Hi Everyone
I don’t know about the poetry competition being a challenge for you, it’s a pretty big task having to judge it and this month was closer than most. I’d asked you to imagine an empty photo frame and to fill it with a word picture about someone who means a lot to you. I’d suggested film stars or historical figures but over half of our entrants chose to write about their Mums. And as we’re close to Mother’s Day, that was particularly poignant. Our outright winner this month is David Konigsberg whose poem about Auntie Bertha most certainly painted a picture of this colourful lady.
AUNTIE BERTHA by DAVID KONIGSBERG
I miss you differently on different days
I miss you differently in different seasons
Your Autumn leaves were purple and aquamarine
Sure, sometimes you were cluttered
Sometimes you kinda stuttered
And muttered!
In Ruski, in Yiddish, in a rambled English
Your handbag was more fascinating
Richer and poetic than any far corner of the British Museum
the Met in New York
or the Prado in Madrid
and Dali was an ennui near you
Picasso was somewhat ordinary
In your milieu
There were stanzas, grouped words in your poesies
But a rambled zillion dimensioned octopus
of a primordial form and shade and style
I adore you
I just have room today for one more poem, and this is:
MOTHER by DON REUBEN
A pretty little lady
Always smiling
Hair well groomed
Neatly clad
Colours well coordinated
Skin as smooth as a baby
Full of goodness and purity
Kind and gentle
Trustworthy in all her dealings
Helpful to friends and family
Would not do anything wrong
Good moral conscience
Loved by most
Cares about people
A humble soul
A woman with dignity
Generous to those in need
Good religious values
Worth more than gold
That's my mother
Next month’s subject is The Library. You can widen it if you wish and write about your favourite book or author. From Shakespeare to Agatha Christie by way of Enid Blyton or a gripping biography - can’t wait to see your poems. The usual rule of no longer than twenty lines applies and I’d like your poems in by 24th March please.
I will be getting in touch with Harrow libraries to see whether they’d be able to display some of the entries.
But again, congratulations to David Konigsberg and honourable mention to Don Reuben.
We had some other runners up and I’ll be posting poems by Sukriti Bisht, Natalie Reuben, John Clarke, Michael Gerstein and Jeff Edmunds at a later date. Sorry not to be able to include everyone but keep trying.
Judy
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