Poem of the Week

So they're back - and with a vengeance. We will update the story and poem of the week every Friday. If you see a particular piece and feel that it should be included then please let us know - either on the Discuss Writing from ABC Forum or by email to tcook@abctales.com.

(04.07.08) One Driver Escaped Uninjured by charlie99 is short, pithy and beautifully observed. There's a lot more said than the number of words...

http://www.abctales.com/story/charlie99/one-driver-escaped-uninjured

(27.06.08) The Complete Confounded Letters plus a new one by Ken Simm are a long read - but they contain so many magnificent lines that they just have to be read. Prose poetry on a theme sustained over this length is rare indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ken-simm/complete-confounded-letters-plus-...

(18.06.08) Night Swimming by Dynamaso is not the finished article but it expresses so well a feeling held by so many writers that it deserves its place in this pantheon:

http://www.abctales.com/story/dynamaso/night-swimming

(06.06.08) Bank Holiday Monday by Leonie has it all - wit, sharp observation, great structure and a darn good read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/leonie/bank-holiday-monday

(30.05.08) The dangers of growing up too soon by gristo is claimed to have started life as a sestina but it develops into a sharp, witty attack on modern life and mores:

http://www.abctales.com/story/gristo/dangers-growing-too-soon

(23.05.08) He Is Watching You by spack is very funny. very sharp and beautifully written. You can't really ask for more:

http://www.abctales.com/story/spack/he-watching-you

(16.05.08) An absolute stand out this week. Shallow Graves by Doeslittle knocked me out and I hope you like it too:

http://www.abctales.com/story/doeslittle/shallow-graves

(09.05.08) rokkitnite's 50 Ways, which owes a little something to Paul Simon, has been selected by David K. - and he's absolutely right to have done so:

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/50-ways

(02.05.08) Mistaken Identity by sunshine has stuck in my mind since the moment I read it. It's dark, sharp, sexy and funny:

http://www.abctales.com/story/sunshine/mistaken-identity

(25.04.08) As our 50,000th download Choose Your Path by animan had to get this week's vote. It's also a v. good poem!

http://www.abctales.com/story/animan/choose-your-path

(18.04.08) HaiAnh's Cause and Affect is a bitter/sweet poem with some very nasty undercurrents. The phrasing is masterful and it deserves to be read - but prepare to be shocked:

http://www.abctales.com/story/haianh/cause-and-affect

(11.04.08) Shell Island by DoesLittle is a beautifully crafted poem, clever, witty and nostalgic. It tells a story but still says far more than the sum of the words:

http://www.abctales.com/story/doeslittle/shell-island

(04.04.08) Let the good times roll by Chant is yet another finely crafted piece from one of our most consistent poets. He really works at the language, structure and form - and it pays dividends. This one's funny as well:

http://www.abctales.com/story/chant/let-good-times-roll

(28.03.08) The Lima News, July 11 1950 by nancy_am marks the return of one of our most accomplished poets - and this latest work demonstrates why she is held in such high esteem:

http://www.abctales.com/story/nancy-am/lima-news-july-11-1950

(21.03.08) Unlikely by ivoryfishbone is the latest from one of our most accomplished poets. Her sureness of touch is not deserting her:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ivoryfishbone/unlikely

(12.03.08) Whiskers could have won Story of the Week as well - she is a great new addition to the ABCtales crowd. 'Damsel' is a fabulous poem - sharp, elegant and very accessible:

http://www.abctales.com/story/whiskers/damsel

(7.03.08)A close run thing this week, but top of the tree for sheer originality and wordplay is Nap by hejira j. I liked especially:

All my karmic knots
Are wriggling loose

but there's lots more, too, to enjoy.

http://www.abctales.com/story/hejira-j/nap

(29.02.08)I Remember Phyliss, and I Regret is worth this leapyear day pick of the week for the opening stanza alone. But it's also wonderfully evocative throughout - compelling imagery and structure. Could be made a little better?

http://www.abctales.com/story/doeslittle/i-remember-phyliss-and-i-regret

(22.02.08) I'm Not In Love With You Anymore, Cause You're Normal by leonie says so much about relationships in so few words. It's clever, clear and compelling:

http://www.abctales.com/story/leonie/i-m-not-love-you-anymore-cause-you-...

(15.02.08) In a fantastic week for quality poetry the prize goes to HaiAnh for 'My Boss Has Given Me The Day Off to Fall in Love'. It's funny, it's a bit rude and it's just spot on:

http://www.abctales.com/story/haianh/my-boss-has-given-me-day-fall-love-...

(08.02.08) Ode to Tomorrow by ellydawn is a wry and enigmatic look at modern attitudes to life. It's also quite funny:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ellydawn/ode-tomorrow

(01.02.08) Re-reading Sylvia Plath by kim.rooney is an acutely observed and crisply expressed poem about a lot more than the poet. Very good indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/kim-rooney/rereading-sylvia-plath

(25.01.08) So many to choose from this week but the WilkyBarKid gets it by a nose - especially for the line 'Dancing with Comrade H. from Steppes' - it's his 'former Soviet Union Sonnet:

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/former-soviet-union-sonnet

(18.01.08) Two for the price of one this week. I just couldn't pick one of rokkitnite's two brilliant pieces submitted. Laugh and enjoy:

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/ode-spineless-bastard-who-clone...
http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/my-favourite-song

(11.01.08) I don't normally go for these 'life experience' type of poems but 'My boyfriend lives in a great big glass bubble' by Vertigo has such honesty and insight that it had to win this week:

http://www.abctales.com/story/vertigo/my-boyfriend-lives-great-big-glass...

(05.01.08) I'm still not sure if I get every bit of Emblematic Trousers by lexy - but the bits I do get, I love. It takes a bit of reading, but it's very well worth it:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lexy/emblematic-trousers

(22.12.07) Growing Feathers by camilla is an excellent poem of hope and action - perfect for the time of year:

http://www.abctales.com/story/camilla/growing-feathers

(14.12.07) "Immigrants" by little ditty is one of those poems that brings to life a far larger human tragedy. Inspired:

http://www.abctales.com/story/littleditty/immigrants

(07.12.07) Yesterday, Today by careyssej is about the loosest 'poem' I've ever read - but the images and the juxtaposition are so good it had to win out:

http://www.abctales.com/story/careyssej/yesterday-today

(30.11.07) Open mic night, Holloway by chant is a centred by its language in its time and place - and to catch that timbre is impressive:

http://www.abctales.com/story/chant/holloway-open-mic-night

(23.11.07) Be warned, Seventh Circle by rokkitnite is not for the faint hearted or the easily offended - but it is gloriously funny:

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/seventh-circle

(16.11.07) The Joys of American Motels by dreamscatcher makes a fine point very well:

http://www.abctales.com/story/dreamscatcher/joys-american-motels

(09.11.07) Can't quite by span is one of those slippery poems that you can't quite get hold of. Delicious:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/cant-quite

(02.11.07) Troll boy by hellen is just such an odd poem that it has you going back to it time after time. For its sheer originality, it gets the nod:

http://www.abctales.com/story/hellen/troll-boy

(26.10.07) It's been something of a nostalgia week on ABCtales and Walking The Dog by anipani just hit the right note:

http://www.abctales.com/story/anipani/walking-dog

(19.10.07) Laura Brown by lukewright is just so stunningly raw, brutal and honest that it rips out of the page:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lukewright/laura-brown

(12.10.07) OK Alone by crush is that rare thing - a self revelatory poem that doesn't hide its meaning - and is very good. This is accessible poetry at its best:

http://www.abctales.com/story/crush/ok-alone

(5.10.07) I think that Truth by artisus gets so much into one short poem that it leaves you gasping - and reading it again:

http://www.abctales.com/story/artisus/truth

(28.09.07) The Possibilities by Leonie says everything you need to know about travelling on and on and on. It's a glorious evocation of that feeling when you just want to turn inwards once more:

http://www.abctales.com/story/leonie/possibilities

(21.9.07) These Walls by andrew oldham is stuffed full of fantastic nostalgic images but it has a bitter/sweet tone to it as well that rings very true:

http://www.abctales.com/story/andrewoldham/these-walls

(14.9.07) B and Q by hejira j was the first poem I read on my return from holiday - and it really hit a chord. Family life, decorating, large shops - it's all here:

http://www.abctales.com/story/hejira-j/b-q

(31.8.07) 'I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you' by macmanaman is one of my favourite poems ever on this site. It just lights up a very basic and universal human emotion. Majestic:

http://www.abctales.com/node/565586

(24.8.07) Keeping Up with the Browns by Luigi Pagano is a 'real life' poem with an added twist. Nothing fancy here - but it's good, straightforward and thought provoking:

http://www.abctales.com/node/565573

(17.8.07) My tears by soraia almeida is a sexual and very personal poem. So many people try to do these - and very few succeed. It's good to find one that really works:

http://www.abctales.com/story/soraia-almeida/my-tears

(10.8.07) A stand out winner this week. WilkyBarKid's The Human Zoo has it all - images that scream with inner meaning, a consistent rhythmn, thought provoking ideas and a superb form:

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/human-zoo

(3.8.07) Old as Brass by Mupp has some wonderful images of musical instruments and old age:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mupp/old-brass

(27.07.07) Rage by Camilla is exactly as the title says. It is a ranting outpouring of pure venom - but the mixture of freedom, passion and control is spellbinding:

http://www.abctales.com/story/camilla/rage

(20.07.07) Horses by gilbert conjures up such vivid images that it's a 'must read':

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/horses

(13.07.07) Her Five Word Adage gets the top poem prize this week. Congrats to Wily Bar Kid.

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/her-five-word-adage

(6.7.07) Southall by macjoyce is a brilliantly written observation of the Asian enclave in North London:

http://www.abctales.com/story/macjoyce/southall

(29.06.07) Men of Bees by pinchus is a bit of fun. Not so easy to do, but when it's done well it's well worth it:

http://www.abctales.com/story/pinchus/men-bees

(22.06.07) Poetry often looks at the minutiae of life and makes big points from it. Nosebleed by fergal looks at the big picture from the start:

http://www.abctales.com/story/fergal/nosebleed

(15.06.07) A no brainer this week. My Fantasy Afternoon with Joni Mitchell by hejira-j is witty, sharp and beautifully observed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/hejira-j/fantasy-afternoon-joni-mitchell

(8.6.07) Poems can be intellectual and funny. Chant's 'Berkeley's Non-Cognitivism' is a gem. It will hit a chord with anyone who has discovered that most of academia is just putting in long words where short ones would do fine:

http://www.abctales.com/story/chant/berkeleys-non-cognitivism

(25.05.07) The Eyes Like To Watch by Spack is a hands down winner in a good week for poetry. Most of us who have spent any time in London will have had this thought at some time - but never has it been expressed so wittily or so well:

http://www.abctales.com/story/spack/eye-likes-watch

(18.05.07) I couldn't resist this poem from Midge. The Tiger Who Came to Tea is one of my favourite children's books of all time - and here the darker side of the equation is examined. Very good indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/midge/inviting-tiger-tea-0

(11.05.07) A week's absence due to birth of grandchild - so welcome Alfie and here's your first poem of the week! It's from aloe and describes that wonderful 'why won't you wake up' moment when you're lieing in bed with your partner. It's not sentimental - but it is very good:

http://www.abctales.com/story/aloe/it-rained-sunday-morning

(27.04.07) Andrew James has had an eventful week on ABC! To cap it off, his poem ‘Dandelions and Daisies’ is our poem of the week. I hope it is all your own work Andrew…

http://www.abctales.com/story/andrewjames/dandelions-and-daisies

(20.4.07) A bit of a brou-ha-ha this week. The previous poem selected for this spot would appear to closely resemble the work of Roger McGough. Apologies to Mr. McG. It has been removed and I have gone to the archives for this great piece on Insomnia by beef:

http://www.abctales.com/node/500261

(13.4.07) Coaxing The Girl by nonamepsalmist is a complex and multi-layered poem - but that doesn't make it 'difficult'. It's a real discovery and I'm looking forward to much more from this new member:

http://www.abctales.com/story/nonamepsalmist/coaxing-girl

(6.4.07) Look left, look right, run like bloody hell (for fred) by andrewoldham1 is beautifully crafted. It's nostalgic and heart warming but it's also a very good poem:

http://www.abctales.com/story/andrewoldham/look-left-look-right-run-bloo...

(30.3.07) Blow by ralph is a real return to form from one of our longest standing members. There's some really good lines in there, especially at the beginning, and a neat and satisfying conclusion. Poetry can tell a story, ralph proves it:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ralph/blow-0

(23.3.07) I loved Very Bad With Money by macmanaman - especially the lines about the cheque that bounced like a ping pong ball at a funeral - classic:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mcmanaman/very-bad-money

(16.3.07) The Belt by steve button is so well constructed that you just have to read it over and over again:

http://www.abctales.com/story/steve-button/belt

(9.3.07) Strain by span mixes superb visual images with a tantalising use of simple language. It's a poem you will want to read over and over again:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/strain

(2.3.07) An absolute stand-out Poem this week, nominated by Juliet OC and commended by one and all. It's Chance Memorial by Fergal. Read it and weep:

http://www.abctales.com/story/fergal/chance-memorial

(23.2.07) A Crash of Bangers and Mash by WilkyBarKid describes one of those splendid moments when one can only watch the action. It's that one step of removal that makes it so compelling:

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/crash-bangers-and-mash

(16.2.07) o, oxford street by brighteyes is listed as a poem, so I guess it is! Whatever, it's a brilliant stream of words and images that encapsulates a trip to that mecca of shopping hell:

http://www.abctales.com/story/brighteyes/o-oxford-street

(9.2.07) jack cade's the Warlock Hits Town is witty, pungent and original. This could be a whole new genre for poetry:

http://www.abctales.com/story/jack-cade/warlock-hits-town

(2.2.07) He Put A Crimp In My Day by span is just an extraordinary extrapolation of that thing that makes the day go wrong, that makes you feel differently - but she puts it so much better:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/he-put-a-crimp-in-my-day

(26/1/07) Flurries by Scanners2 is about English and how well some people, to whom it is not their first language, use it. It's also about quite a lot more...

http://www.abctales.com/story/scanners2/flurries-0

(19.1.07) Meeting Myself on the London Underground in the Holiday Season by nicola 6 is a story poem with real bite. Magical...

http://www.abctales.com/story/nicola6/meeting-myself-on-the-london-under...

(12.1.07) The Wilky Bar Kid is strong and tough and only the best is good enough, ennit?

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/a-shot-of-sunday

(5.1.07) 'I am cultivating a fear of my face' by span is a stand out winner this week. It needs no explanation but says a lot in very few words:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/i-am-cultivating-a-fear-of-my-face

(23.12.06) So by gilbert is a timely poem about what's necessary to create peace...

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/so

(15.12.06) I've had to dig way back to find a good poem this week but midge's 'The Caterpillar Speaks in Tongues' is well worthy of the award...

http://www.abctales.com/story/midge/the-caterpillar-speaks-in-tongues

(8.12.06) barely black francis has crafted an image with 'Dixie' that will live on in the mind of the reader...

http://www.abctales.com/story/barely-black-francis/dixie

(1.12.06) Jeggers has done something really quite rare with 'Derek Hargreaves Esquire' - he's written a very accessible, witty and sharply observed poem. It's not easy...

http://www.abctales.com/story/jeggers/derek-hargreaves-enquires

(24.11.06) A tough choice this week - there's been a plethora of excellent poetry of late - but 1001 Nights Now by brighteyes is a stand-out. It's clever, quirky and yet utterly accessible:

http://www.abctales.com/story/brighteyes/1001-nights-now-0

(17.11.06) macmanaman has been around on ABCtales for years and he's much appreciated. We're Going To Own This Bar says everything about those holiday daydreams....

http://www.abctales.com/story/mcmanaman/were-going-to-own-this-bar

(3.11.06) macserp's 'heliotrope' could so easily have been maudlin and overly sentimental - but it isn't, and that takes a sure touch:

http://www.abctales.com/story/macserp/heliotrope

(20.10.06) Apologies for a missed week but this gem from camilla makes up for it. Mist wraiths takes us into those wintry mornings in the woods - and adds all that our feeble imaginations do not see:

http://www.abctales.com/story/camilla/mist-wraiths

(6.10.06) Midge's poem Escaping Into The Sea is an image-laden extravaganza. It'll take you to places you know and put a whole new spin on the experience:

http://www.abctales.com/story/midge/escaping-into-the-sea

(29.09.06) Hellen's poem is tender, heartfelt and very well constructed. The title is inspired:

http://www.abctales.com/story/hellen/lady-in-waiting

(23.09.06) Oops, a day late. It has been a fine week for poetry, however this was not a difficult decision to make. Picasso by Littleditty is a visceral feast that showcases a skillful control of language with a powerful pigment effect.

http://www.abctales.com/story/littleditty/picasso

(15.09.06) Waiting for the Greyhound Bus by Ivoryfishbone is a charming string of chinese boxes.
In fact so charming that it alters my view on poems that self reference and overrides the fact that she has recently held the poem of the week. Hats off to Ivoryfishbone!

http://www.abctales.com/story/ivoryfishbone/waiting-for-the-greyhound-bu...

(08.09.06) Nook by Rokkitnite features a dead rat and a stolen baby and is chock with oddly precise images. A marked change of direction for a perfromance poet normally concerned with humour and pop culture.

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/nook

(31.8.06) Melancholy by Nichola6 captures that moment of deep and bitter angst with such precision. I'm sure we can all relate to this wonderful poem....

http://www.abctales.com/story/nicola6/melancholy

(22.8.06) Love of Damage by jack cade is a difficult poem to read. It's cold and divorced from its subject - which makes it so much stronger. A real tour de force...

http://www.abctales.com/story/jack-cade/love-of-damage

(14.8.06) Ivoryfishbone is one of our longest serving members and one of our very best poets. Harvest demonstrates her spare use of language, her directness and her charm...

http://www.abctales.com/story/ivoryfishbone/harvest

(4.8.06) cudo cudo is surpised that we can take what we want from the world - but it makes for an inspiring and thought provoking poem...

http://www.abctales.com/story/cudo-cudo/i-am-surprised-we-can-take-what-...

(21/7/06) Oh dear - another little break - apologies. Will get back to weekly now! In any case here's a treat to be going on with - Macjoyce's extraordinary 'Uncle Eddie versus the female species'. It owes something to Lear and maybe some of the rhyme ot Masefield or Betjeman. It's rude and quirky and well worth a read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/macjoyce/uncle-eddie-versus-the-female-spe...

(4/7/06) After a brief hiatus, Poem of the Week is back! Ouroboros by Gilbert is packed with lines that stick around for days.

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/ouroboros

(15/06/06) A Three Pipe Problem by Brighteyes is the recommenation of Fergal. she commends the 'good, exacting imagery and wonderful use of words' and I cannot but agree:

http://www.abctales.com/node/553564

(09/06/06) Spack is back on top form with this poem, recommended by Barely Black Francis....

http://www.abctales.com/story/spack/sorry-i-make-you-lush

(02/06/06) I can't quite understand how Bosch has been overlooked for Poem of the Week so far. This one is just mind numbingly wonderful...

http://www.abctales.com/story/bosch/a-yes-you

(26/05/06) Barely Black Francis is one of our finest poets here on ABCtales - and he's come up with a real gem here. I'm just Wild about his Rhubarb...

http://www.abctales.com/story/barely-black-francis/wild-about-your-rhuba...

(19/05/06) Rokkitnite is off to the Hay on Wye Festival where he is sure to have a huge hit with this poem. 'Local Poet Slams Press' is funny, rude and provocative...

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/local-poet-slams-press

(12/05/06) Marks in the Morning by span has been nominated by fergal - and it's a choice I cannot but fail to fall in with. It's just very very good:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/marks-in-the-morning

(5/5/06) I couldn't believe it when I noticed that spack hasn't had a Poem of the Week since its re-introduction. I fell in love with this poem on its first reading. After many more, I like it even better:

http://www.abctales.com/story/spack/the-ditto-machines

(24/04/06) 'By The Radiator' by 27 is not an elegant poem. Nor is it a complicated poem. It is, however, a heartfelt poem filled with incongruities of the final days of a loved one, where the awful extra-ordinariness of death mingles with the mundane and meaningless of everyday life:

http://www.abctales.com/story/27/by-the-radiator-0

(7/04/06) I know that I've selected Gilbert before but this poem just screamed quality at me. The imagery is sublime:

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/snowblind-0

(30/3/06) Sychar by poetjude contains so many images it makes Bob Dylan look sparse. This is religious poetry at its very best...

http://www.abctales.com/story/poetjude/sychar

(21/3/06) Hall by Parker tells of the imprints we leave behind in a very literal and telling manner:

http://www.abctales.com/story/parker/hall

(13/3/06) Lttle Ditty's The Golden Egg is a classic of observation. It says a lot about the protagonists and about the observer in a tiny snapshot across a cafe floor:

http://www.abctales.com/story/littleditty/the-golden-egg

(3/3/06) The Secret Life of Chairs by gilbert was nominated by archergirl as Poem of the Week - and she couldn't have chosen better. It says so much with so few words, sparse, original and haunting. It's a must read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/the-secret-life-of-chairs

(24/2/06) 'Wrong' by span isn't wrong at all. It's like a little mystery without a resolution. What's wrong? What's happened? It's like we get to see the outline of an event without the event itself being anywhere in site:

http://www.abctales.com/story/span/wrong

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(17/2/06) 'Werner Herzog Helped Joaquin Phoenix From a Car Wreck' by Rokkitnite is like an American sitcom version of JG Ballard, awash with sharp images that sparkle like windscreen glass on wet tarmac. It's a smash!

http://www.abctales.com/story/rokkitnite/werner-herzog-helped-joaquin-ph...

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Archergirl's Poem has a long title - but it's a cracker. The loss of innocence is a well-worn path for the poet but this one (10/2/06) is original and poignant:

http://www.abctales.com/story/archergirl/on-cosmopolitan-and-mutual-defl...

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(3/2/06) Epic by lib is an excellent poem, small, neat and self-contained but suggestive of greater mysteries and intrigues. It's like a little Brian Eno tune, just a tiny sparse melody floating in space which ends just as soon as you've gotten used to it then stays in your head forever:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lib/epic

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Poetry can be funny - and this dry, witty little piece from Luigi Pagano is just right. Give yourself a wry smile this week (27/1/06) and enjoy:

http://www.abctales.com/story/luigi_pagano/the-husband-the-wife-and-the-...

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I love poetry that uses images to conjure metaphorical visions. Add in the biblical references and I'm in awe. Congratulations to Gilbert (20/1/06) for his Magdalene:

http://www.abctales.com/story/gilbert/magdalene

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This week (12/1/06) we have a wonderful reflective poem from Yutka. It's very poignant for me as this was the first year that my own son didn't make it home for Christmas - but is this what he really thinks of us? Yutka's verse is often based in the ordinary but through it he often makes profound and original statements:

http://www.abctales.com/story/yutka/a-son-is-home-for-christmas

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Many thanks to Bobblehat for suggesting this one (3/1/06). It's from span and it takes a bit of reading. Bobble says "it opens itself out backwards" and now I can see what he means. In any case: Rachel, I bought a new red coat:

http://www.abctales.com/node/546916

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It's at this time of year that we think of changing our lives, of reviewing our situation. This poem takes in all of that. It looks at our weaknesses and our strengths and uses allegory and image to make the human condition all too clear. A little gem called Knock by Jenifer:

http://www.abctales.com/story/jenifer/knock

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This week's Poem (9/12/05) is the first piece put up here by a new writer to us - mulekick. It contains images that disturb as well as enlighten, it provides thought provoking clues to the eternal question - why are we here? 'A Longing for Utility' is very good:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mulekick/a-longing-for-utility

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Our third poem of the week is a gem. It's from jvriesema who has been a member for some time but hasn't posted for a while - and then along comes this magnificent poem. It blends memorable images with human insight and is well worth reading over and over again:

http://www.abctales.com/story/jvriesema/in-the-eye-of-a-cello

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The second Poem of the Week is a bit of a blast from the past - but it's fitting in the week that Cardenio won the Haiku contest. It's neat, rhythmic and slightly obtuse - and I like it!

Congratulations to Abbacus for this one:

http://www.abctales.com/abbacus/fishpond

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Our first Poem of the Week of the new site comes from an excellent new writer on the site 'asparagus'. This one is esecially good, notably for what it doesn't say and for the image it creates in the reader's mind:

http://www.abctales.com/story/asparagus/now-look-here