Results of the Write Me a Birthday Poem

     For my 51st birthday, I launched a poetry birthday fest called Write Me a Birthday Poem on Facebook.

     I requested everybody to join in, including new acquaintances and would-be friends, to write me a poem in response to Jim Kulakowski's piano composition which I’ve just added to this blog. Poems should be a haiku, senryu, tanka, or any five-line poetry.

     Below are all the 26 lovely poems that I have received, including the poem from Susan Burch which I've recently added (*This has been revised to record the actual total number of poems as of September 9, 2014).

soft rain

dimpling the water

sharing 

the sunlight

of your life

MAUREEN SUDLOW

the music on Chrissi's blog

is pretty, just like Chrissi,

but it makes me a little sad

unlike Chrissi herself

who makes me happy

ED BREMSON

day will surely dawn

the sun its annual journey

that moment when it arrives

we will surely be there singing

Happy birthday, dear friend Chrissi

PAUL AMOZ TAN

birthday cake

my guitar's vibrato

tugging at her

ANGELO ANCHETA

with each birthday,

we grow and change

bit by bit

until our true selves

emerge.

hidden strengths 

are found

abilities we never knew

we had.

Chrissi, my friend, I 

wish you a life of

exploration and

discovering.

FEHL PICHAY SINSUAT

at times i wonder

what the song is what it means

what I am inside of it
there are times when I know...
alive, my spirit dances

PAT GEYER

A phonograph record sometimes slips

And jumps about whenever it skips

But our records, yours and mine,
Always stick on twenty-nine....on twenty-nine.....on twenty-nine...

OPIE HOUSTON

rose is a flower

that stay for an hour

but your friendship 

has the power

that will stay forever

ZENY ROSILLON

Lotus-like you rise

From muck of sorrow and tears

Embracing the sun

MARIVI SOLIVEN

She is the first flower of spring;

and the bird that sings by your window;

she is the smile of a friend;
and the warm afternoon glow.
She is everything that inspires you.

FAY CONLU CRISANTO

summer morning

how lovely a lily

after the storm

SANDY PRAY

breathing in
I close my eyes
breathing out
I am where I am
periwinkle dusk

ASNI AMIN

July evening 

she blows a candle

as I make a wish

ARCHANA KAPOOR NAGPAL

sunshine warms

her painful knee

birthday song

BEE JAY

this secret garden

with a precious flower

taking you under my wings

VIBEKE LAIER

Years, they come and go

cakes adorned with Birthday Pro

Candle, wish and blow

BONG LIM

clumps of wattles

nodding to the music --

your birthday

JAYASHREE MANIYIL

You...

Are beautful inside out

And that is without a doubt

You give joy to those around you

When blue
You try your best to see them thru
Your presence is a love nest
That makes you superhuman i guess
You, Chrissi...love, joy, happiness ..
Personified...
Simply the best

DIANNE OLEGARIO 

a woman
looking at the future
and the greenness
encircling the present
cicadas cry

LECH HAIKU 

lovely rose garden 
the princess plants
her fifty-first... 
fragrant blossoms mostly, some withered and dull
yet, a lovely rose garden

PRANAV KODIAL

all I want is to feel
your head on my shoulder
while we watch the sunset
of another amazing day
as perfect soulmates

LESTER GALLAGHER

There once was a girl named Chrissi..
Who asked us all to be witty...
Seems she turned fifty one,
Wanted US to have the fun...
So I sat down and wrote this little ditty.

TONY OLGIATI DOTSON

Your birthday's come and gone, as usually they do.
But turning "51" is no reason to be blue.
The reason behind this, I will tell you Chrissi
Because in two more months I'll be turning "60"!!!

RAECHILL BRENDA DOTSON

chirping birds
sing you a birthday song...
to think that 
we have so much in common 
warms my heart

SHLOKA SHANKAR

budding songs 

deep within twilit myrtle . . .

again we shape
our laughter into 

the summer breeze

KATHY UYEN NGUYEN

music of her heart

a smile warms its way
through my day

KIRSTEN CLIFF




descending
in the hot air balloon
I inhale deeply...
feeling that last breath of sky
stamp me with sunshine


SUSAN BURCH

     It was so hard to come up with the top three. To help me decide, I gave more consideration to the ones that are relevant to where I am right now and to how the "The Inventor" speaks to me. I also made sure that I chose the best one for each form of poetry.

FIRST PLACE

(tanka)

budding songs 

deep within twilit myrtle . . .

again we shape
our laughter into 

the summer breeze

KATHY UYEN NGUYEN

  

     I'm sure nobody will protest that this is the most outstanding poem among the entries. Kathy, my twin sister (our term of endearment), knows exactly what's inside my heart and she has wonderfully conveyed them in words. The phrase "budding songs" symbolizes the new beginnings blossoming in my life while "deep within twilit myrtle" is that part of me that is grieving, healing, and renewing. The last three lines express the joy and fun that "we" find along the way. "We" is aptly used in this tanka because we both have experienced the loss of a loved one last year. We have both gone through the same things; together we have shared our pain and laughter. 

     This tanka is so dear to my heart. Thank you, twin, for this beautiful poem. It so perfect with the music background!

SECOND PLACE

(haiku)

summer morning

how lovely a lily

after the storm

  

SANDI PRAY

     Thank you, Sandi, for this gorgeous poem. It's simply written yet accurately describes how I feel as I listen to "The Inventor." I see myself beaming and waltzing under the summer sun. "After the storm," I'm optimistic of a brighter future. 

  

THIRD PLACE

(five-line poetry)

   

MAUREEN SUDLOW

     I love that Maureen used the phrase "soft rain." It comforts me that the worst is over. Grief comes and goes, but I'd like to think that it may be easier as time goes by. "Dimpling the water" is another phrase that adds beauty to the poem. It makes me think that "soft rain" or tears are needed to express what I feel and to see the "dimpling" on the water. Without tears, I cannot open my heart to healing. And with healing, comes sunlight in my life. I begin to embrace joy and "share the sunlight" as I go through the process.

SPECIAL AWARDS

     These two are equally amusing to me so I created a category to add to the list of winners. 

A phonograph record sometimes slips

And jumps about whenever it skips

But our records, yours and mine,
Always stick on twenty-nine....on twenty-nine.....on twenty-nine...

  

OPIE HOUSTON

Your birthday's come and gone, as usually they do.

But turning "51" is no reason to be blue.
The reason behind this, I will tell you Chrissi
Because in two more months I'll be turning "60"!!!

 RAECHILL BRENDA DOTSON

     Most people dread the arrival of another birthday. Adding another year to my age has never bothered me. In fact, whenever somebody asks how tall I am, I try to remember to answer back by saying, "Can you please just ask how old I am?"

     Each winner will be receiving a copy of The Eskalets, a children's story about the adventures of four American robins. Once I've received the customized dvd folders and discs, I'll be making copies and ship your package as soon as I can. I'll be posting it on Facebook to let you know that your dvd is coming your way. Just write me a private message on Facebook so I know where to send it. 

     Thank you to all the participants and birthday greeters: Maureen Sudlow, Ed Bremson, Paul Amoz Tan, Angelo Ancheta, Fehl Pichay Sinsuat, Pat Geyer, Mokhtar Sah Malik, Opi Houston, Marites Morales, Zeny Rosillon, Marivi Soliven, Fay Conlu Crisanto, Sandi Pray, Asni Amin, Archana Kapoor Nagpal, Bee Jay, Vibeke Laier, Bong Lim, Jayashree Maniyil, Dianne Olegario, Lech Haiku, Pranav Kodial, Lester Gallagher, Tony Olgiati Dotson, Shloka Shankar, and Kirsten Cliff. 

   I hope all of you enjoyed WRITE ME A BIRTHDAY POEM as much as I did. It was really a very memorable experience for me. 

   By the way, the 3rd Haiku My Photo Challenge will start soon. Stay tuned this September to find out all the details.