderly over sleeping vegetation,
allowing rest before the exertions of another year.
Time to think,
to breathe the fresh clean air of new beginnings
as past reflections glimmer in the seasons pallid light.
Live here and now.
Embrace this first and most
exciting of the months to come.
Dance through the storms,
leave angels in the snow
and hear the silence of a foggy
morning gradually disperse
to give the world a voice once more.
In winter’s tightening grip stand firm and tall,
accept the season’s gifts, then hold them close
for who can tell if they will come again
to herald vanward life into the spring.

Congratulations YesNo. That really was good.

Thanks, prendrelemick! We need another entry in this contest so there are at least two. There are about 13 days left in January.

Congratulations on winning the minimalist contest!

I'm trying, but Cassie's poem is fantastic!

Summer

Waters of January, waters of March
Crashing cars,
Crushing clusters of dwellings
Drenching, drowning, dissolving
Waterland
heinous heat
Slow, slurching Saturn
presides the ensuing stillness.
Give me the new seeds of April!

January and December

Come here my January boy,
And we'll pass some time together.
For I am in December mists
And, just as yours begins,
My childhood is returning.
So while I can still glimpse
The wisdom of your innocence,
That trumps this faded pastiche called wise
Built so carefully of Worldly values,
Let us enjoy some childish prattle,
About trees,
And the noise the wind makes,
And that slug called Bob
We found across our path that day.
And let me feel again
The ageless truths of childish age ,
The sweet fascination of small things
When seen through bright unsullied eyes.

The deadline has passed and now comes the hard part to pick who will lead us in the next round. Let's see:

Cassie Hughes: I agree that we should appreciate winter more and not wish it would move on swiftly to spring. I liked the lines: "The freezing blanket wrapped/tenderly over sleeping vegetation". I think plants handle it better than we do.

Danik 2016: It occurred to me while reading your poem that your experience of January in Brazil must be far warmer than what I am used to unless I take a vacation to Miami and get further south. I liked the phrases "Waterland" and "heinous heat".

prendrelemick: There is nothing like watching children to see the "sweet fascination of small things" when seen through their innocent eyes.

Now the hard part. I'd flip a coin (a couple times), but I might as well just pick one of these and be done with it. They are all good.

The winner: Danik 2016

Congratulations!

Congratulations Danik 2016 !

Thanks, Yes/No and Tailor. This comes as a complete surprise!

Our next theme is "Seasons".

As to content and form you can hand it as freely and as imaginetively as you want.

The deadline is February 15th.

Enjoy yourselves!

Congratulations Danik 2016. Well deserved. :)

Thank you very much for your generosity, Cassie!

While passing through the Earth’s fine year
The seasons guided me.
Each one charmed me in some way,
But none of them would stop to stay.
All left eventually.

They said they’ve lovers in the north.
The south they want to see.
Resigned to change I watched each go.
They’ll be back in a year or so
Or so they promised me.

Thanks for that first lovely entry, Yes/No!

One good entry, still five days to go!
Let´s have your poems, ladies and gentlemen!