Moondustwriter's Thursday - Featuring More Fall Poetry Finalists

One Stop Poetry Features Finalists from the Fall Poetry Competition “Through a Child’s Eyes”

Have you ever gone out into a garden in the dead of winter and found an unexpected flower blooming? I feel this way at One Stop Poetry. I am constantly being astounded at the beautiful writing and talent of the poets we have the honor of featuring. Here are two of those talents. Ninot Aziz and Shashidhar Sharma entered the fall poetry competition and were finalists. Their poetry submissions are below.

If you have  not already read the winner's poem, we want to remind you to go to Spark Bright Magazine and read our Renee Sigel's poem.

Ninot Aziz was one of One Stop Poetry's fall competition finalists. I'm giving you a tiny peek into her life as a poet because we want to come back and do a feature after her book comes out.

Born in Tasmania, Australia - she is a Malaysian living in Kuala Lumpur.
Her family: husband and five daughters are the joy of her life
" that was why this poem was a joy to do - it was
inspired by my 5 girls. Poetry is like breathing to me, it came naturally - I was 11 when I  wrote my first poem , it was on Florence Nightingale. Now I am trying my hand at Malay pantun and French poetry too."

"Now, the added bonus of doing poetry is because the poet blogsphere is such a wonderful community!"

Sleepy Eyes Wide Awake

Mirror mirror

Dancing reflection

Dame Margot perfection

Aquamarine towels

Wrapped tightly

Mermaid tail deep sea

Upside-down table

A chug chug boat

In a castle's moat

Dreamland eyes

Standing poles

Prepping up white sheets

Mountain high peaks

Kitty cat

By the kitchen stand

A panther on Lost Island

Swirling clouds

Kissed by sunset

Cotton candy fete

Playtime eyes

One Stop Poetry would like to congratulate Ninot as she also has a book coming out this month.

My first published book published locally on Malay legends was FROM

THE WRITTEN STONE , now, FROM THE GATHERING is due out in December -

the latest entitled HIKAYAT - From The Ancient Malay Kingdom is due

out in 2011.

www.poemsbyninotaziz.blogspot.com
www.pantundanselokaninotaziz.blogspot.com
www.lapoesieparninotaziz.blogspot.com

Shashi was one of our four finalists and is no stranger to One Stop Poetry. I am enclosing an excerpt from a recent interview. You are welcome to read more about Shashi in that One Stop Spotlight.

Why did you start writing poetry?

Shashi: "I started writing poetry and blogs through very interesting but slow development. Being born in a Brahmin (the priest class) family at a place (located near Buddha’s Nirvana Place as well as one of the most holy city in India, Varanasi) spirituality was in my blood, if I can say so...

...This inner journey needed an expression externally. Hence, I started writing my thoughts—first on the personal blogs and then later on publically, in order to give body to my thoughts, experiences, and learning; which I can go back to, to relive, re-learn, re-collect. In the beginning, I started taking pictures, but then they were inadequate as they gave those powerful places, nature, emotions a body but not the soul. So I started writing poetry, free form of Haiku’s, my thoughts, etc..."

Butterfly

Look, there she is, there on the window pane

A new friend from the dreams last night

As she promised to teach me how to fly

In sunshine and in rain

She is bright and beautiful, pinker than my ma’s cheek

Her wings have so many colors

Like the rainbow I painted last summer, for Pa’s Birthday

Before he left for the war, to make money for us to eat

Tell me butterfly, how does one eat money?

How does one go to the war?

I don’t want Pa to go to the war; I don’t want any money to eat;

You know, whenever I hug him, I don’t feel hungry at all

Oh! Butterfly, why are you flying away - so far?

Out side, the day is still full of light; sure you can wait a little more?

Ma will be back soon, from her nightshift, and will let you in

Don’t you see, I can not; I am in the bed, too sick to unlatch the window bar

Butterfly, my dear Butterfly, you have teach me how to fly

I promised Pa - a hug tonight, I know where he “wars” now;

Ma showed me the other night, when she cried

 “There, Kalina, there he is, the Evening Star”

You know Butterfly; I love him so much,

Much more than I love Ma,

Really! You must teach me to fly, as I have to go now

You see, my Ma does not even smile much

@Shashi Oct, 2010

contact information for Shashi

There is a book in the works for Shashi as well.
'Kalina', a book of poems, about an young girl, and her love, yearnings and life in
Greece.