Poem of the Week

Every Friday our editors pick out one of the best new poems they've read over the week and share it with you here. If you see a fantastic 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 luke@abctales.com.

(22.11.13) 'Pumpkin Harvest' is a beautiful evocation of the Autumn season. The poem's sharp, lyrical images are emphasised with the description of a line of immigrant laborers, marching up the lines of gourds to 'snip their / frost-bitten umbilical / cords':

http://www.abctales.com/story/a102866/pumpkin-harvest

(15.11.13) 'Charlie's Going Home' is one of the smoothest sonnets I've read in a long time, an eloquent take on the relief and regret that comes with the end of war. But this is more than just a Remembrance day poem - it's a nuanced tribute to family, to perseverance and to sacrifice:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ed-crane/charlies-going-home

(08.11.13) Aronowitz’s ‘Soho Autumn’ is one of those lucid evocations of place that you can’t help being transported by. It’s more than just a snapshot of the changing seasons - it’s also a reflection on the changing nature of the city itself:

http://www.abctales.com/story/aronowitz/soho-autumn

(01.11.13) Our poem of the week is SamanthaHalpin’s ‘The Light I Brought Too Late’ – a stunning poem that expertly weaves together light, language and death:

http://www.abctales.com/story/samanthahalpin/light-i-brought-too-late

(25.10.13) A shared prize this week. Both of these poems tackle a similar subject from very different angles: Bee’s ‘Defiling a Rose’ is a touching portrait of the delicacy, and abuse, of youth, while Silver Spun Sand’s ‘Awakenings’ is an incredible burst of nostalgia for childhood:

http://www.abctales.com/story/bee/defiling-rose-re-write
http://www.abctales.com/story/silver-spun-sand/awakenings

(18.10.13) VeraClark's 'Little Red Lost' is stunning, breath-taking, jaw-dropping and difficult. You want to take your eyes from the page but you just can't. This is what poetry's about.

http://www.abctales.com/story/veraclark/little-red-lost

(11.10.13) Our poem of the week is this poignant piece from Linda Cress – in a series of light, delicate line comes all the weight of a mother’s death:

http://www.abctales.com/story/linda-wigzell-cress/she-came-me-dream

(04.10.13) Silver Spun Sand's 'Poetry Sucks' is her contribution to National Poetry Day and we're very lucky that she chose to place it here. This is a beautiful and thought provoking piece:

http://www.abctales.com/story/silver-spun-sand/poetry-sucks

(27.09.13) I got so excited when I first read galeforce7's 'oxytocin' that I posted it on Facebook and Twitter immediately as I couldn't wait to share it with you all. It's a gem. I'm still just as excited by it:

http://www.abctales.com/story/galeforce7/oxytocin

(20.09.13) Animan can get caught up in his own words but this love poem, with a real twist at the end, is a gem. Original, thought provoking and beautiful - what more could you want?

http://www.abctales.com/story/animan/beautiful-august

(13.09.13) idrew's 'iPast-Times' is a delightful take on the bawdy romp of times long gone. I suspect there's an awful lot of truth in it - and it makes for a brilliant read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/idrew/ipast-times

(06.09.13)

'Vestiges of the Night' by a102866 is a fine descriptive poem that says a lot more than the sum of its words. As a commentary on contemporary life it ticks a lot of boxes:

http://www.abctales.com/story/a102866/vestiges-night

(30.08.13) Just no doubt about the winner this week. VeraClark's 'Peaching' is uncomfortable, to say the least, but it's a very fine piece of writing and it needs saying:

http://www.abctales.com/story/veraclark/peaching

(23.08.13) Our poem of the week is in title and content a ‘Visual Paradise’. This description of urban ennui – and pastoral fantasy –really hit home for me:

http://www.abctales.com/story/skinnerjennifer/visual-paradise

(16.08.13) a102866's poem, 'Conscripts' is a villanelle, a notoriously hard style of poem to write. But this one is graceful, easy to read and will stay with you:

http://www.abctales.com/story/a102866/conscripts

(09.08.13) VeraClark's 'The Vanishing' is an accessible poem but it's also got real depth. You will want to read it time after time. This is very very good indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/veraclark/vanishing

(02.08.13) hoalarg1's 'what I'm not' is a poem that gets better and better and ends with a corking couplet:

http://www.abctales.com/story/hoalarg1/what-i-m-not

(26.07.13) Silver Spun Sand's bitter sweet 'Zac's Garden' says a great deal about the bitterness of widowhood. It's a fine piece of writing:

http://www.abctales.com/story/silver-spun-sand/zacs-garden

(19.07.13) ralph has been with ABCtales since the very beginning - and his poetry goes through phases. This is one of his angry, bitter rants and darn good it is too:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ralph/eighteen-sheets-wind

(12.07.13) Rosa Tabula is a fine poet - but this discourse on a cup of tea is fab, even by her high standards. There's depth in this as well as fine use of language:

http://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-tabula/grail-both-cauldron-and-spear

(05.07.13) It's so good to have fatboy back on form. This is deep, dark and intense - and beautifully written:

http://www.abctales.com/story/fatboy74/morning

(28.06.13) gingeresque hasn't been about much of late but he's back with a corker. 'Life After You' is deep and dark but still very accessible:

http://www.abctales.com/story/gingeresque/life-after-you

(21.06.13) He's terrific almost all of the time but this one is an absolute gem. mcmanaman's 'The train to Sheringham' is a MUST read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mcmanaman/train-sheringham

(14.06.13) I'm no gambler but a.lesser.thing's 'lucky,luckless' hits the spot when it describes the thought process of those that rely on lady luck:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lesser-thing/lucky-luckless

(07.06.13) Just no doubt about this week's winner - Vera Clark's 'Yellow Cows' has stuck with me since the moment I read it. The images are a huge messy jumble but they work so well. It's fantastic:

http://www.abctales.com/story/veraclark/yellow-cows

(31.05.13) lavadis hasn't been around much lately but he's back with a bang with 'Atom by Atom'. His acid pen has hit the mark:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lavadis/atom-atom

(24.05.13) the unfolding head is one of those writers who when they get it right, they get it very right indeed. 'Memories Cost More' is just delicious, incisive and spot on:

http://www.abctales.com/story/unfolding-head/memories-cost-more

(17.05.13) seashore's wonderful 'The sadness of tulips', a bitter sweet insight into life and love, gets the prize this week:

http://www.abctales.com/story/seashore/sadness-tulips

(10.05.13) I've loved Maggy's poetry for a long time - but even by her high standards, 'The wanting' is a very good one. I keep coming back to it for its brilliant imagery:

http://www.abctales.com/story/maggyvaneijk/wanting

(03.05.13) Kilb50's 'Stent' is a work of genius. This is one of the very best poems this year:

http://www.abctales.com/story/kilb50/stent

(26.04.13) A late entrant takes the prize at the post. barelyblackfrancis's 'In Sun, In Spring (In England)' captures the moment perfectly. I can see it all:

http://www.abctales.com/story/barely-black-francis/sun-spring-england

(19.04.13) I'm back and so is Story and Poem of the Week. A latecomer pips some other wonderful pieces at the post for this prize. a.lesser.thing's 'translations' really made me think - this is what poetry's all about:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lesser-thing/translations

(05.04.13) amlee's wonderful 'Killing Time' has stuck with me for days. The images are so good, the writing is so tight it has to take the weekly nod:

http://www.abctales.com/story/amlee/killing-time-0

(29.03.13) Pastiche is not easy and to take a poem as famous as this one by TS Eliot and make it into a passionate and valid polemic is quite brilliant. 'Academy' by Linda Wigzell Cress is superb:

http://www.abctales.com/story/linda-wigzell-cress/academy

(22.03.13) Oops - it's not often someone wins two weeks in a row but the wilkybarkid's 'Whitewash' is so good I had to pick it. He's on a great run of form:

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/whitewash-0

(15.03.13) Despite spending the last few weeks running the Prose Pentathalon, the wilkybarkid has had time to write some fine poetry and his Proper Study of Sanity is from the very top drawer:

http://www.abctales.com/story/wilkybarkid/proper-study-sanity

(08.03.13) 27 says this is a return to writing after a five year hiatus. It's clearly been well spent. 'And look at the mess we're in...' is original, clever and captivating:

http://www.abctales.com/story/27/and-look-mess-were

(01.03.12) Lavadis has recently taken to poetry - and it's wonderful. Dark, dangerous and surprising as his writing always is - this one has added humanity!

http://www.abctales.com/story/lavadis/her-eyes-belonged-infinity

(22.02.13) Stan's 'Couples' brings us a moment in life, its feelings and its sights, with great clarity and perception. Great stuff:

http://www.abctales.com/story/stan/couples

(15.02.13) I don't think I'm becoming indecisive - it's just there's so much good poetry around - so a joint prize again this week. Maggy's 'Typing Heartbreak into Google' demonstrates once more that hard times are great for poetry whilst Esmerelda's 'HW6834' is just so powerful and heartfelt that it had to win as well:

http://www.abctales.com/story/maggyvaneijk/typing-heartbreak-google

http://www.abctales.com/story/esmerelda/hw6834

(08.02.13) marionwozere's 'Maria' is a tour de force. It tells a huge story with power and strength. Steve Elliott's 'Fishing Trip' is just plain suberb. A shared prize this week:

http://www.abctales.com/story/marionwozere/maria
http://www.abctales.com/story/steve-elliott04/fishing-trip-0

(01.12.13) Beeme is back on very good form and 'Borders' is so full of magnificent images that it just had to be my pick this week:

http://www.abctales.com/story/beeme/borders

(25.01.13) So many I could have chosen this week but MS's 'Charlotte...' is the one that's stayed with me the longest. We are in a golden spell of poetry at the moment and this is gem amongst many others:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ms/charlotte-you-werent-fat-and-ginger

(18.01.13) I can't separate these two poems from very long standing members, so a joint award this week - Ralph's 'The Only Way is Essex' is him on the top of his game - and Nancy_Am is on fine form with 'This Man Tried To Guess My Ethnicity':

http://www.abctales.com/story/nancy-am/man-tried-guess-my-ethnicity

http://www.abctales.com/story/ralph/only-way-essex

(11.01.13) A very late entrant takes the prize this week. It takes both points of view and deals with what could easily be very trite in a clever and realistic manner. 'Drunken Groping' by typhoto223 is really very good:

http://www.abctales.com/story/typhoto223/drunken-groping

(21.12.12) 'Debbie, you ruined Joy Division for me' by MS is such a classic of reminiscence that it has to take the prize this week. You'll enjoy this one:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ms/debbie-you-ruined-joy-division-me

(14.12.12) An absolute no brainer this week - Maggy van Eijk's extraordinary A Christmas Carol, sort of wins by a mile. She's always good - but this is a belter:

http://www.abctales.com/story/maggyvaneijk/christmas-carole-kind

(07.12.12) The Day I Finally Abandoned Myself by ton.car just gets the nod this week. It's all right there but it does get to the nub of the soul and it rings very true:

http://www.abctales.com/story/ton-car/day-i-finally-abandoned-myself

(30.11.12) A shared prize this week as I love them both and just can't pick. lavadis and maggyvaneijk both came up trumps:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lavadis/humbled-darkness

http://www.abctales.com/story/maggyvaneijk/lodie

(23.11.12) A no brainer - berenerchamion's 'Before The Tank Ran Out' is a great poem. One of the best on here for a long while:

http://www.abctales.com/story/berenerchamion/tank-ran-out

(16.11.12) So many great poems coming out of the Poetry Pentathalon this week - but I think ItsSteveDave's 'The Rising of the Leaves' is my favourite as the use of language is exquisite:

http://www.abctales.com/story/itsstevedave/rising-leaves

(09.11.12) Scratch's 'The Attic' is one of the most vivid descriptions of depression I've ever read. It's a truly exceptional piece and should be required reading for everyone:

http://www.abctales.com/story/scratch/attic

(02.11.12) bollinvalleygirl's 'Bath Night' is a brilliant evocation of changing bathing habits over the years - and, of course, it says a great deal more about the human condition. Truly excellent:

http://www.abctales.com/story/bollinvalleygirl/bath-night

(26.10.12) Barboy's 'Walking' is an extraordinary poem in that it takes you almost instantly into the writer's journey. This is very good indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/barboy/walking

(19.10.12) I like it when an Inspiration Point leads to something wonderful - and lenchenelf's An Invalid Diet for Season's Change is certainly that. A gem of a poem:

http://www.abctales.com/story/lenchenelf/invalid-diet-seasons-change

(11.10.12) When Cats Deliver Mail by moonphish is a poem with a surprise ending - and that's unusual in itself. Nicely constructed and an all round delight:

http://www.abctales.com/story/moonphish/when-cats-deliver-mail

(04.10.12) 'Catatonic' by harrietmacmillan was written, she says, in a flash but the complexity of the themes and the hidden agenda says a lot about the power of the subconscious in our writing. Read it more than once:

http://www.abctales.com/story/harrietmacmillan/catatonic

(28.09.12) Kate Emily's 'River Thinking' is so full of extraordinary images as it confronts the change we take for granted. A truly excellent poem:

http://www.abctales.com/story/kate-emily/river-thinking

(21.09.12) sid's 'widowed' is a brilliant ode to being superceded by heroin in the heart of her love. It's a real tour de force:

http://www.abctales.com/story/sid/widowed

(14.09.12) Archie_Macjoyce is on incredible form at the moment - and his latest poem is breathtaking in its scope and form. One of the very best on here for a while - and that takes some doing:

http://www.abctales.com/story/archie-macjoyce/lo-how-powerless-are-falli...

(07.09.12) alphadog1's Ode to Venus fourth position is a sensual and glorious celebration of love making. So easy to make it tacky, so clever to get it right:

http://www.abctales.com/story/alphadog1/ode-venus-fourth-position

(31.08.12) These are the first seven poems in Kilb 50's homage to Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. They are scholarly and yet utterly accessible - very, very good indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/kilb50/loves-progress-1-7

(24.08.12) I enjoyed MistakenMagic's first Footnote for a Disseration - but her second caps it. Very clear, very powerful and highly memorable. This is excellent:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mistakenmagic/footnote-dissertation-2

(17.08.12) Shoe's The First Cut is oblique and image strewn - not an easy poem to read - but worth every bit of the effort:

http://www.abctales.com/story/shoe/first-cut

(10.08.12) This is a descriptive piece with great rhythmn and a wonderful touch. Parson Thru's 'Totterdown' is very, very good:

http://www.abctales.com/story/parson-thru/totterdown

(03.08.12) A poem that really makes you think as the pictures come in from Syria - in such stark contrast to the Olympics. Kilb50's How To Kill A Child should be read by every politician:

http://www.abctales.com/story/kilb50/how-kill-child-0

(27.07.12) A stunner from berenerchamion just gets the nod this week. It's full of regret but bold and gutsy with it - read this one!

http://www.abctales.com/story/berenerchamion/saint-ignatius-hold-bitters

(20.07.12) Another very strong week for poetry but Fatboy's 'Serial Killer' really is a very fine piece of work and stomps off with the prize:

http://www.abctales.com/story/fatboy74/serial-killer-contemplates-cause

(13.07.12) So many great poems this week that this was a very difficult one to pick - but macmanaman's 'A secret something' is so off the wall, original and wonderful that I couldn't resist it:

http://www.abctales.com/story/mcmanaman/secret-something

(06.07.12) berenerchamion has hit top form with 'Beneath The Cedars'. It has a superb running image chain, delicate form and real heart:

http://www.abctales.com/story/berenerchamion/beneath-cedars

(29.06.12) Silver Spun Sand is one of our most consistent performers but sometimes she rises that extra notch above her usual high standard. 'Come Summer' is excellent:

http://www.abctales.com/story/silver-spun-sand/come-summer

(22.06.12) We're back - and it's a no brainer for me for this week's pick. There are some incredible poems out there but this one from sid just takes my breath away:

http://www.abctales.com/story/sid/fear-shadows

(25.05.12) It isn't often that someone writes about a really positive boarding school experience but Shieldsley has - and very well too!

http://www.abctales.com/story/shieldsley/leaving-beechwood

(18.05.12) A stand out winner this week. Scratch read this at our get together and it knocked me out - every word works:

http://www.abctales.com/story/scratch/kingfisher

(11.05.12) This extraordinary ramble through life from salmanrushdiespetocelot is so unusual to find in poem form that it deserves this prize for that alone - but some of it is very, very good too. Be warned - some of the language is very rude indeed:

http://www.abctales.com/story/salmanrushdiespetocelot/communism-gods-way

(04.05.12) A very modern take on reflection - shoe's Montage is sharp, bitter and rings far too true:

http://www.abctales.com/story/shoe/montage

(27.04.12) Sid's A Trip to Town tells a common story but it's put down with such wit, style, insight and skill that it demands to be read:

http://www.abctales.com/story/sid/trip-town

(20.04.12) Another great five parter from AKT. Five Ways In Which You Might Die is funny, sharp and original:

http://www.abctales.com/story/akt/five-ways-which-you-might-die

(13.04.12) Great to see bosch posting again - and 'Why I Live Alone' is a real gem - pithy, thought provoking and rather sad:

http://www.abctales.com/story/bosch/why-i-live-alone

(06.04.12) A shoe-in this week for AKT's extraordinary five poem 'Abridged History'. They form a brilliant piece of work and if you haven't read them yet then I encourage you to do so:

http://www.abctales.com/story/akt/extremely-abridged-history-present-fut...

(30.03.12) This is span on the top of her form - and she's 'Throwing rocks at shop signs'. It really is very, ve