Hi All
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and now you’re heading to New Year with its festivities and resolutions to not do what you did in 2017 and try to do what you didn’t do in 2018!
The next Open Mic I will be hosting is at Stanmore Library on Thursday 25th January from 6/7.30. It is to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and I hope to see you at this significant event with a few poems, not necessarily penned by you.
There’s been lots of new poets entering the competition in both the Harrow Times and the Barnet Borough Times. What a joy and privilege it’s been to read the great influx of poems and I hope you agree with my choice of winners, as the runners-up were also of a high standard.
The subject was The Gift and Harrow’s winner was Babs Lee who wrote:
THE GIFT by Babs Lee
You are the child of the bright colours of a rainbow shower
You are the child of the petals of a daffodil flower
You are the child of the bird in the sky
You are the child with wings that can fly
You are the child that dreams pretty things
You are the child that smiles and sings
You are the child that just reaches for a hug
You are the child that just wants to be loved
You are the child that I read bedtime stories to
You are the child that likes to tell me everything you do
You are the child that I whisper all the places I have been
Beauty and sunsets that I have seen.
You are the child who one day I will show paintings of old
Museums of sculpture and Crown Jewels of gold
And I will tell you about your family tree
And things about me, your Granny B
And I will pass on to you a life that made me what I am
And I will say go out and do the best you can
For my dear grandchild who can do no wrong
I pass onto you a gift of my life's history song.
Marion Whistle, a first time entrant, won the Barnet Borough competition with:
THE GIFT by Marion Whistle
The gift of music, our blessing and boon
Sheer life-force, like the sun and the moon
From dawn chorus’s first throaty call
Mother’s lullaby to babe in shawl
What else binds us so - one to another?
(Woos so gracefully, for tongue-tied lover?)
All our calendar-moments enhancing
Souls remembrances; or joyful dancing
Quiet twosome ‘They’re playing our song’
Epic Orchestras toe-tapping throng
Music penetrates fraught, troubled minds
Bringing solace, hope, of purest kinds
How did this gift start - who did begin it?
Ask the nightingale or the sweet linnet
Will it ever just dwindle and end
Does deep love of a parent or friend?
Tunes that resonate, tunes that just kiss
Are they foretaste of heavenly bliss?
As always, I like to include some of our runners-up, so please enjoy
THE GIFT by Kusum Hars
Beautiful thoughts in my mind
Creating stories of all kind
Waiting to be penned
Expressing the feelings they would send.
Alas when pen to paper I took as such
Thoughts lost their magic touch
And I was left with a blank field
Try as I would I could not succeed.
Then one day I found the platform and the will
To transfer thoughts into words to my heart's fill
To express my feelings and creativity
In the form of a poem, to share with all.
Then came the urge to do some art
Catch the colours of nature around me
Of the trees and grass in autumn and spring
And the waterfalls white as foam, the stream
Like a snake flowing in and out among the trees.
Thanks to nature for these wonderful skills
I wouldn't wish for any other 'gift' than this.
ONE SINGLE TOY by Marie-Géraldine Lauzier
My father said
Wait and you’ll see
What fun can bring
One single toy
With sparkly eyes
My father’s hands
So big and strong
One single toy
Wrapping and bow
His love for me
Will never go
THE GIFT OF TIME by J D Milaric
Time for most people, is a scarce commodity
With our lifestyles in the 21st Century
The opposite was the case for me
Which initially was just a bind
But being forced recently to retire early due to ill-health
Clearly required me to then take stock of myself
So realising that I was a person of wealth
As measured in time I needed to quickly reconcile myself to now having
A medical condition that was quite debilitating
Which combined with no longer working
In life, could leave me behind
With no real structure to the day, and new-found freedom
Of time, after much thought, I made a firm decision
That this situation would not be a prescription
To neglect my mind I discovered having a literary bent
as my mind began to drift Nonfiction material, fiction and poetry –
all gave me a lift
With two books published already, I appreciate the gift Of time.
THE GIFT by Jeff Edmunds
The gift is in the art of giving
It’s in the sense of knowing what to give
It’s in discerning what’s too big or too small,
what the recipient can handle
It’s not only in the packaging, but that’s important too
Making a gift intriguing to guess is part of the magic, the fun, the jest
But the best gift is when someone gives themselves to you
and you give yourself in return
It‘s true, the gift of a loved one is very special
But at Christmas, even more,
there is the wonderful gift of a holy child for all to share
THE GIFT by Howard Lambe
A gift is a special and wonderful thing
It is what we expect Santa Claus to bring
On Christmas day under the tree
The children's presents I'm sure you agree
Is the highlight of this festive time
Delight and happiness on faces sublime
But the greatest gift one can give
Is organ donation that others may live
THE GIFT by Elliott Lever
A special something for that day
That is many months away
I saw it in that shop and just had to have it
Sparkling and new with a price to good to be true
The surprise on her face
It was as if it was the wrong colour or a mistake
Then a chuckle of laughter and the moment passed
It was the gift of giving that will last.
THE GIFT OF CARING by Lisa Cohen
Who am I talking to? Actually, Daisy the cat.
Conversation over. She scratches the mat
Am I going insane? Is this normal behaviour?
Animal lovers agree. Daisy's my saviour
Names, faces, remembering , Comes and goes
But, hidden pockets of words still hopefully flows
Poetry group today. Ladies here for tea
We share poems. Who else would listen to me.
Our poems are earnest. . Emotions, haunting
We open our hearts . Understanding?, Daunting.
Why do we write? Have to. Helps dry a tear
Laugh. Feel better. Trust each other. Quieten fear.
What's this poem all about? You may well ask
If I can write, so can you. Not a feat. Not a task
Let ideas and words fly to our Community News
Open up. Whatever it is the editor won't refuse,
I've just realised. This poem is about filling a need
It's not for you? You're okay.? Lucky indeed
Some golden oldies want to mix. Often despair.
Give them a gift. Give them a lift. Especially from here to there
SNAPPING UP AN OPPORTUNITY by Patricia J Tausz
Lines of verse soon are created
My brain power can't be underestimated
For days I have waited To write like this.
Pen races across the page New ideas take centre stage
The words - their power I can't gauge:
An opportunity to write I mustn't miss.
Lines quickly form again So active is my brain
I would become insane If I didn't write.
Writing gives me pleasure A talent I treasure
Something I can do at my leisure: It's such a delight.
THE GIFT by Don Reuben
The gift of life is the gift from God
The gift of love The gift of wife with no strife
The gift of marriage The gift of birth The gift of children
The gift of wealth With no health is a worthless gift
Fit for agony, pain and strain This gift comes with rift
Fit for the cliff The creative gift brightens lives
The gift brings laughter and happiness
The gift can bring sadness and jealousy
Yet the gift can be beautiful Who is responsible for the gift?
How do we value the gift of life?
What will we do with this gift?
Is the gift of life love and peace?
If it is lets cherish it forever
I hope you have enjoyed these poems, just a few of the ones that have been submitted and I look forward to receiving yours before the 25th January.
If you want to hand it to me in person, come to the Open Mic at Stanmore Library on the 25th January.
And all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2018.
Best wishes Judy Karbritz
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