One more day to go! The end of February 11, 2011 marks the time (wherever you are in the world) my First Annual Blogoversary Contest comes to an end. The subject is “Clouds.” Write something about them – poem, essay, random musings – or draw or take a photograph. Whatever medium you choose, the sky’s the limit! That’s where clouds are, after all! You can find the specs for this contest by clicking here. There’s still some time! Get busy! I am deeply gratified that to date I have received seventeen – 17 – entries for the contest, each unique and wonderful in its own way! They are all winners in my estimation! Here are the most recent three I have received:
From Jess Swinburne, another entry - a poem with a graphic design picture; from Kenneth Olembo, a poem; and from Mands Swinburne, another poem with accompanying photographs:
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I Am For You
© Jessica Swinburne, 9th February 2011
This is for everyone that I love, and that loves me.
This is for all my friends, past and present.
This is for those who have taught me something, or helped me become the person I am, and the person I will be.
This is for anyone who influenced my life positively.
This is for anyone and everyone who guided, nourished or cared for me.
This is for the people who knocked me down and then picked me back up.
This is for anyone who ever smiled at me, winked at me playfully, and cared enough to ask me how I was.
This is for those who helped me when I hurt or let me help them when they hurt.
This is for those who helped me with a problem, or held me while I cried, and let me do the same for them.
This is for all those who made me cry, and in a way, made me stronger too.
This is for everyone who guided me when I was lost or found me in the dark.
This is for anyone who danced with me in the rain and laughed with me in the sun.
This is for the people who inspire me to be a better person, or tried to push me a little further into the light.
This is for those who have shaped and molded me, and taught me how to be myself.
This is for the people who helped me through adversity and ‘loved me gently into being.’
This is for everyone who made me do something I didn’t want to and helped it to become one of my amazing life experiences.
This is for anyone who was a cliché with me, or helped me bash one.
This is for anyone who rocked my socks, and let me rock theirs.
This is for the people I laughed, cried and smiled with.
This is for the people who watched the stars, moons, and clouds with me.
This is for those who came out of the bad with a stronger heart and a better outlook on life, and helped me to do the same.
This is for those who caught me when I jumped and taught me how to fly.
This is for anyone who loved me enough to tell me when I was wrong, and helped me to do right.
This is for everyone who showed me the blessing in the bad, the good that can come from chaos and the sometimes necessary in the calamity of life.
This is for the people who supported me when I was about to fall, and helped me achieve success when I was on the brink of failure.
This is for my first love and my first crush and the person who taught me the real value of ‘firsts’.
This is for the people who deserve to be among the stars and the people who showed me to see my reflection in the clouds.
This is for all the angels in disguise hiding throughout my life, and for those to whom I have been an angel.
This is for the people who encouraged me to stretch and grow my gifts and talents.
This is for those who told me I’m beautiful and made me feel beautiful in my own skin.
This is for the people who hug me tight and spin me ‘round.
This is for anyone who stood at my back while I stared my fears in the face and let me hold their hand while they did the same.
This is for the people who let me sing at the top of my lungs, even though I can’t.
This is for the people who taught me how to love without condition and without restraint.
This is for the people who showed me the colour in the dark and the spectrum in the light.
And above all else, I am for you.
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On Public Displays of Wealth
© Kenneth Olembo 2011
Have you met couples,
Who’s love locked you out,
So turgid and ripe it
Threatens to burst,
And drench you in,
Rose juice, and
Violent need,
And cut you with shards too urgently whispered,
Like,
“Only with you am I honestly free,”
And,
“This is the depth of my love you see,”
Pressed out of pages,
And music and screens,
There by the punch bowls at,
Cocktail parties,
Hand in hand,
Armed as one,
Diving into mouths,
On the park bench,
On the street,
Diving into cars, at the Mall,
On the beach,
Look up,
There is God in the clouds,
And Rabbits in tuxedo’s and hedgehogs exploding,
And bands of men with pointed noses,
And streams of women with long flowing scarves,
And platters of cheese, and housewives in bath-tubs,
And stoves and kettles and cottages,
With smoke-stacks,
And hot-dogs,
Grandmas, and
Sons,
And Einstein,
Then down to the couple,
Retract what you’ve harboured,
The rain will fall on us all.
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Sun Coloured Clouds
©2011 Mandy Swinburne
Ripples across the clouded sky
In sunbursts of colour…
Greeting the day
In celebration and summer warmth.
In this very moment…
Sun and sky and cloud,
Dance together in a
Synchronistic, kaleidoscope of colour.
I could only imagine,
On an artists canvas.
Never quite capturing,
The unique, serenade
Of every early morning.
Greets the new day
In gratitude
No matter the weather pattern.
Wish to choose
To start my day,
With gratitude, celebration
And the gift of colour and music.
Blessings that are given everyday,
Realising that even though sometimes,
Something’s go wrong…
A Thousand things have already gone right,
Today!
To list in detail
All my gifts and blessings,
All I would ever do…
Is write!
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I have been counting my blessings lately. You, my Gentle Readers – all of “you guys,” “you folks,” “all y’all,” (take your pick, as long as it’s not “you guys!” 
) - every single one of you have contributed to making the past year a wonderful year for me. I have loved reading all of your comments. They are the best part of my posts, and always add so much to my day. Even more than that, I have loved reading your blogs! You are a talented group of writers, and I have learned so much from you. Thank you!
I will try and get a quick post up tomorrow, before surgery (scheduled for 12:45 p.m.). If not, I have something else in store to put up if I get caught in a time crunch! Just to let you know the schedule for the contest judging: I expect to have all the results in and to notify the winners by next Tuesday, February 15. A lot depends on how the surgery goes, so please be patient! I will get the news out as soon as I can! A sneak preview of the “Winner’s Badge” is below. I wish you all enough. . .
Thank-you Paula, as always your support and graciousness are much appreciated! You are in our hearts and prayers with hope of a full recovery. Love Mands & Family!
Impressive entries all. Good luck picking a winner.
Speaking of good luck, er, good luck tomorrow.
I’ll leave the poetic grace to the professionals (that’s y’all).
Great contributions
I am constantly thinking of you, let us know – as soon as you can – how it went.
xxx
Good luck tomorrow! And always.
Those are fabulous!