Comment from pharp

Exceptional

Happy New Year My Friend!!!!!!!

Christine you are just beautiful and so is your poem. I think I spend most of my time reviewing and just trying to keep my messages clear. I will try to post more this year. I really enjoyed your poem, you did an excellent job with the rhyming and meter. After Monday, I will be away from the site for awhile. I will be having minor surgery on Tuesday the 5th. Prayerfully when I get back home, I can sit up in the bed and do what I like doing reviewing and writing poems. Blessings my friend and much love to you. Hugs coming your way................Portia

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 03-Jan-2016

Hi Portia, how very lovely to hear from you and thank you my friend for your beautiful comments and praise for my work. I do so look forward to hearing from you. I do hope you had a lovely Xmas and that your up coming surgery on Tuesday goes well and I will keep you on my thoughts. I will send you a big hug on Tuesday. thanks for you generous sixes xx Cheers Portia Christine 😀 A big HappyNew year to you I hope its a good one for all

Comment from Sandra du Plessis

Excellent

We all do our best and as long as the fun doing it is there, I will continue posting my work, not in everyone's taste but I have fun, that's what matters

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Sandra , I couldn't agree more doing our best and having fun the the way to go and win some lose some doesn't matter . thats what makes writing so interesting and you write well anyway . Hope you have a great 2016 and happy writing and Thanks for reading and reviewing mine Cheers Christine😃

Comment from I am Cat

Excellent

First off, you're absolutely adorable! ;)
Just lovely!
Secondly, I was waiting... waiting... waiting for the LyriCat... ;)
But alas, no lyricat... so I just took a deep sigh, and said, ah well...
maybe next year she'll mention it. LOLOL
;)
Lovely as always Christine! So well written and if that's your tongue in your cheek
all I can say it... "do it again!" ;)
Hugs
Cat

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Oh Cat You are also so gorgeous and I apologise for missing out you fabulous LyriCat style which I am going to do ASAP ( I will make it one of my 5 other requirements for a ranking ) So pleased to hear from you this year and looking forward to all your fun and serious writes. I will never catch you though LOL so good luck . Hugs back Cheers Christine😃

reply by I am Cat on 02-Jan-2016

LOL, you're so cute... ;)
Oh you're good enough doll... that's for sure! I just write a LOT of stuff... I bet you can do that too! You're just too busy doing FUN stuff, like going on that boat! ;) LOL ;)
That's the difference in living in Australia and living in North Texas... ;) BORING here. ;( lol
You don't have to write a lyricat... I was just hoping you'd name it! (I think they call that 'vanity') LOL
Well done honey... as always, it's a pleasure to read you. ;)
Mwah!

reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Ha Ha Mwah back no I will write a lyricat as promised, then you have to keep reading my poems to see which one it is LOL. North Texas Hey I would love to visit America and if I do I'm comimg to visit. My youngest son and his wife are in Honololo at the present and then onto to Canada and America for the next few weeks ( lucky pair ) So I am just home here in Ballarat reading their exciting facebook posts with envy Ha Ha .Christine

reply by I am Cat on 02-Jan-2016

Deal, you come to Texas, you let me know... I come to Ballarat? LOL I'll let YOU know, deal? ;)

reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Deal

Comment from Adri7enne

Good

And ODE'S are something with a central theme. " ODES -simple plural.

Very nice, Christine. Indeed, playing the game with grace is part of the rules.

I found your rhyme scheme not always evident. In the second to last stanza, I couldn't see where anything rhymed with "background". I guess it was just a bit complicated for me. I still like poetry that rhymes every line, or every second line. Good luck in the contest.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Adri7enne. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my poem and for your advice re Odes ( I have corrected this now)
The rhyming scheme for this is every second line , therefore the Stanza with background end word the rhymes were on read, need and succeed. and in the last Stanza are race, pace and grace. I hope that helps when reading this. Thanks for your good luck wishes but we are all in the contest so good luck to you too Cheers Christine😀

Comment from Cindy Warren

Excellent

I don't worry much about the rankings. I just do what I have time for and enjoy the comments and all the great advice. I've met some great people here on FS. In your second line, I don't think rankings needs the apostrophe.

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Cindy, Thanks very much for reviewing my poem and for your great rating and advice I will fix this up. No the ranking are a bit of fun as long as they are not taken too seriously and things get out of hand. I too enjoy the comments and advice given and am alway happy to make changes if necessary to improve my work . So have a great 2016 with your writing also Cheers Christine😃

Comment from The Mom/DarleneThomson

Excellent

Christine,
When I saw the picture I thought Oh my she is just beautiful. When I got to your author's note I was glad you confirmed it was you. How do you find the time to write with all your nursing. You are right it seems like the race is one. Great writing.
Blessings,
Darlene

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Darlene , Why thank you for such a lovely comment and review for this poem. I am on holidays at the moment and return to work on 1st Feb so a good break for me ( I always have the Summer Holidays off so I can enjoy the sun and now spend time with my 4 Grandies too) But it will be busy upon returning but I enjoy teaching the nurses and looking after patient's so I then just find time to do my writing which until I joined FS I rarely did so this has been such a wonderful find and I have really enjoyed meeting everyone, and it is so nice to chat to like minded people. Hope you had a good start to 2016 and I look forward to reading your work With Cheers for now Christine

Comment from Mark Valentine

Excellent

An appropriate and delightful poem to start the new year. A nice reminder to not take ourselves too seriously. A midwife eh? I knew there was something I liked about you. Part of my work involves launching doula programs here in the US. Anyway, here's to a productive 2016 - maybe I'll crack the top 100 this year.

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Mark, yes A midwife but not a practicing one now I am still registered but as a Non practicing Midwife, however I do impart my knowledge to the student nurses when we are dealing with pregnacy. I have heard of Doula,s, but they are not as common in Australia I don't think, but would be a good job as I am sure there would be many who need this support as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing my first 2016 poem and good luck with your 100 quest I am sure you will make much higher, Cheers Christine

Comment from tfawcus

Excellent

Immediately I started reading this, I thought 'The Man from Snowy River" LOL
The ratings game can indeed be a race, but it's wise to remember that it is just a game! All participants are winners! Happy writing in 2016!

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi trawcus. Yes this is based on a Banjo P style as I fimd this a great rhythm for some poetry and it gives me a beat to write to. I agree everyone is a winner and I do enjoy a varied range of poetry and also just meeting the FS writers. so thanks so much for your review and Cheers to you for your writing too Christine

Comment from Robert Louis Fox

Excellent

I really don't know much about poetry. I can only rate poems based on how much I like a them. Some people can tell you if an iambic foot is soft or hard, or whether a foot might be a trochee, spondee, or an anapest. Heptameter? Tetrameter? I don't know. I can only say if I like it or not--I like it--and FS wants me to add more. OK.

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Robert, Thank you for reading and reviewing my poem and yes I must admit I couldn't tell the difference either, and like you I either like or don't like a poem . I really had no idea what many of the above terms mean't, until I researched them and I am slowly learning the different styles .But despite this I just tend to write as I feel the words come to me and hope they make sense and flow well. So cjeers for your comments and great rating fo my effort . Cheers for a good 2016 Christine 😄

reply by Robert Louis Fox on 03-Jan-2016

Thank you, Christine. I'm learning some about iambs because these micro-structures exist in prose as well. Keep up the good work!

Comment from Brett Matthew West

Excellent

Well written poem that depicts on this site it is much better to take contests, and everything else in stride.

Seems there are those chosen few who are going to win them any way.

So, just create the very best pieces you can, and enjoy doing so.

In Notes: "Hi All" should be "Hi all (add some kind of punctuation here as you may desire)".

"Thank" should be "thanks,".

And, several commas are needed to break up some of the elongated, run-on, sentences.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2016

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2016

Hi Brett Thanks for your great review and helpful hints ( i must admit it was late last night when I finally got around to posting so hence the mistakes and I will correct these. I had all but finished my poem and authors notes and was about to save it all when I touched the wrong thing on my IPad and lost the lot so had to do it all again so I was a little tired when I got to the end)Bit it good to have you input and Many Cheers for a good and productive 2016 Christine😃