Okay, I agree that announcing the results is the toughest part of hosting a contest!!! 

So, as I sit down to do that hard task, I'd like to express a few words about all the poems that I received as the entries for the contest. I had a lot of fun reading all your poems... I was expecting diverse views, and that is exactly what I got.

All poems were good, some different and some, contained beautiful messages. As I read each poem, I looked out for a few things apart from the figures of speech, and they included... the message that a poem is trying to convey, whether the poem is meaningful in it's own right or not, the presence of flow in the verses and finally, if it did, how much the poem matched the pictures given. 

My first preference as I chose the winner was the message. All poems are equally good and perfect in their own right. But the winner must be justified enough to be announced, and for that reason alone, I preferred looking out for a message in the poem, apart from the overall impact it gave after reading it.

Although some poems did not use the pictures, I considered them fair entries to the contest, because we are afterall, looking for creativity. Secondly, some writers have posted two poems and although it was decided that the first entry would be considered for the contest, I took the liberty of choosing the best of the two entries.
I scouted some of the poems by other writers too, who did not participate in the contest and found a couple of poems that are worth mentioning. I will list them out too. Why? Obviously because, they are relevant to the contest and I'd like to give them special mention. I request all of you to give these poems a few minutes if  u haven't done so until now. They are worth it. :)

1. VS Gopalji's "Deaths will die" 
Deaths will die.. or rather let deaths not die, is a striking poem with an earnest plea to science not to play God, meaning, not to tamper with nature and let life takes it's own course. Here, Gopal ji speaks about the progress that science is making without giving a thought or two to the consequences of 'some' of it's so-called progressive milestones. Those consequences would result in a strange paradox that would be powerful enough to cause destruction of ethics and consequently, create an unerasable chaos.

2. Gawtham ji's "Love splits life into two"
Love splits life into two is a touching poem that looks at the same age-old emotion called Love in a unique way and expresses the delight of a love-struck individual with a totally twisted verse... Probably no one looked at it this way, as he puts it, "If I could split the rest of my life into two, One of them would always wait for you." ~ Deserves an applause.


I'd like to start with Ajit ji's striking lines...
"waqt se din or raat
waqt se kal or aaj
waqt ka har shay gulam
waqt ka har shay par raj"

Time is the greatest healer and the best medicine. Time waits for none. In fact, we all are  puppets lost in the sands of time, going about our mundane tasks with no glance at the past, no thought to the present and no worry about future. 

Now, coming to the task,

For all the poems submitted: Each is fairly good.

Caravan BPL, Maringanti ji, Bina ji, Mahumma, Woman's love, Dr. Madhvi, Narayan ji, Yash ji, Sri Vidya ji, and ChweetKavi : 

A big thumbs up to each of your poems. It was a delight to read them.

Mrs. Muffet... Your lines still echo:

Free love binds
for love is what unites

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The ones that struck a chord and deserve special brownie points are:

Harry & Helen ji (In my bodiless carriage, there was no time & space)   
Ajit Nambiar ji (Step Into My Shoes)    
Aroona ji (Lotuspetals): (Replaced Reminder) The only post on captivity.  
Dr Celestine ji(Futile is life if swapped)     
Ehsaas (Beguiling Beauty)      
Subbu ji (A very nice message)     
Rajnigandha ji(For the sweet Hindi poem)     
Dr.Shantala (Lovers' Litany) Beautiful start of a promising love story.  

They receive a tulip bouquet each for the special poems that they wrote:


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The second Runner Up of EYC 31 issssssssssssssssssssssss
Meerajay!!!

The first Runner Up of EYC 31 issssssssssssssssssssssssss
Promilla!!!

Daffodils for you both:


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ANNNND
THE WINNER ISSSSSSSS

OPULENCE!!!!!
Congratulations to you!


Opulence: It was really tough choosing the best entry, but your lovely story just about decided it for me. The punch at the end of the poem...

Separations are those wounds that nobody can heal.

Memories are those treasures that nobody can steal.

Do not separate to make memories, but stay in touch…..

was just so emotional and touching. I think every person can identify with the feeling of separation and wistful memories. And I hope the rest of u all agree with me. :)

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To all who participated: Thanks for participating and making this contest a success. What is a contest without it's participants? I am grateful to all of you for showing such a sporting spirit.



As a judge, I had a great time, and thank the Sulekha family for giving me this opportunity.