GotPoetry.com Poet of the MOnth 2010

From Poetry Wiki

We run contests of varying complexity and success. Currently we are running themed monthly contests from the Page Slam Section [1]. We call these Poets of the Month. You can also check out our Previous Winners of [1], [2] and [3]

POET OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER 2010 - WON BY INDUCE [4]

Hi all, thank you for the votes to get me to this position for the second time. I won Poet Of The Month in Mid 1997 and it is a great feeling to win again in 2010, thank you for that.

I'm not serious I don't know if I am ever serious ... but I care for GotPoetry and all who help it continue, manage and use it.

The thing is I don't want to write about myself I just want to say straight up thank you to everyone, especially Mamta ... who helped me with my first POM win in 1997.

It's funny not wanting to write about myself to the extent I tried to sabotage the first 'Bio.' - last night.

Bio's are not me ... andye ... induce I am me as you are you and I respect you for that and the whole Got Poetry Community in ways I can't put into words ... everyone you give me a smile, frown, dance, strange circumstance and so much more,

there is too much here to put into words in this site about words what an excellent paradox.

Luv Yah' All and respect to a level that pens and paper can ever explain ...

cheers and thank you again peace,

andye ... induce

POET OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER 2010 - WON BY DAV.SMITH [5]

NAME: David L. Smith

LOCATION: Fern Hills Queensland Australia

DATE OF BIRTH: 1967

I started writing around the early nineties. My first poem was a love poem to a girlfriend at the time. Although I still have a few earlier pieces, most went in the trash. (I regret doing that now).

I enjoy my wife's dad's poems, which are mainly haikus. I never got to meet him. He passed away in 95'. I find Shelly and Wentworth enjoyable, and there are numerous poets on this site that have gained my respect. Shelley's "The Indian Serenade' has always been a favorite of mine.

I have self published my first book, And been lucky enough to have a few sent around the world.(A few on the site have a copy.)I really would like to see poetry put back into schools as a full time subject. And I think that through written word we can change the attitude of people around the world and make the awareness of such tragedies, such as child abuse, deforestation, war, famine etc more in their face.

Favorite past time: Reading, crosswords and writing; fishing when I can. Anything not related to working.

What inspires me to write: Anything with an emotional attachment. I try in my work to expose rawness of being a human. The wrongful acts we do against nature and ourselves.

                                      Plus who can go past a good love poem, ( raunchy or not).

My hobbies: Crosswords, fishing (when I can), motor sports.

POET OF THE MONTH - OCTOBER 2010 - WON BY BIGBADWOLF [6]

Hello, my name is James Skinner. I was born in the not-so-small town of Athens, Georgia. Born on October 31st. I was told that I was a trick instead of a treat. I have fond memories growing up on the family farm.

Once into my early teens, is when I started to develop my writing skills. I wrote children books in elementary school. I started with poetry after that, and have been trying to get better as I go.

A few of my other interest and hobbies are fishing, cooking, photography, nature, my gardening, music and exercising my mind. I truly do believe a mind is a terrible thing to waste. You need to nourish your mind as well as your body. Hopefully on a daily basis.

One of my favorite poems is " Brown Penny " by William Butler Yeats. But I have many influences and even more inspirations. God in His wisdom to give me life and talent. My mother and father, the reason I am here. And Pinkneonflavor, Poetess41, TygerTyger, Orangetulips12, JoAn and Astaniga. Plus many more that have voted for my poems. And to everyone that has the conviction to write. My extended friends and Got Poetry family. And to the men and women who tirelessly and unselfishly make sure so many have a place to express themselves and be creative.

Thank you Mamta and the rest of the staff here. You are doing a wonderful performance. And my sincerest hopes go out to those who have wrote and entertained us throughout the years. That also goes out to anyone writing and those who will write into the future. To all that have nourished my mind, heart and soul. Take care.

POET OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2010 - WON BY POETESS41[7]

NAME  : LIDDY

I'm a NZ'er by birth and live between NZ and Australia, at the moment I'm in Queensland. I'm a 40 years old female, single and live with a girl cousin and my beautiful 6 year old rottweiler Kaiser. I work in community law mostly, do some consultancy work and love to write poetry and short stories. I've often thought of putting a collection together to publish but just never got around to it.... it's a future goal though.

I've been writing ever since high school, mainly about hope and dreams and usually confined to a number of diaries and personal journals. Apart from writing I love to walk and choose to live in areas where a lot of our natural environment is still relatively untouched and the natural wildlife can still be heard and seen -by the ocean preferably with native bush nearby.

I also have three dogs I am passionate about, two I have left with family in the country down the coast because my Australian home is not big enough for the freedom they need. My oldest and dearest 4 legged friend Kaiser spends most of his time lying on top of my feet, snoring and occasionally breaking wind as I work on my computer.

My inspiration comes from those loves as well as interesting experiences that I have had living my life, the same experiences we all have, relationships, sorrow, joy etc.

My favorite poets of alll time are Neruda, Khayyam, Gibran and Longfellow but not far behind them come so many others, inclusive of many of the seers like Rumi, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, Walt Whitman, Auden, Frost, Poe, Blake and the romantics, Brownings et al. I have also written, for my own pleasure, a number of short stories which have been shared with friends and family. My poetic goal is to write something in a similar vein to Longfellow. I am a little reclusive in that I don't socialize a lot; neither smoke or drink and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle - apart from that I'm pretty normal I think.

POET OF THE MONTH - AUGUST 2010 - WON BY PINKNEONFLAVOR [8]

NAME - SAMANTHA LYN

DATE OF BIRTH - 11-03-1994

My full name is Samantha Lyn , but everyone just calls me Sam. I was born on March 11th, 94. That makes me a Pisces baby currently 16 years young. I am obviously female, and I have a secret affection with words and poetry. Everyone knows that I write poetry and my mom often tells me that I write too much. LOL.

My poetry is the flow of the words, that linger within my soul and subconscious mind – I start penning while I feel as if I am in a celestial world and I’m floating above the clouds. Like rainbows dance freely with a prismatic effect. Um…I started writing when I was 10 technically, my first write being I Am A Bird, and then I stopped until I was 12 or 13, then wrote a few poems. I mainly started for good now though.

Besides writing poetry, I like to create graphic designs, websites, draw, invent philosophies, play video games (Final Fantasy X and Zelda) and listen to music. My favorite music is dance and techno and I love the artists Cascada, DJ Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Smile DK, and Ultrabeat.. Moreover, I like rock bands such as Guns’ N Roses’, Journey, Nirvana, and Audioslave. If the arts were nonexistent, my life would feel like a giant ball of futility, for my life is completely based off of them.

I love visual arts, along with language and literature. I love Cubism, abstract, psychedelic, anime, impressionism, symbolism art, and philosophical art.

I’m relentlessly obsessed with those neon lights and for colors, neon colors that is, my heart and eyes feel the movement through fuchsia, ruby, lime green, bright orange, and firing purple – and that purple is so magical.

I am an avid fan of Edgar Allen Poe although I’m not even into the gothic scene. His every word is eloquently expressed and strikes my whole entire soul as I read it. It takes me into a trance and for my darker poetry such as Forbidden Dreams and The Dealers to My Menace, my thoughts correlate with his work. He is my inspiration. From my own writes, my favorites are:-

Midnight Sunflowers In Kaleidoscope Seas [9]

Asperger's Syndrome [10]

Your Eyes Stalk Me As I Sleep [11]

Kindled Spirits [12]

Uber Deluxe - Broken Fingers [13]

People who I especially admire on this site for their poetry are Blackdahlia, Stonewing, Pujakins, Ozymandias, Angeroseblue, Mayah, Twisted Mistress, Dreaming Demon, and Ilan – These people have the poetry that my eyes and brain enjoy seeing and reading.

Last but not least, my favorite words are deluxe, ambiguous, aura, and for some unknown reason, plethora and dubious. Celestial is up their too. One last thing, Josephine Wall is my favorite painter and Sophocles is my favorite philosopher. Love their work.

POET OF THE MONTH - JULY 2010 - WON BY ILAN COHEN [14]

NAME - ILAN COHEN

LOCATION - SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

ONE 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GENNA, A LOVING FAMILY

I started 20 years ago. I started writing as catharsis and to help others understand themselves. Every moment, every experience, every pain, ache, joy inspires me to write poetry. I will be the happiest poet alive to see loving, kindness amongst all humans and the eradication of prejudices. I pray to God to help the poor and homeless for they need. I like to help, give charity often. If I can help to reduce conflicts I'll be a happy poet. If I can help increase kindness and goodwill, I'll be even happier.

I like reading poetry, meditation, relaxing, walking, pottering in antique shops.

My favorite poems:-

Edgar Allen Poe- A Dream Within A Dream [15]

Sylvia Plath - A Life [16]

WH Auden - stop all the clocks [17]

thewholesoul- Luck of the 'I Wish' [18]

God bless Got Poetry creator John Powers and his lovely staff.

POET OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2010 - WON BY MICSIR [19]

I'm a french/canadian from Montréal, Québec. I'm an highly inquistive person, with a passion for living and learning. Curiosity has gifted me with many hobbies I could say. Having a passion for the outdoors and the natural world I studied Biology at University, I am a foodie and love cooking, going to the restaurant and I love good wine and quality beer. I'm still working as a assistant-manager/barman downtown, while my favorite past-time in practicing Chen style Tai Chi.

I got the writing bug when I was 18 years old, dreaming of being the next Jello Biafra and having read great authors and poets such as, Victor Hugo, F.Rabelais, A.Rimbaud, R.A. Salvatore, Beaudelaire, Umberto Eco, Thoreau, Tennyson, Blake, Frost, Hemingway, Cummings, T.S. Elliot. One of my favorite poems ever would have to be, "She walks in beauty like the night", by Lord Byron.

I'm a creative person at heart and I write because I love to see how the words spill onto the page at times; I truly do enjoy playing with words. But most importantly and the reason I'm here on GP, is to share ideas, to get inspired and to have a good laugh with the likes of talented poets that I now call friends.

POET OF THE MONTH - MAY 2010 - WON BY ARAVIND [20]

I'm just a 16 year old teen who is a crazy bookworm!! I live in Kerala [[land of the coconuts!!], India. . I've been into books/poetry since I was 7 years of age!! I love playing the guitar and I love music. Without it I may not survive!! I love classical rock and modern age music. My favorite bands are Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Sum 41, Switchfoot, Three Days Grace and the likes!!

Well, I first started writing when i was 10, and that was a short story!! I got into poems a little after that.

Favorite Poets:

TS Elliot, John Keats, Caroline Elizabeth Norton, PB Shelly

Favorite Poems:

I do not love thee - Caroline Norton The Hollow Men - TS Elliot Ode to the west wind -PB Shelly The Masque of Anarchy - PB Shelly

[yeah, i prefer old school stuff!!]

My two favorite writes:-

Disillusioned [21]

Adieu [22]

Hobbies:

Music, Playing the guitar, computer games, playing soccer, sleeping!!

Things i want to write about myself:

I believe in the policy "You Reap what you Sow", what u get is what u deserve..and that's me being philosophical!! I try to enjoy and laugh out loud most of the times. I enjoy being with my friends and simply chatting. I find pleasure in all the little things around us.

POET OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2010 - WON BY WORDSMITHWANNABE

[23]

My name is Chris and I am a 37 year old college student at Washington State University, working toward a Bachelor's degree in Humanities, with a focus on English and a supplement in Sociology. My ultimate goal is to study abroad, preferably at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

I am inspired to write by several things, but the main driving force behind my writing is the peace that come with the reconciliation of the thoughts within my head.

I first started writing seriously in my middle teenage years, around the age of 14, at the insistence of an English teacher who enjoyed my writing and urged me to keep a dream journal. I still maintain one to this day.

My favorite poet is Billy Collins, with his pieces "The Best Cigarette"[24] and "Thesaurus" [25] as favorites. I like the rawness of his poetry, the use of vernacular and free verse to express one's self.

My two favorite writes would have to be "This Soul" [26], as I feel it is technically my best work, and "Albatross Around My Neck" [27], because it is the most personal of my pieces, and was very difficult for me to post.

My hobbies include: reading anything and everything I can get my hands on, mythology, yoga and meditation, hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, football, and riding horses.

POET OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2010 - WON BY WOLFINWINDOW [28]

NAME : Linda Bole

I am 63 going on 16. I love to play and have fun. I have a pack of kids and half of them are poetic. I live on 34 acres of peaceful wooded land. I love nature, music, art and crafts. I try to find something beautiful in everyday.

I started writing when I was eight years old, little poems and comic book stories. I was inspired to write by my mother and the fact that we had tons of paper as children. In fact paper was our main "toy". My sister and I wrote our own books and poetry all through childhood.

The thing that inspires me most now to write poetry is gotpoetry.com and the slams. I seem to aim at many more genres because of the slams. It is a very unique way of inspiring a poet. I am very happy in this wonderful little community of poets.

I write poetry because it's a release valve for stress, anxiety, anger and many more emotion best taken out on paper than on other people. I also write to express feelings that are deep inside that want to come out about how I feel about certain things and situations. I believe it calms the ogre in me.

My favorite poets. They are William Shakespeare and E.E.Cummings.

And two of my favorite writes are Mary of Magdala [29]and Beat On Me [30].

Thank you and the team for being there for us little guys out here. You are creating poets.

POET OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY 2010 - WON BY A-TOWN [31]

My name is Austin and I am a ship boarding agent in the Port of Houston, Texas.

I first started writing poetry about a year ago. It stems from previously writing songs.I couldn't say exactly what inspires me to write except to say that I see or hear something and it just happens. All of a sudden the muse just appears.

My favorite poets/poems are :

"Stop All The Clocks, Cut Off The Telephone", W.H. Auden [32]

"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", Dylan Thomas [33]

My hobbies are cooking, music, texas hold-em, nightlife, billiards.

I'm not into Twitter, MySpace or Facebook but GotPoetry suits me just fine. The members a are laid back and accepting lot. I happy to be a part of GotPoetry.

POET OF THE MONTH - JANUARY 2010 - WON BY LEGGOLAS [34]

Well firstly may I extend my gratitude to all those of you that voted for me. It is a great honor to be voted Poet of the Month for a second time, especially as we drift into 2010 and as such may I also wish a Happy New Year, to Poets Old and New alike, may your nibs continue to flourish ink lavishly from within.

As for me?

Well, I was born in Abbots Bromley, famed for its Historic Horn Dance, of which my ancestors took part [and my pride pays subtle reference to such in ‘I Remember’].

My passion is obviously writing, but I have also had forays into sculpture, painting, pencil and wood. I first began writing about 2002, but discovered whilst attempting to write a novel, that my true allure was poetry, having written something simple to go within its pages, and since then I haven’t looked back.

My inspirations are varied, some lie within my complex layers, my empathy for those that suffer, hence the poems Oppressed, Wretched Reminisce, Don’t feed the Greed, My Selfish Streak and I could go on [but I won’t, for I can see a few of you yawning LOL], the plight of this beautiful planet, Don’t let our Mother Earth die! and those animals with whom we co-exist, Corrida de Toros – Serenaded Slaughter, Discarded Delivery, The Fox Hunt, Chocolate and Cheese. My inner conflict, Does anyone feel the same? and dreadful sadness Goodbye, and there are obviously more.

Ultimately my inspiration, as I presume for most, is drawn from life itself.

I would like to take this opportunity to reach out to all those poets whose acquaintance I have had the pleasure of, and to all those who have read and enjoyed my poetry. You, each and all, have made me whole.