Heart Aloft
59
When it happens just so,
There it is.
There is nothing
To compare.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Together
I am
You are
We are
Whole
Together
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Heart Aloft
Buoyancy rises,
Lifting mists from brilliance
To cast its glow below
Abundantly.
A skylark sings
Whose tinseled wings
Catch sparkling rays of sun
Flickering through the vibrant air -
Brings joy to living,
Lends meaning
To the commonplace,
Bestowing grace upon it.
And here are we, a pair
To share this glowing moment,
At least for now, right here, -
'Least while we are together.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
To me, now you are
Smooth and remote
As a caterpillar's wings;
Glossy and dim
As sunbeams
In the rain.
So fly to me
Again.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
I'll never know
What might have been
If things had been
Another way, corrected.
What single thing
On a single day
Might otherwise be
If fate were redirectedi?
I'll never know the rest.
Why this tear in eye?
I can't deny my life is
The way it is,- the best.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
As usually used,
The afternoon tea's
The thing.
Or is it the tease?
What fun, the sips
To savor;
What joy, the bits
Of flavor;
What whispers infused
The song and sting
Of unrequited love,
One misty rainy afternoon.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Canopies of trees,
Folds of silk chiffon,
Leaves and branches,
Stars above
Infused with memories.
How lost loves
Hide and seek
To have or shield
What's passed and gone
These days.
Comfort and caress
With tender fingertips
What's hidden underneath,
Where love resides, prevails
And stays.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
I melt into you,
Unselfconsciously -
As usual,
For the joy of it.
Touching deeply,
Naturally connecting -
As always,
In the heat of it.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
I'm loving you
Without intention,
Or hesitation -
Just because I do.
I do! I almost shout it out!
A skylight’s
Opened in my heart,
Feeling right -
Expanding radiantly.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Cloud dancing
To the beat
We move in sync
From archives now.
Waves imbue
Old memories
In just a blink -
Transformed.
All is new and fresh
For me and you,
Enmeshed In tunes
Both past and new.
Enclaves appear
Within this space
To bring them near,
Assign a place.
Breathe softly, then,
Dispel no phantoms
Of these magic melodies,
Subtle rhythms here.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Shangri-la of the heart,
Moderate and mysterious
Is its totally delightful
Perfection of simplicity.
While crouching
In the shadows,
Elaboration hides and
Stalks its fatal secret.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
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Thank you, Nikki - and for being my first visitor here, too. Glad you approve! Hugs.
AHhhh.The Shadows Of Shangri-la And Sunbeams In The Rain...This,To Me,Is A True Vision Of Achieved Enlightenment Nellieanna.;)
" The Perfection of Simplicity "...Occam would agree with you...Love is not only within the heart, it is also observable when reciprocated...
Your poetry is always a delight for me to read and contemplate...Your choice of nuance pleases my heart and adds sweetness to my morning coffee...
Thank you for these lovely bits of you...Larry
Another "awesome" montage of many layers integrated via our senses...
How do you do it?
You consistently produce outstanding multi-media portrayals of intimate feelings, surrendering, yet assertive emotions...
Your creativity is a genuis of knowing yourself... being aware and alert!
I have returned from a long holiday in Greece and find that you continue to be your brilliant, gifted, uniquely talented self, just as I left you. You are a Goddess ;-)
Your similies are beyond creative, Nellieanna. "Smooth and remota as a caterpillar's wings' - absolutely brilliant, my dear.
Very lovely, invoking a sense of poignancy, as palpable as the images you drew. Love it.
King Solomon’s Mines conjures images of chambers of gold and silver. Nellieanna’s Mind conjures treasures far beyond those of this Solomon fellow.
Nellianna, don't know what else to say but like to acknowledge your beautiful work. :) All the art and photos blend so well with your words. I am paying attention even more to your art because I am about to publish a book on affirmative prayers and spiritual musings, and am using photos to enhance the energy of the book. It takes artistic talent to do this, so I am enlisting my sis to help as she is like you, an artist.
Voted up and beautiful!
Larry - thank you for your comments and for the introduction to Occam. I must pursue his trail now. Simplicity is, indeed, close to perfection - or akin, though I'm not really in pursuit of perfection. It's too static for me, which is just as well, as I'm too weird for it. :->
So far, it seems that Occam & Kenneth Galbraith were onto similar lines of thought in one area at least. One of Galbraith's lines I've loved for years is: "A strong case is not improved by overstatement." I admit to being guilty of overstatement in prose but never in poetry. :-)
Thank you much for appreciating the nuances - often required to express bigger ideas in fewer words. You're most gracious in noticing.
Dallas - I suspect that you know me well enough to know how: I can't not do it. (grin) And you surely observe that I'm a weird mixture of impulses, of which, yes - I'm aware and alert. But - look who talks! Thank you, dear friend. You always make me smile - and think!
Dimitris! Welcome back, dear heart! You've been greatly missed but not begrudged, since you've been enjoying what I know is most dear to you - your Greece! I'm so happy for you. I check your hubpage often to see if you've published anything new. When you hadn't, I felt sure you were doing other things more vital to you! Now perhaps you'll share some of that with us.
Thank you for coming by and the lovely compliments, too. Hugs.
DRBJ - I knew you'd get the nuance of my caterpillar's wings! Methinks you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thank you and big hugs.
Anginwu - I'm delighted you've visited! Your sensitivity is much appreciated. I love your use of "palpable" in describing it. That communicates such connection. Thank you!
Mike - 'this Solomon fellow'! wow! What heady company! As a youngster I literally prayed for his wisdom (and I sort of grasped it) but, then, I also aspired to being a femme fatale, so one has to question the full comprehension and quality of my aims, not to mention their practicality. :->.
Thank you for such a wonderful comparison. If I make light, it's just to stop my head from spinning, restore my equilibrium and prompt myself to shape up and get my act together before it's too late! Hugs.
Marie - You caught my attention for your upcoming book, now that you've mentioned it. Please keep me informed! I'm impressed and intrigued. I'm so aware that affirmation is a major element of true faith as well as vital for a positive personal attitude toward life. Your sis' art will be a valuable enhancement of your messages, I'm sure. And what fun to work together on it! Thank you for sharing that and for your gracious compliments to mine! Hugs.
Beautiful and thought-provoking. Each and everyone a source of wisdom. Love you!
Thank you dear Martie. It's my great pleasure for you to come and enjoy. You're brief - hope all is well with you. Hugs - I'm feeling sentimental this evening.
Love you too.
Another enjoyable read Nellieanna, there's so much joy in these poems. Only the very last stanza carries any hint of something else hiding in the shadows of the heart of the poet. The art layout, the flocks of birds flying through your pages is really lovely, thanks so much, snakeslane
Somehow Iam sure your aspirations were achieved and you passed through femme fatale on your way to beauty, grace and charm.
Nellieanna,
Greetings from MAKUSR. Two things strike me as I go through you hubs. Presentation. The only word which I think fits here is ELEGANCE. The class is something you are born with or earn. It is never purchased. You have abundance of it. Second, your love for nature. It always comes out in your poem beautifully. Excellent!
Lots of Love,
MAKUSR
Snakeslane - Thank you. Yes, there is much joy in them.
Actually, the last poem really is focused on an image of mine of Shangri-la, with its principles of moderation and simplicity which give its residents a virtual fountain of youth which enables them to live hundreds of years. But an introduction of contrary principles of 'more, more' and complexity sneak in with visitors lost in the Himalayas who stumble into Shangri-la, and some of them upset the balance of the place and causes a reversal of its perfection and purity, with a disastrous outcome.
So it stems from an impression from an old movie titled "Lost Horizon", about this mythical place, which I saw with my mother when I was about six. It left a lasting impression on me, in fact.
And, as you noticed, it does translate to the realm of each personal life's odyssey. The tempting pull to sacrifice simple innocence for complicated knowledge is similar to the eating of the forbidden fruit of the Genesis story. It's like a hidden dagger within the experience of living. And yes, the birds somehow symbolize a lifting up into and back toward simplicity.
I so appreciate your sensitivity to these things.
Mike, - thank you for such lovely praise; . . . - I blush.
But - tsk, tsp - what's this 'past tense' stuff? tee hee.
Hugs! ;-)
Makusr, Ah, nice! I'm honored.
Whatever that element is, I think was what my eldest sister tried to drum into me. :-) I resisted her bossy control, but maybe some of it 'took' anyway. Yes, I do love nature in all its many facets and moods.
Thank you and love back to you.
Dear Nellieanna,
Another beautiful work. I am always so drawn into your works at the very beginning and journey through them until the end. Its like walking with you through feelings and seeing the images. I had to stop for a while on the "caterpillar's wings" too (i think you know of my own life's caterpillar to butterfly analogy, i've written of it so often) that I never thought of mixing the two and you just shocked my imagination with that line. I found myself nodding "yes, that's so possible"
I sank with you on "the thing, on the single day, and the unrequited love" only to be lifted again when you again rose, as you do so elegantly, into a different kind of love. I do so enjoy taking these journeys with you! Rated you up and all the great stuff across the board.
You somehow convey in your writing that you are the poet who is also a muse. The painter who can also be the beautiful landscape. The sculptress who is the work of art. Nellieanna, your presence here has been such a gift, I don't think you'll ever know how much its meant to have been able to share in your life, read your poetry - and I learn so much from all of the comments you read. You really are an amazing woman. Hugs, Erin
Erin - thank you for such gratifying comments! It does me good to share your experience of this.
The emergence of the butterfly has permeated my poetry too. A couple of others you may enjoy which rise to the top of my head:
*******************
Cocoon-cracked,
Bookworm becomes
Butterfly.
Yet hovers here
Among the pages
A little longer,
Always
To return for rest
And vital nourishment.
_____© Nellieanna H. Hay
***********************
Fragile butterfly
With tensile strength of steel
Who knows as much as I
How life and love should feel.
Delicate discernment
Determined by respect
And in it all a loving heart
Much more than they suspect.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
************************
The caterpillar's wings just sneaked in to represent an anomaly, along with sunbeams in the rain; both of them to illustrate the odd sense of a lover being both present and yet remote, - defying ordinary bounds and expectations of what "is" and can be. And as hoped, someone like you with perception saw it for what it was and continued the romp describing me in similar anomalies. What fun. Thank you!!
I love the poems, thanks so much for sharing them. That's exactly what they are - fun! Anomalies in the middle of a rising abandon from reality with someone safe. That's the wonderful part about being in love, taking those little adventures for two...even when only in the mind.
Have a wonderful day.
Good observation, Erin! :-)
The structure here in itself is beautiful and what you wrote is so heartfelt. I absolutely love it!
Thank you, Avarmaglia! I'm most pleased that you visited my site as your first stop as a new Hubber, and especially that you loved it! I read your poem so recently added as your first hub and I must say I am impressed with your ability to carry the reader into the situation! Excellent!
Nellieanna. I have been offline for about ten days, due to housemoving.. The beauty of your poems, and your pictures give me a delightful reintroduction to the world of HubPages.
Thankyou.
Christopher! I've been wondering where you were! Housemoving - ugh. My worst nightmare! Surpasses what I've just experienced - a total freezeup of my desktop Dell. The power button was just dead. I figured it was all-over. Then discovered I'd bought extended warranty coverage which expires Jan.1, 2012~! The tech just left after replacing the entire chassis and putting all my data into the new one! My guardian angels are on the job!
I'm truly pleased that my poems and pictures have welcomed you back to HubPages! Makes my day complete! Hugs and thank you!
Oh my dear, you must have been so worried. Thank goodness for the warranty and the savvy of a tecky person fixing you up with a brand new chassis:-) I will be by very soon, I feel like I've abandoned you and NOT SO I simply am negligent and I apologize for being so my dear Nellieanna. I am taking up an offer to join the Erotica train of a few hubbers who have written thus. My mind has to come from the dark side to the sensual erotic sign and I am digging deep within to find that side of me. LoL....I think I have it buried somewhere, it's been a long time....lol cya soon. BTW maybe you can offer up the challenges as well, go visit Martie's erotic piece, she has linked to the others. I know you must have some leftover eroticism in you my tender fantasy.
Hello, Ken. How sweet you are, but, - no, I haven't thought I'd been abandoned, dear friend. I'm simply always delighted to see you and happy for you for whatever you've been doing which you needed to do! Hugs.
Yes! I'm just bowled over to get the PC replaced. I honestly thought it was a lost cause. I'm techie enough to fix a lot of computer glitches, but when it won't even power ON, that is beyond my expertise. Guess it was beyond Dell's too, since they had to replace it to honor the warranty! Something led me to go into the folder of 'stuff' I always keep to clutter my office whenever I buy anything. Thank goodness I did! Plus I found that the laptop I got George at the same time, which has some problems, is also under the extended warranty I got for it! It also expires in January, so I must get busy. And I now have a new techie friend in the bargain who says I can call him with any computer problem I may have which is not under warranty.
Oh, yes - I have been reading the excellent Eros-inspired poetry from several of the talented folks. Very nice, and quite tasteful as well. I'm sure yours will be, too!
But, you naughty boy! If I were to write in that area, I wouldn't need to dig up any leftovers, my dear. ;-> However I am rather subtle. I've inserted a bit of it in the poetry I've shared, even before the current fad. Surely you've noticed! heh heh.
Just delightful I felt like I was floating from one cloud to the next in heaven.So peaceful and serene I didn't want to leave.Hope your health is well and you are happier than ever.Have a very enjoyable day.
Dream On - Thank you, my dear! I am pleased that you enjoyed these. I have been negligent both with my hub publishing and visiting. I noticed you've published some new ones, so I want to go read them!
My health is good and I'm as happy as can be. Just been really busy.
Hugs and a good day to you, too!
The James Hilton book "Lost Horizon", is one of my favorites. I did not think my esteem for you could be higher.
Mike - nor did I know I could esteem you more highly. You really got it! :-) My mother took me to see "Lost Horizon" when it came round to small town theaters in 1937. It was her most favorite book & became her most favorite movie. Even at my tender young age, I took it to heart and, obviously, it left a life-long impression.
Hello, compatriot.
Nellieanna,
Whew! I was glad to read your comment to saddle, as I found your collection to be both tender and sensuous in theme. Your style is like no other, such a visual vacation for me.
Voted UP & AB, mar.
I have always read between your lines:0)) I have to dig up leftovers my dear as my future holds no promise of everlasting love from the opposite sex:0) Yes in answer to this last paragraph of yours
"But, you naughty boy! If I were to write in that area, I wouldn't need to dig up any leftovers, my dear. ;-> However I am rather subtle. I've inserted a bit of it in the poetry I've shared, even before the current fad. Surely you've noticed! heh heh."
Indeed I have you naughty girl, woman, my lady....lol
I came back for another read, my dearest adorable Nellieanna, and this time I was strike by one that was with the previous read only just as striking as the others. There is always one or two in a batch of your LIVING poems, my Nellieanna, that speaks to me on the very moment. This moment it was -
I melt into you,
Unselfconsciously -
As usual,
For the joy of it.
Touching deeply,
Naturally connecting -
As always,
In the heat of it.
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
Your and Saddle's discussion is interesting, insightful, informative, consoling and who-knows how many words can I find to subtly express my delight... and, of course, sympathy where needed. But oh, I have a little debil on my shoulder who knows nothing about tact, discreetness and subtleness, and he says: If you don't use it, you'll lose it.
Only Nellieanna could produce such beautiful words and put them into poems. Sucha pleasure to read. Thank you.
Marcoujor, thank you. When I put together this hub, I hadn't heard of the poetry challenge. It just happened to include a few slightly sensuous poems among them. My poetry flows from whatever inspiration I felt at the time and I'm notoriously poor at writing "to order" otherwise.
Wow! I'm glad you found the poetry hub a 'visual vacation'! That is a lovely compliment, indeed!
Ken - hehe. Well, YOUR "leftovers" in your poetry sound quite exquisite. But in the hands of such a poet, what else would I expect!
I guess I was fishing for the rest of your comment; - and I confess that I'm smiling over the catch! :-) Thanks, sweetie.
Martie, dear heart! I'm so pleased that you decided to return and give me more of your responsive input! And I love your new profile pic!
By the way, nothing whatsoever wrong with 'using it'! Losing it would be a terrible shame! And I wouldn't accredit a 'debil' with that sage advice, anyway! It's promoting good health!
Hello, hello - thank you - what lovely comments! You always give my heart a boost! Hugs.
I came back because I think your hub is picturesque and classy.I know not what I read but I hope subconsciously I take in your wonderful talents and skill.Enjoying every moment with a smile and a bewildered look.What is that I have just read.My father use to say there is no such thing as a dumb question.So I question myself everytime I read what was meant by her hub or was it more than what meets the eye and it just went over my head.Then I also remembered what my father would say later.Save your questions to later.He knew later I would forget and he would be off the hook.I still question life silently if hot outloud.I enjoy every day in my own special way.Smiling at the people that have changed my life and being thankful for everything I have.Wondering how to help other people less fortunate.Many times troubled by the worlds inadequacies.Where we try to live up to other peoples expectations and I can't seem to live up to my own.So I have resolved to the fact if I am happy inside and didn't hurt anyone in the process It must be a good day.Love that you are hubbing away.I find it a very daunting task.To read other hubs and learn more.Which is my main objective or to write from my primative mind and find a way to develop and fine tune a skill that I can carry with me like a backpack over my shoulder to any place on earth.Take care and God bless.
DreamOn - I welcome you to my hub - this one or any of them, as often as you wish to visit. My poetry is both super-simple and subtle. I like to think there is something in it for the readers, whoever they may be.
Like most poetry, it is a record of the poet's experiences and feelings about them at the time written. So it's unlikely that anyone else would have identical experience or feelings when reading them. But they are not uncommon experiences and feelings, so it is likely to touch someone else's similar feelings, or at least, -to suggest ideas and feelings about life that the reader may not have already consciously thought or felt. We make those connections by applying what we HAVE thought or felt in our own experiences, applying that in a more or less general way to others' writings.
I've read others' poetry which is obviously about things they have felt which I haven't, but then if I think how I WOULD feel in their circumstances, I may have sort of "AHA!" moments of feeling a kind of empathy, and I feel it as my own feeling. It's one of the beauties of reading - and of writing - poetry: being able to share some deeper feelings between people, even if we do sometimes have to interpret their words in our own ways. I suppose that happens most usually when women read men's poetry or vice versa. There are many experiences we simply don't share and many responses are expected of the genders which are not known first-hand to each other. But it helps our understanding of our own mates and friends of the opposite sex to read and make a point to notice and then to put ourselves in the other's place and imagine how that felt to him or her.
The lovely part is that it is not 'required' - it's voluntary and can be done at one's own pace. No pressure to succeed. It's strictly for one's own enrichment and enjoyment. If we still miss some of the nuances of others' stuff, it's no crime!
So don't let it be too daunting! Let it be fun. You are such a happy hearted person, you needn't be pressured, especially about things that are at your own discretion and by your own choice. Sometimes just intending without so much trying can bring the desired results. As you say - you are happy inside and that is what matters! And you bring a lot of joy to others whose lives your touch, Dream On.
Thank you so much for touching mine! Hugs! And thank you especially for visiting here and saying such lovely things!
Oh my goodness, Nellieanna, you are soooo adorable! Your comments always delight me out of this world. Hold your breath let me give you a thorough South African hug :)))
Whoo-hoo, Martie, m'dear! I enjoyed that thorough South African hug!! Whoo-hoo!
It's a gorgeous "Indian Summer" evening here - almost balmy but with a bit of pleasant coolness in the air. I lit an incense stick so I also opened the doors to let in fresh air & keep it from being too overwhelming.
Sometimes I just enjoy incense, though. George and I went through an incense 'kick' years ago. Once we were camping in the woods in a little tent and a Texas "norther" (sudden cold front) came through. It rained so hard, the seams in the tent were leaking! We had no heat, so we lit some incense to pretend to be warmth. haha. Such silly kids! It was fun, anyway.
So here is a big ole Texas hug back to YOU! (*(*(Martie)*)*)!!
Reading your words transports me always to where I find myself standing in an infinite place. There are no borders, only wings. This is so beautiful!
Dear Alexandra - and having you read them and share with me your thoughts is always my great pleasure. Thank you!
For some odd reason , i could have swore that i read this piece from you before and commented on it , to my surprise and my eyes , i didnt see any comment from me... hmmm... My apologies to you!! I loved this beautiful expression of love , yu have written it very vividly and very wonderfully , thank you for the read!:)
Jami - I've done that before,- been certain I'd written a comment but no such comment appeared on the thread. It's a strange feeling!
I'm just delighted that you've come now and have written such a lovely one. Thank you!! Hugs.
sometimes I awake and read because something was written that called to the place I sleep and whispered there, "for the joy of it". :)
Dear Alan - :-) What a joy to see you here! I think of you frequently and it's always a kind and pleasant thought and feeling. Nice to know you hear the call to read. :-)
You have a gift for writing that's for sure! Thank you for visiting my poems also. Your quote:
I'll never know
What might have been
If things had been
Another way, corrected
is very intersting...what might have been
if things had been anohter way....CORRECTED
It makes me think of how things would be different another way, but corrected...well...it's mysterious, what does it mean? It gives so much possibility....
Hello, Blondey - thanks for the visit and the nice comments!
And I'll bet you can figure it out. You've already thought about it! It's not really mysterious; - it's highly realistic. And of course - it's full of possibly! Life is made up of constant new possibility, determined mainly by our own choices.
We can't correct what's already happened, but we can appreciate what it's made of us and we can make the most of that. And we're deciding on the rest of our lives by the choices we are making in the present and will make in the future. Essentially we are writing our own life stories in real results and actions. :-) Hugs.
Skylark is a great soundtrack to compliment your fine poetry where my heart nearly always skips a beat in recognition of the precise element of the emotion captured by your talent. Thank you. Hugs, Gerry
GERRY what a pleasure to see YOU! I don't seem to see enough of you lately. I'm all the more pleased when you stop by and of course, I love what you've said. I do love "Skylark"! Thank you!
Can I say this left me without words? So beautiful; so gentle; so self explanatory. My favourite however was:
Together
I am
You are
We are
Whole
Together
______© Nellieanna H. Hay
God in its simplicity you have written it all; remarkable.
QudsiaP1 - this comment you've left has touched me deeply. I perceive you are a very special person. Thank you. ~ Nellieanna
I shared your wonderful collection with my love. We are both in love with your words. :)
QudsiaP1 - I'm even more pleased that you saw fit to share it with your love, who enjoyed it too!! I'm smiling from ear to ear, especially that you have a love who shares your perceptions! Hugs & thanks to you both! I hope to have another collection ready soon.
Where have you been girl? preparing new scribes or writing a wicked short story for the contest. Since us judges can't enter our own poetry, which makes sense. I am saving my scribes till after the contest is over, so I should have some new stuff starting December. There is some really great poems surfacing here from hubbers I have never heard of. It sure will be interesting to see what the Hub Teams send to us for review and scoring throughout the contest. I miss you dear, hope to see you soon with much more great poetry, the Nellieanna style. Hugs
I second this, "Where have you been girl?"
Hello, dear Ken~ I've been here, just a bit low-key. Lots of activity happening in real life and there's been the impending contest, too. I've had some poetry collections gathering but they just haven't fully materialized to my satisfaction. I think one or two may soon, and if and when they do, I'll publish them, as usual, contest or no;- they just won't be competing in the contest. I've felt no impetus to write for the other contest categories. But you never know. Will you submit anything for any of them?
I agree, some of the early entries are really amazing. I'm withholding comments about them as they come in, though. Want to remain impartial. But I am just delighted that some relatively 'unknown' hubber-poets are getting excited about it and stepping forward! Of course, the tried and tested ones shine with excitement too. There are going to be some dazzling poetry (with their accompanying text) competing!
No doubt, we'll have a lot of soul-searching and fine-tuning to do to select winners from among the qualifying entries submitted and passed on to us, from the looks of it.
I hope everyone competing is fully aware and observant of those few and simple qualifying requirements for entry. They're the first 'gate' to be met and flagged on through in the contest, and it's the one which is outside of us judges' jurisdiction. But it's the nature of competition in any field to have initial qualifications to meet, and it's one SURE place where competitors can help themselves in a most vital way - being entered!
Don't worry, m'dear - you'll be seeing lots of me and my style! And I love seeing you and yours, too, don't forget!! Whether I must wait till your December resuming or not! :-)
Oh I am so happy to read you reporting in positively. I was getting worried about you, yes life does get in the way of our passions, that of writing poetry for me and I trust for you and many of our fellow poets at the hubs. Although I am certainly remaining impartial, I do go in and read as many entries as I can just to get the feel for their style and content. However, I am very careful to not make any reference to them possibly having a winner, that would certainly be bias and I would be up for scrutiny for sure. Being a poet, I can't stay away from reading others works. Yes many were not aware that we are the secondary reviewers of their works. They first have to pass the acid test from the Hub Team before they reach us and that makes sense. No my friend I have no desire to write any short stories and I certainly am not a photographer of any worth:-) but I sure enjoy looking at pictures created by the talented ones. I am going to sit back and watch the talent roll in and when sent the final cuts, give my honest opinion and review to help arrive at my choice of candidates. I know once the judges have sent them in, they will be tallied up by the Team and the winners chosen indeed. I am so happy to hear that you will grace us with more of your wonderful, stirring, brilliant poetry. And you know we love your style, that you have plenty of classy lady. Thank you for filling me/us in on your status. I am very happy to hear that all is well in your part of the world. Hugs from the Saddle to my friend.
Hello Mike, my favorite Mockingbird bookseller and restauranteur! I really must come see what-all is going on in there in your Emerald Wells Cafe. I can always benefit from sitting awhile with interesting folks, whom I've noticed frequent it. If it should get lively of course, sitting can be foregone! :-) There seems to be some excitement arising in there from time to time! None too surprising, really, considering the clientele.
Thank you for stopping by my little corner place here, too. You can surmise where I've been by my reply to Ken's inquiry. This is a time of year with seasons changing that seems to bring about some inner adjustments. I love this season, though - so they're for the good, those adjustments. And I just go with the flow when it's in its process.
Ken - ah - Thank you! I've read quite a few of the submissions for the contest too. Yes, the 'first acid test' IS at that first 'entry gate' of contestants' in meeting the qualifying requirements. Obviously It would really be impossible for us layfolk judges to take accurate word counts and check out legitimate use of the required photo for each and every entry - or any of them, for that matter. So that needs to be done prior to our then getting those meeting those requirements so we can proceed with evaluations of the merits of the writing.
I'm impressed how well the method laid out for us to judge is quite fair and square and is up to us as judges. We won't be debating it, but just giving, as you say - our honest evaluations. Judges are, after all, subjective evaluators, bringing our tastes and attention to it, as in any contest of skill and performance. We'll call upon our own senses to do it, of course. That's why there are five of us - to keep it balanced. Where one of us prefers one genre, another sees value in other types.
I feel eager that the contestants be assured and have no doubt about the fairness and impartiality involved. Of course as we get down to choosing - we each will have our own preferences. We're human. My criteria will be as I stated in my interview, which is "me" of course. And I'm pleased to read the varied perspectives and standards of the other judges in their interviews.
With a wonderfully varied and broad outlook among us, everyone submitting entries will be able to be evaluated from empathetic standpoints from a fair and well-versed set of judges considering their work. Main thing is that it needs to 'ring true' - and that is something we all value, I believe, which is from the poet's own treasure-trove and has to be communicated from the poet to the reader in the writing itself. It's the nature of poetry, isn't it?
Like you, I and all the other judges will give our honest opinions after careful review and then we'll submit them to find the 'top winners'. I can think of no better system for picking this kind of contest, actually.
More hugs, Ken!!
You ve so written such a masterpiece. A wonder to the soul!
What a lovely comment to make, ubanichijloke. . . It's good to touch a soul with wonderment, especially such a sensitive sou as yoursl Thank you.
Your poetry is so beautiful,thank you.
April, thank you so much! I'm pleased that you like it!
lovely and intricately written!
Arusho! Thank you. I'm delighted that you came by! Actually my writing just flows with little effort; but, yes, it's true that I do love to present it like a gourmet meal on a well-set table, which needs fine-tuning and perspiration, along with inspiration. :-) Thank you for noticing. Hugs.
My Beautiful Nelli Ma'am! Reading your poem is like hearing a soft Romantic song. It's a Beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing with us.:)
voted up, awesome, interesting.
(:???Happy Thanksgiving???:)
with lots of Love & Respect
from SHANAYA:)
Shanaya, dear sweet person! Thank you for your lovely comments as well as the votes!! Yes - it was a good Thanksgiving, spent with friends. Big hugs!
Your poetry is music to my ears. Never failing to provoke mostly happy thoughts in my mind, your words run like a recipy for love and life LOL... Common sense guidelines for us all to follow... Thank you for improving my night... Voted Up and Awesome....................Chris
Chris, thank you! How gratifying to hear I'm pleasing your ears and improved your night!
Yes, I guess my stuff is mostly positive rather than negative, but I value all genuine experiences and responses to them. Many of my poems were written in less-than-positive times, but I didn't need to supply myself with more of the gloomier stuff. In fact, writing, for me, was a way to keep contact with my naturally positive, joyous nature, despite other strong influences to the contrary at the time.
In fact, that was my triumph, being able to not only survive, but to survive intact, wholly me. And it does take some of all of it to be whole, which is always what I most value.
Thank you again!
Beautiful writing
Thank you so much, Stariswhoiam! I appreciate your visit and comment!
Nikkij504gurl Level 6 Commenter 7 months ago
voted up and beautiful!