Poetic Pride

Good morning everyone!

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

We’re continuing to celebrate our winning poets by sharing their poems with the world.  Today, we’re the winning poem from our East of England winner – Louise Wilson from Essex.

Enjoy!

Proud - Louise Wilson, Essex

As I approach the dark, wooden open doors,
As I hear the music start to play,
A rush of excitable nerves take my fear,
As I remember what it took to get to this day.

Hiding beneath a display of friendship,
Creating a web of lies,
Not knowing everyone was watching me fall in love,
The love in my heart shining through my eyes.

Defeating opinions and comments shared,
Telling everyone, I am in love!
My heart taken by a beautiful woman,
For once, love is enough.

So here I am today,
Walking towards you so very proud,
I am in awe as I only see your beauty,
Can't hear the music nor see the crowd.

I take your hand in mine,
How we fit so perfect, so cleverly,
By far the most perfect day in my life,
Our proud civil ceremony.

By Louise Wilson

Wickford, Essex

Dear Heart...

Over the next few days, we’ll be sharing the full collection of all the winning poems that will be published in ‘Marriott Love Poems – a collection inspired by love, weddings and romance’

Today, we’re sharing our East Midlands’ winning poem by Hayley Gait-Golding in Derbyshire.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we have…

Happy Friday!

Dear Heart - By Hayley Gait-Golding

HHH

Dear Heart,

I'd like it if you'd tell me

How you measure love.

Do you deal in ounces and quarters?

Or stroke it with kid gloves?

How do you pick who gets it

Because I'd really like a say

And why is it that some people

Get more and more each day?

Another thing I'd like to know

Is how love measures time?

Is it founded in an instant?

Then lasts a whole lifetime?

Does it grow and grow your whole life through

So I have more and more

Or is there just a set amount

You get at birth then store?

What happens if it’s stolen?

Or if I cease to love

Does it all come back untarnished?

With interest on the above.

How can I know its importance?

Do you give it certain ranks?

Could I say that’s 1st or 2nd class?

Like I do with postage stamps.

Is true love like in stories?

Like old fashioned fairy tales

Cinderella meets Prince Charming 

And only love prevails

Why is it then that nowadays?

Love sometimes takes the course

Of starting off with marriage 

But ending in divorce

Is love equal in proportions?

For families and for friends

For husbands, wives and children

Where does it ever end?

To let me know what’s going on

Lets strike a little deal

Beat slowly for the phoneys

And fast if it’s for real!

 

By Hayley Gait-Golding

Allestree, Derby

A Celebration of British Poetry Talent

Phew! It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Marriott Love Poems HQ!  We’ve had poems galore to read, review, shortlist and then finally pass on to our esteemed judges Fiona Sampson and Matt Harvey.

Fiona and Matt really enjoyed reading all the poems and the found the judging process a real pleasure!  This is what they told us:

Fiona Sampson commented, “Thanks so much for involving me in Marriott Love Poems!  I think the poems we've read have been really attractive and very well written examples of vernacular in verse.  These are poems on a big theme by real, ordinary people and part of our nation’s vibrant community culture. What particularly marked out the poems we read was the unusually high technical standard of accomplishment. These were verses which had been properly made, with a reader in mind, unlike much writing in this - and any - tradition.”

Matt Harvey said, “It has been a pleasure to read the poems we’ve received.  I found much material that touched and delighted me and I’m overjoyed that so many people felt inspired to write a poem on the theme.”

Now has come the time to reveal our winning and runner up poets – all of whom will be published in our upcoming book ‘Marriott Love Poems – a collection inspired by love, weddings and romance’, to be released next week.

Before we reveal the poets that have been selected, we’d just like to say a HUGE heartfelt thank you to everyone who wrote and submitted poems.  As Fiona Sampson says, “Writing poetry is a difficult thing to do.  Even the most seasoned professional can feel daunted by the blank page.  No wonder Writer's Block is so notorious!”

A Big Congratulations to everyone who has been selected to be a winner or runner up!

The 10 Winning Poets

East Midands – Hayley Gait-Golding, Derbyshire

East Eng – Louise Wilson, Essex

London – Vivien Hampshire, Ickenham

North – Mrs Denise Jones, Southport

Scotland –Jane Graham, Glasgow

South East – CJ Munn, Kent

South West – Mrs. Heather Grange, Plymouth

Wales – Catherine Smith, Bridgend

West Midlands –Tracy Davidson, Warwickshire

Yorkshire – Emma Salmon, Leeds

The 10 Runner Up Poets

East Midlands – Mrs. Pauline Halliwell, Northampton

East Eng – Andrea Porter, Cambridgeshire

London – Helen Marsh, Battersea

North – James Coghlan, Leigh

Scotland – Martin Richmond, Falkirk

South East – Diana Barsham, West Sussex

South West – Rob Burton, Plymouth

Wales – Craig Astley, Swansea

West Midlands – Nick Williams, Wolverhampton

Yorkshire – Mrs. Dawn More, York

We will be doing another blog post to share the winning poems soon…so remember to keep visiting the blog!

Thank you!

A big heartfelt thank you to everyone who has written and submitted a poem (or more than one!) into our search! Poems are now being considered by our judges Matt Harvey and Fiona Sampson and will be announced very soon...

Watch this space!

Pen-ultimate Day!

Well it’s the penultimate day of the Marriott Love Poems search end and it’s been another flat out busy day for the team here collecting and saving every single poem that’s been sent in to us.  The poems have been literally flying in via our website and the post and we can just about keep up! 

We’ve loved reading each and every poem – they have brought us joy, laughter, tears even!  Now comes the extremely hard task of short-listing (which seems an impossible task judging by the quality of poems that have been coming in) and ultimately picking the lucky poets to publish in our book…

We’d like to take this early opportunity to thanks everyone for taking the time and effort to write or dig out recently written poems and send them into us.  If only we could pick you all!

Worry not, we shall still be sharing some of our favourites here on the blog!

Some of the last minute postal poems we've received today!

Tuesday Treat Time

Well we can hardly believe it ourselves but the Marriott Love Poems search has almost come to an end!  The time has whizzed past at an alarming speed and we have received some beautiful, thought-provoking and also funny poems that have given us lots of pleasure to read.  Poems have been flooding in through our website marriottlovepoems.com as well as through the post and we’re touched that so many of you have felt inspired to put pen to paper! 

From Thursday will come the hard part – for our judging panel to deliberate and make their final decisions on the winning poets.

The good news is that you still have a couple of days to write a poem and send it in to us if you haven’t already, or even if you have why not send another one in?  If you’re not feeling particularly poetic and don’t fancy writing a whole poem, then write a love twoem (see our blog post on entitled Twoems for more details).

For a quick dose of poetic inspiration, today we want to share a truly bilingual love poem written and posted in by Southampton’s Graeme Sandford, which we really rather enjoyed!

Remember, poetry submissions must be in by Thursday 31^st March to be considered.  Submit yours at www.marriottlovepoems.com.

Tripping Over The Language Barrier - By Graeme Sandford, Southampton

Friday Funnies - no.1

Happy Friday everyone! Not only is it Friday, but the sun is shining too (at least it is where we are!)

To celebrate, we’d like to share the first of our ‘Friday Funnies’ – a limerick submitted by Rob Kelly that did make us giggle!

Limerick – by Rob Kelly, Somerset

As I entered the reception at Marriott

With my beautiful girlfriend Harriet

She said wow this is nice

Do they do Curry and Rice

I said "no", but I think I'll marry it.

What do you make of it? Think you can do better?  Tweet us www.twitter.com/MarriottPoetry or submit yours at www.marriottlovepoems.com!

Wonderful Wednesday's Poem of the day!

Spring hits London's Green Park

Today is the first day that has actually felt like spring is upon us.  With the glorious sun shining in the clear blue sky, it has made us feel rather poetic!

With that in mind we want to share another beautifully simple poem that really tugs on the dear heartstrings… Read, enjoy it and savour it, just as we have – you never know it may just inspire you to write your own!

Love & Marriage – by Stephanie Harvey, York

When you find your partner, a whole new life begins

Sharing new experiences, whatever it brings

When life challenges you, the other is there

To share the emotions, someone to care

Your lives complete, to wedding bells

The joy, the beauty, the flower smells

Fill the air with love, romance and cheer

The memories of the day will ever remain dear

Best friends, now united

A new husband and wife

May they continue to blossom

As they venture on in life

Manic Monday's Poem of the day!

Hello all!  We hope you’ve had a lovely weekend enjoying the first spring-like weather we’ve had in a long time!  It's been a very busy day indeed, here at Marriott Love Poems HQ, sifting through all the weekend and Monday poems...

Today, we nominate Nicholas Aris’ ‘The Wedding Jitters’ as our poem of the day, for its beautiful simplicity - hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

The Wedding Jitters – by Nicholas Aris, Nottingham

The birds sing;

The bells sing;

You can forget your lines,

But not the ring.

Cut the cake;

It soon goes;

But if you dance,

Mind her toes.

Confetti falls;

Your mother bawls;

The car pulls off,

And doesn’t stall.

Now you’re wed;

Happy ever after;

May your days,

Be filled with laughter.

The Marriott Love Poems search has just 10 days left, so if you haven’t yet managed to submit your poem, get it in quick to www.marriottlovepoems.com!

Happy World Poetry Day!

In case you didn’t know, today (March 21^st) is World Poetry Day, so we hope you’ve been enjoying some beautiful poetry in the glorious sunshine!  See a message below from Irina Bokova from UNESCO, about World Poetry Day:

Poets convey a timeless message. They are often key witness to history’s great political and social changes. Their writings inspire us to build lasting peace in our minds, to rethink relations between man and nature and to establish humanism founded on the uniqueness and diversity of peoples. This is a difficult task, requiring the participation of all, whether in schools, libraries or cultural institutions. To quote the poet Tagore, the 150th anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated this year, "I have spent my days in stringing and unstringing my instrument."

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Message for World Poetry Day 21 March 2011

Twoems!

To further get your creative juices flowing, we are today launching Marriott Love Twoems!  We’d like you to see how poetic and creative you can get in 140 characters of less by tweeting us your ‘Twoems’!  Again, like the poems you’ve been sending, Twoems should be about love, marriage, romance or weddings!

The most creative, inspiring and humorous Twoems we pick, will net themselves a romantic night’s stay at a Marriott Hotel or Country Club!

To participate:

• Tweet us @MarriottPoetry your 140 character (or less) love poems

• Or tweet to your own profile using hash tag #MLTwoems

• Alternatively, if you’re not a Twitter user, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Marriottlovepoems and post on our wall (remember to hit the word count though!)

Winning Twoets (see what we did there!) will be notified via Twitter DM or private Facebook message. Find us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarriottPoetry

Good luck!

Friday Fun

It’s Friday afternoon and quite frankly more than a little miserable, so we wanted to share our ‘Poem of the day’ and generate a chuckle or two from the poem we received below...

When Ollie Wed Dolly - by Marc B

Me and 'er got married
we stayed at this hotel
it backed on to the gasworks
cor, what a bleedin' smell.
Boiled eggs for breakfast
wiv a slice of bread
the coffee weak as water
the tea was grey like lead.
Dinner woz no better
we ordered pie n mash
the gravy looked like oil
it stuck to Dolly's tash.
We went to bed real early
to 'ave our wedded bliss
but Dolly 'ad too much sherry
that only made her piss.
The chocci on the pillow
has slipped into the bed
so when I woke next morning
it was stuck fast to my head.
I expected better
from such a swanky place
not much change from thirty bob
so I shoved the towels in my case.

If you’ve got something funny to say about love and can turn it into fine poetic form then get it into us sharpish!  You have just under two weeks to go, before our judges Fiona Sampson and Matt Harvey have the impossible task of selecting the winning poems from the tons we’ve had sent in!

www.marriottlovepoems.com

Fiona Sampson's Wise Words

Marriott Love Poems Judge, Fiona Sampson

Just in case you missed Judge and editor of Poetry Review magazine, Fiona Sampson's top poem writing tips the first time round, we’re giving you a reminder of them to really help get your creative juices flowing and keep them focused! 

Fiona Sampson's Top Five Tips

1) Write what you know.  You know about your own experience of love, for example.

2) Big, abstract words don't tell us anything new.  The devil's in the detail - show the readers what you mean.

3) Traditional rhyme and completely free verse are equally fashionable.  But whatever you pick, stick to it!

4) Read your poem aloud. It needs to work out loud even more than as a pattern on the page.  If something sounds odd, or it's embarrassing - change it!

5) Don't rush it.  This is your poem and it's worth getting right. None of the poems, or lyrics, you have ever heard of are first drafts.  You are writing the poem, not the Muse (she doesn't exist!) so change the bits that aren't so good, and make them better.

 

Marriott Love Poems Judge, Matt Harvey

Remember, you have two weeks to get scribbling, submit your poem(s) and really impress judges Matt Harvey and Fiona Sampson. 

Visit www.marriottlovepoems.com for more information and to submit your poem.  Or join the many people who’ve been inspired to quite literally put pen to paper and send a poem in the post!  Address your poems to:

Marriott Love Poems, Nylon Communications. 19a Floral Street, London WC2E 9DS 

I'll be your Knight in Shining Armour

Hello all!

Hope everyone has been busy writing poems galore! 

We just wanted to share a lovely and very Royal poem that came through in the post a couple of days ago by Aidan Caine in Stevenage, Hertfordshire…

“I’ll Be Your Knight In Shining Armour” has been ‘written with a view to what HRH Prince William might say to Kate Middleton but it could apply to any groom’

Read it below and let us know what you think!

"I'll Be Your Knight in Shining Armour" by Aidan Caine, Stevenage

Poems are in the air

The poems are rolling in and making judging harder day-by-day!  We’re receiving handwritten prose, sonnets, haikus, rhymes – allsorts! 

Today, we’d like to share a poem from Kevan Manwaring in Gloucestershire, who has penned a beautiful poem entitled ‘The Wheel of the Rose’

Remember, there are just two and a half weeks to get write and submit your poem!  So get writing and send it to via www.marriottlovepoems.com!

The Wheel of the Rose by Kevan Manwaring, Gloucestershire

From the ocean of the heart let Venus rise -
see her dawning in your lover's eyes.
In sighing chest she cannot hide,
flow to the rhythm of her tide.

Follow her seasons about the Earth -
who weathers them all shall prove their worth.
Through weal and woe true love learns -
thus the wheel of the rose turns.

Who can say when love begins?
It is a circle that always spins -
around and around it our lives rotate,
repeating the past is often our fate.

The arrows of Eros shall be your thorn,
until you worship Aphrodite's throne.
Offer yourself - mind, body and soul -
and she shall heal you and make you whole.

Water this rose with the dew of your tears
and it shall blossom all of your years.
Share this chalice with humanity
and your life will be filled with harmony.

Poetry in motion

We are getting lots and lots of really good poems submitted (quite a few in by post too!), which is going to make it extremely difficult for judges Fiona Sampson and Matt Harvey to pick the winning poems!

Today, we wanted to share the below poem with you.

A small selection of the 'postal poems' we have received!

Remember, you still have a few weeks to write your own poems and submit them at www.marriottlovepoems.com or in writing if you prefer to Marriott Love Poems, Nylon Communications, 1st Floor, 19a Floral Street, London WC2E 9DS - we do love receiving beautiful poems in the post! 

Have a nice day and enjoy today's 'Poem of the day'!

When I Say I Love You by Monica A Winter, Cornwall

When I say I Love You
I really am sincere
Even though I stand here
Grinning from ear to ear.

When I say I Love You
It's absolutely true
Not merely a clever ruse
To have my way with you.

So when I say I Love You
It's important to make it clear
That I really really really am
Absolutely most sincere
That when I say I Love You
I really, really, really
Absolutely, really do.

Poem of the day

Just wanted to share this lovely poem with you, which really provides an insight into a wedding day through the eyes of a bride!

If you have a love or wedding poem of your own, submit it at www.marriottlovepoems.com and you might even see it on here!

The Wedding Morning in the Eyes of a Bride – by Maria Rogers, Devon

Excited, nervous, happy, sad

Joyous, fearful, anxious, mad

Tearful, silly, hungry, sick

An emotional mess… glass of cava… quick!

Make up, curlers, photos, grins

Underwear, stockings, dresses, pins

Flowers, kisses, gifts and cards

Hello, goodbye, loving regards!

Veil, tiara, something old, something blue

Ready to go… no wait, need the loo!

Meringue style dress… I’m stuck… help me!

Bridesmaids, stage fright, but really must pee!

Blushes and flushes laughs and cars

Neighbours are watching, we are like super stars

A long car journey, a loving pep talk

Laughing and Joking that there’s still time to walk

Arrive far too early, a bride must be late

Sit in the car, a 10 minute wait

Terrified, frightened, nauseous and pale!

Out of the car, the breeze catches my veil

Aisle, slowly walking, guests stand and smile

Not far to walk yet it seems like a mile.

Vicar, Suits, Groom, the altar and rings

Choir song, miming, hymns no-one can sing!

Hand holding, calmer, stood side by side

An emotional, happy and blushing Bride

Vows, tears, registers and a promise for life

A new future together as Husband and Wife!

More beautiful poems

It looks like spring is finally upon us! What better way to celebrate the sun coming out than to share some lovely poems that have been submitted with you? 

We’ve had some great poems coming in and at this rate, judging all the poems is going prove very difficult for our poet judges Matt Harvey and Fiona Sampson!

Here are just a couple more of our favourite wedding poems… Keep checking to see if your poem has made it here on the blog and if you haven’t yet written one then you better get your skates on and submit your poem at www.marriottlovepoems.com!

Love poem by Pip Hardy, Cambridge

Winter sun
shining

Mother
Breathing
birthing
Smiling
Loving

Baby
crying
Breathing
Smiling
Growing

Child
Walking
Cycling
Laughing
Learning

Young woman
Travelling
Leaving
Loving
Losing

Winter sun
Shining

Bride
Blushing
Smiling
Marrying

Groom
Beaming
Proud
Caring

Mother
Breathing
Watching
Loving

The Busy Bride by Vivienne Roos, London 

'I'm getting married quite soon....
I'm so happy...I'm over the moon!!

There's so much to do, but I am sorted.....I think?
Well...I've made sure that there's plenty to eat and enough to drink

There will be a HUGE buffet with puddings and a pretty pink prawn starter
I've arranged the flowers, written the name tags - even got the garter..

Yes!! It's going to be loads of fun..a veritable feast!
I've bought the buttonholes, booked the band and hired the priest

Got the beers, the champs, and the lemonades
Organised small and thoughtful gifts for my beautiful bridesmaids

I've booked the Marriot Hotel - the honeymoon suite
(also remembered to pack soft flat shoes for my soon to- be-sore- aching feet)

Done the 'something old, something borrowed, something blue'
and tomorrow we're all having our hair and nails done at exactly two

Been over the guest list a thousand times
Have called the best the best man and begged him not to fluff his lines

I've got bags and bags of rose petals and confetti
(and mum keeps saying 'eat something...try my spaghetti!')

Ah... I cannot wait to get to the church and to walk down that aisle
To hold my beloved and to see his gorgeous smile

for him to finally wear my golden wedding ring
and to hear that heavenly choir begin to sing

 oh my dear..I'm in such a tizz
....can someone please pour me a rather large bucks fizz?!...

Some beautiful poems to share...

We’re getting some amazing poems coming into us – each very special and unique. 

It is lovely coming in to read lots of beautiful poems every day, sent in by the public – please keep submitting them at www.marriottlovepoems.com

We just wanted to share more of our favourite poems today – have a read below.  Don't worry if you haven’t seen your poem on here yet – we are still getting through them!

Love Is... By Dorothy S. Dady, Surrey

They say love is never having to say you're sorry

But that's not true... an over used cliché that causes more harm than good For love is... the essence of one's being

Without which one's foundations in life crumble to nothing

In a society driven by consumerism we strive forever more

The perfect spouse, the house, the car, the kids, etc. etc.

The arduous task of keeping up wit the Jones'... and of course

Money, Money, Money

But where is the love? That binds two souls together

It's not found on a bank statement or in a precious stone

It's a gift from God... placed deep within our hearts

Only accessed by those brave enough to overcome their fears of the unknown

For a life without love... is a life not worth living

A life wit love... rocks one's world in the sweetest possible way

Love is... life and life is love.

From a bride to her groom (for Ruth and her Tom) by Nicola Martin, Leeds

You,

me

ready?

Transport me

through the portal

of the wedding into marriage...

...and it's you and me again!

But we've bound

our lives together

with stretchy love elastic

so we can do

our different stuff

and stay connected;

just one 'ping'

and we're

side by side again!

 We've told

our friends and family

that we really mean

for always.

And that's why

they're gathered here

in their finest party gear

to smile

and clap and cheer

as we do

our wedding thing!

Poems Galore!

Since we officially opened the Marriott Love Poems search last week, we’ve been inundated with poems entries.  We’ve received some wonderful poems from people all over the nation!   

Have a read of a couple of our favourite poems below and keep logging on to read more of the nation’s love poems.  Don’t forget to submit your own poem at www.marriottlovepoems.com!

 

Devotion - a Haiku by John N Anstie, Sheffield

From the coldest snow
To the warmest sun you go
And I go with you.

From blossom of spring
To golden leaves of autumn
I bathe in your light.

From the beginning
To the ending of the world
I am ever yours.

A Groom's Thoughts  - by Craig Astley, Swansea

Wakey wakey open your eyes,
Today is the best day in both of our lives.
Today we'll be joined in matrimony,
Us together my Princess, you and Me.

Climb out of bed my darling and begin to dress,
I know today your sure to impress,
With a flowing outfit I am longing to see,
Made more perfect with your glowing, natural beauty.

Your hairs been done perfect, your make up too,
Soon we'll be married and my dreams will come true.
At the church I'll be waiting for you to arrive,
To begin the new chapter of the rest of our lives.

There at the church I eagerly wait,
For you to arrive of course fashionably late,
Over the brow the car does appear,
Soon you'll be in my arms with nothing to fear.

The Wedding March begins the room filled with pride,
To see the joining of love between myself and my bride,
As you walk down the aisle the emotion is felt,
And as my eyes fixes upon you my heart does melt.

The ceremony begins and love fills the air,
The love we feel for each other so pure so rare,
With tears in our eyes we say our I do's,
And promise to each other this love we won't lose.

The ceremonies over, the register is signed,
The woman I've married I was lucky to find,
Next to the reception where good times awaits,
To celebrate the love of two perfect soulmates.

At the reception the food begins to arrive,
On each table conversations are alive,
Two families mixing and be-coming one,
New friends and acquaintances now the welcomes are done.

Soon are the speeches from best man and co.,
With smiles and warmth from laughter in flow,
Then with the toasts to us the two,
I gaze and feel my full love for you.

Now the first dance in front of our guests,
Stood close together chest to chest,
The music is flowing my heart begins to pull,
My wife in my arms my life is now full.

The evening begins and the drinks start to flow,
Everyones dancing and enjoying the show,
But times getting on and the room starts to empty,
We thank them for coming and sharing emotions a-plenty.

The evening draws to a close and soon it will end,
But never will our love with me and my best friend,
Our memories of this day will last forever so true,
And remember my wife I will always love you!

Back to you… by Dr. Rob Burton, Plymouth

It's icy on the outside
The fields go flashing by
Dark skeletons of tree branch
Against the darkening sky

White fields of icy sculpture
The grass an icing froth
Sheep huddled against the hayrick
The lakes a solid broth

Ghostly shapes emerging
From the riming mist
Bushes sparkling brightly
Whitely blushing, frosty kissed

Quilted horses blowing steam
Above the icy stream
Trains hot blasting
Through this winter dream

England in the winter
A monochromatic view
From my speeding window
On the train right back to you

Back to your smile

The one that saved my life

Through snow and rain and ice

To the warm arms of my loving wife. 

On your marks! Get set! Get writing!

Morning all!

The Marriott Love Poems poetry search is officially open now!  It’s time to pen your poem and enter via www.marriottlovepoems.com

You can find out all the details including terms and conditions on the website.

The closing date for poem submission is 31^st March 2011.

Best of luck to you all!

Some poetic inspiration...

If you’re looking for some inspiration, Matt Harvey, renowned poet and a judge on the Marriott Love Poems panel, will be sharing some of his love and marriage poems from his collection The Hole in the Sum of my Parts (The Poetry Trust), with us here on the blog over the next few days, to help get your creative juices flowing!

Today’s poem is She Said To Him.

Enjoy!

She Said To Him

She said to him, “You’re not the man I married.
You’ve changed,” she said, “I hardly recognize

the man who swept me off my feet, who carried

his young bride across the threshold. He was nice.

And kind, and confident. A little brash.

but – what for me back then was the decider –

he had a steady job. Ah, I was rash.

I saw him principally as a provider.

I knew what I desired, not what I needed.

In life you’re not recalled from a false start,

you run the race regardless – that’s what we did.

I gave my hand before I gave my heart.”

She added, then, before he got too worried:

“I love you far more than the man I married.”

Happy Writing!

Time to get poetic!

So, the Marriott Love Poems search launches this week!  We hope you are all feeling poetic and ready to put pen to paper…  To get you in the right frame of mind for writing a prize-winning poem about love or marriage, judge and editor of Poetry Review magazine, Fiona Sampson gives you her all important top five tips:

1) Write what you know.  You know about your own experience of love, for example.

2) Big, abstract words don't tell us anything new.  The devil's in the detail - show the readers what you mean.

3) Traditional rhyme and completely free verse are equally fashionable.  But whatever you pick, stick to it!

4) Read your poem aloud. It needs to work out loud even more than as a pattern on the page.  If something sounds odd, or it's embarrassing - change it!

5) Don't rush it.  This is your poem and it's worth getting right. None of the poems, or lyrics, you have ever heard of are first drafts.  You are writing the poem, not the Muse (she doesn't exist!) so change the bits that aren't so good, and make them better.

Now, go and digest these tips and have a few practice runs before you can enter your wedding or love poem at www.marriottlovepoems.com later this week.

Happy Writing!