Comment from lightink

Excellent

You put it too mildly! ;) I have very mixed feelings about this race! The reminder to do it with grace is lovely and much needed! I loved how you added the different styles. Well, you know I am biased towards metered and rhymed poetry - so I liked when those styles popped up :).
Thank you for sharing!

 Comment Written 05-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 07-Jan-2016

Hi lightink I am a bit like the tortise and will never win the race as I cant write quick enough and that is the last thing I think about when I post. It is nice to climb up the ladder and to be perfectly honest I had no idea that everyone lost their yearly ranking and has to start again until Cat mentioned something in a post.
I also like rhyme and rhythm in a poem I believe it make the poem easy to read and can be quite challenging to find the correct words without forcing the line.
I am still learning about the poetry styles and poetry lingo so this has been a real eye opener for me I feel such a novice although I have written poetry fo 50 years ( But always rhyming and with a definite flow LOL)
I am always grateful for feedback and have enjoyed everyones encouraging comments and help.
So no it is not a race for me but just to be in the mix is sufficient
Have a great 2016 Cheers Christine😃

Comment from Jacqueline M Franklin

Excellent

Hi, Christine

= Beautiful pix!
= The race is on, for sure.
= I'll be more laid back this year.
= I want to edit/publish more of my already written work this year.
= Always fun to read others work though. Yours included. It is always so well thought out, written, and presented well.
= Good luck in the coming ranking year.
= Also, congrats on your years of nursing!

* Happy--2016! *

Cheers & Blessings
Keep Smilin'... Jackie/Jax (*<*)

 Comment Written 05-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 05-Jan-2016

Hi Jax thanks for your review and yes I didn,t even know that everyone lost their ranking at the start of the year. So it wasn't until Cat posted this that I realised this and hence came to me this tongue in cheek poem I am glad it is taken in the fun it was written, ( but did have a couple of pieces of advice i.e. font colour and style etc.)
Being an educator for may years and do a lot of Power points etc I have learnt that the audience needs to be able to read the words, so it may look nice to the author but dam hard to read for the audience . Although at time I have had this mentioned on my posts but correct this ASAP. so I appreciate the feedback for this misdemenour HAHa.
So happy writing for 2016 and good luck with your editing I will keep an eye of for your stories Cheers Christine😃

Comment from Leineco

Excellent

LOL - Great "Ready, Set, Go" starter's pistol firing Chrissy :-)

I love all the forms you included, and the closing advice
"Win, lose or draw, just play the game with grace"

Great first step into the marathon ;-)

 Comment Written 05-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 05-Jan-2016

Ha Ha Leineco. Are you ready, Go.".................. You win I,m too puffed out try to keep up LOL, I cant write that quickly as most of my work is new stuff I have to compose and then organise posting etc. This site is very taking up of your time and I can spend hours on here so I'll not get to the top this year ( or any other year) and sometimes it's quality rather than quantity.!
i do so enjoy all the poems I read and review I receive so it is worth it to takecones time for those as well.
Anyway good luck to you and Cheers Christine

reply by Leineco on 05-Jan-2016

Actually, I'm with you on that. I'll sprint at the opening (cuz I planned ahead and stockpiled during December), but after that - I'll quickly turn into the tortoise ;-)

I got my 6 poems in, and I have two more prose pieces to post, and then I'll be plodding along again LOL

Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose

Excellent

Hello Christine :)

Beautiful picture of you to start us off and away to your poem. I like what you had to say. This is my first New Year with fanstory and I think it is funny how everyone is in a big hurry to get their ranking back, maybe better than the last year. I am fan of many writers so my email box has been swamped since new year day. Good job!
Gypsy

 Comment Written 04-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 05-Jan-2016

Hi Gypsy, Thank you my friend for always giving me a lovely review and pleased you had a chance to read this one also. Yes I know what you mean it is so busy at the moment swamped ain't the word LOL I have spend hours on site over the past 3 to 4 days also and I still can't catch up (but I will) I can not churn out the poems as quick so a ranking for me will be what it will be. I just love being here anyway. Cheers Christine

Comment from Jared_L

Excellent

As usual a superb work. A little humor hidden in there as well, I like it!

So straight to the point. I can see the meter and the rhyme but I am not feeling it. It is not clicking for me. Do you happen to know if there is one of the same style posted somewhere in audio format somewhere online that I could listen to? I can see the beauty of your work but need some help getting there...

I really liked that in the last line you identified this site as what it is, a game. One that involves writing that all here enjoy but a game in the way it is executed. Definitely a competition of sorts for many. Your work distilled this nicely.

I liked the way that you started with things that all readers/writers here can identify with and then slowly added detail after detail one building on another to carry us to your final conclusion - tongue in cheek!

The picture is a nice touch as well. It doesn't surprise me at all that such beautiful poetry comes out of such a beautiful woman. Thank you for sharing your art with me and as always I look forward to more!

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi Jared Once again thank you for reading my poetry (first for the year) Actually I have loosely based the meter and rhyme again on Banjo Paterson,s style but to be perfectly honest I just made it up and decided to keep a 15, 10 meter with rhyme in every 2nd line in a Six stanza set. (Perhaps I may have created another style and I could call it the BanjChris meter LOL)
Thank you for you lovely compliments also and I look forward sharing more work with you. (And please keep me honest and tell me what you like or not ) Cheers again Christine ( more to come as I am on holidays and have more time to write and now must get my 6 in LOL

Comment from ExperiencingLiphe

Excellent

I'm so glad you put in the thing about making it easy to read so watch the colors writers use with their work. The last time I went to the eye doctor I was told my eyes are that of a forty year old person, I wasn't even 25 at the time. I've had bifocals since high school and I hate it when people don't watch the colors so it's hard to read. I love how you put in all the different kinds of poems. There is a ton of variety. Great job

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi ExperiencingLiphe I am so glad you read my poem and thanks for your lovely comments and isn't it off putting to have a good poem but bad font or background (I also wear glasses to read but I'm somewhat older than you LOL) This was a fun start to my FS year and glad you like it Many thanks again and Cheers Have a great year Christine

Comment from Pantygynt

Excellent

Still a practising nurse after nearly 46 years. Surely you should have got good enough at it by now to do the job without needing the practice. Lol. Sorry about that it sort of fell out because I just couldn't resist it.

This is fun a poem about all of us aspiring writers in the ranking race. Writing the poems is not the problem. It's writing ufficient reviews to earn enough to post the poems at a reasonable level that is the problem. So its nice to have a new one reasonably high up in the listings to get a decent price.

Thank you.

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi Pantygynt, Yes still practising LOL but always learning too. I think I am not too bad and my students have fun as well as learning. Thanks you for your encouraging review and yes it does get expensive with time and money to keep ones poems at a good level. but I still try to read those at much lower levels too otherwise they would not be read and I have often picked up a real gem (I don't believe it's all about the money) On holidays at the moment so have much more time to devote to this site, anyway have a great 2016 and happy writing Cheers Christine

Comment from kittykatnoel

Excellent

Nicely written Christine. I really enjoyed the rhythm that you mentioned, it has a good flow and cadence. Also, congratulations on nursing for 46 years, I have several nurses in my family it is very demanding and not something I think I have the disposition to do. I am amazed at people who are able to be nurses and you are an accomplished writer as well.

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi Kittykatnoel. Glad you like my poem and thanks so much for giving me a review and great rating. Yes 46 years and still there I am considered one of the 'old school nurse' now Hospital trained, but did go back in1991 to do my BA Nursing as well. I have always loved writing and I can't believe I found FS and it has renewed my love to write poetry mainly and have been a little addicted over the past few months but love it. Don't know about accomplished bit but I appreciate you thinking so. My many thanks and have a great 2016 Cheers Christine

Comment from Dorothy Farrell

Exceptional

Hi Chrissy - I love the way you have written this - it reads easily and you have maintained a great meter with mono-rhyme, well thought out in every stanza. What you have written makes sense and I particularly like your ending, so true, and this is a worthy six I think -

Yes time is ticking as I write, and I'll have to post this soon
If I am also to be in this race.
For some are really early birds, on the first day posted theirs
And so to catch them I must pick up pace.
But when it's really said and done, all just write what comes to mind
Win, lose or draw, just play the game with grace.

Happy New Year - Dorothy x

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Oh my dear Dorothy Thank you so much for your exceptional rating for my first 2016 poem. Also for letting me know of your favourite Stanza. I meant every word in the ending and I think that's what makes us all readable and supportive of each other. I enjoy the challenge of a contest and for the picture challenge post and just to have my work read by an international stage and receive such fabulous review and ongoing support is all the thanks I need. So your words are very much appreciated and Have a great 2016 Cheers Christine

Comment from William Ross

Excellent

Very good, well written, I write for fun, contests just test my strength and skill maybe. But for the most part it's just fun and therapy.

 Comment Written 03-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi William Ross, and I certainly agree with you its the fun I enjoy and the great people I meet along the way so Hi again and I thank you sincerely for your review and rating All the best for a great 2016 Cheers Christine