# "Bells" Winner's Thread



## Chesters Daughter (Dec 27, 2018)

We have us a clear and well-deserving victor this month. Kindly join us in hearty applause and congratulatory wishes for our winner *Phil Istine* and his exceptional entry, *For Whom the Bell Tolls*.

In addition to adding this month's Laureate to his coffer, Phil has the honor of selecting our next prompt.





Congratulations, Milord! It is rare I get to say the following, I absolutely adored your piece, as well as your formatting. You, sir, got my vote upon first read. Super well done, and thank you for such a tight and engaging work. Keep doing you, Phil!


----------



## Pelwrath (Dec 27, 2018)

Phil, an excellent poem and worthy of the top spot. Not very often I vote for the winner.


----------



## Gumby (Dec 27, 2018)

Well done, Phil! Congratulations!


----------



## Darkkin (Dec 27, 2018)

Deftly wrought, Phil.  Well deserved win.


----------



## Phil Istine (Dec 28, 2018)

Thanks, everyone.
I enjoyed writing that, and I've tightened it up a bit since too.
I don't suppose anyone picked up on St. Samuel being a nod to Samuel Johnson?
Possibly not, as it was pretty obscure.

Ho-hum.  Three days to dream up a prompt.


----------



## Darren White (Dec 28, 2018)

Congrats Phil


----------



## J.J. Maxx (Dec 28, 2018)

I really enjoyed all the poems entered, but I agree with everyone else that Phil's piece was very good. Well done.

~ J. J.


----------



## toddm (Dec 28, 2018)

Congrats


----------



## -xXx- (Dec 28, 2018)

Phil Istine said:


> I don't suppose anyone picked up on St. Samuel being a nod to Samuel Johnson?
> Possibly not, as it was pretty obscure.



per wiki:
After nine years of work, Johnson's _A Dictionary of the English Language_ was published in 1755. It had a far-reaching effect on Modern English and has been acclaimed as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship".[4] This work brought Johnson popularity and success. Until the completion of the _Oxford English Dictionary _150 years later, Johnson's was the pre-eminent British dictionary.[5]

teh awesome!
content & presentation 

_*anticipates new prompt*
*possibilities, probabilities, permutations*
*fact.or(i)als*_


----------



## Phil Istine (Dec 28, 2018)

-xXx- said:


> _
> *possibilities, probabilities, permutations*
> *fact.or(i)als*_



No, it's not going to be a maths lesson


----------



## jenthepen (Dec 28, 2018)

Well done, Phil! A well-thought-out poem with an emotional punch. :applouse:


----------



## Firemajic (Dec 29, 2018)

Dear Phil, congratulations on winning this challenge... your poem was so unique... "Ancestral names, decayed upon the stones"... absolutely brilliant...


----------



## Firemajic (Dec 29, 2018)

Dear Gumby... your poem broke my heart...the imagery will haunt me... well done... sooo well done...


----------



## Phil Istine (Dec 31, 2018)

Firemajic said:


> Dear Gumby... your poem broke my heart...the imagery will haunt me... well done... sooo well done...



Yes, Gumby's was my favourite.


----------

