Daily Info's 2010 Pro-Valentine's Poetry Competition

Love is in the Air at Blenheim Palace this Valentine's!
We stop at the Temple of Diana
He bends down on one knee
My heart quickens…
He ties his shoelace

At the Orangery
He offers me champagne
A toast, “To us...”
On finishing the loft conversion

In the gardens
He handles the crimson rose
With the care of a surgeon
Gazes into my eyes…
And walks on

At the Exhibition Room
He pauses close to Winston
“Such a great man…
We’ll marry on his birthday;
How does that suit you,
My darling…?”
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THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!
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Thanks to all entrants - your submissions have been varied and fabulous. The winner of Champagne Tea for Two plus free entrance to Blenheim Palace and grounds on Sun 14th Feb is Diana2, with her lovely Palace-based piece, above. We'll be sending a runner-up pack out to all those whose work made our shortlist.

Click here to see what else was/is on offer for Valentine's in 2010...
My fingers are hungry for your skin
Roam the range of your sleepy prairie
I spoon you closer
Before it's time to get up
I satiate my wanderlust
Under the covers
On your curvy landscape
May I seduce you
Make you feel
Invite you to a dance
Make you feel good
A delicious display of emotion
Make you feel me
The rhythms of life
Make you feel
You're mine
The warmest place in the universe is
On a tiny blue planet,
Under the blanket,
Where you are spooning me
With your garden of love
My big head, my big heart
Two big thoughts
For which my mouth is too small
Unable to describe
How beautiful you are
Three-step plan:
1. You and me
2. ???
3. Happily ever after
If e'er sweet goddess love could be explained,
In valued scripts such insight not contained,
Nor from the lips of wise and ancient souls,
Could spring such wisdom; clear and bold.
The answer lies through high and ornate gates,
Stands magnificent, and for you awaits.

O palace grand from your fine gilded walls,
The glorious story of great men uncoils,
The theatre of your proud yet mortal guests,
Has pained, pleased, and delighted at request,
In courtly balls and midnight masquerades,
Desire has sparked, blossomed, and been betrayed.

As Caesar your first lord entombed resides,
The Duchess Caesarina by his side,
A brave commander; in battle victorious,
And she a political player notorious,
A match of two ambitious minds,
A partnership of power and strategy refined.

Your seventh mistress passionate and wild,
Spurned social convention, as playful child,
And courted eros through alluring will:
Rebel spirit Lady Randolph Churchill.
Her linage watched such amorous games,
And scorned these from their opulent frames.

Nurtured beneath your painted walls and skies,
And grown from boyhood in your gardens pride,
Within Diana's temple in your grounds,
To Clemy first proposed and found, happiness.
And so Britannia's greatest son began,
the lifelong journey of a married man.

The greatest liaisons, loves, sorrow and cries,
Unknown, unrecorded by scholars eyes,
Belong to those who walked your rooms,
In silent service - footmen, maids and grooms,
A flushed face, ruffled petticoats denied,
A trembling hand, or a timorous smile.

And so you alone have watched unfold,
Some of the great love stories never told.
Rolling park,

Beautiful garden,

In the midst a majestic place,

Housing the dukes and the duchess,

It is called the Blenheim Palace,


What a sight it is to see

On the Valentine's day

When lovers stroll on the green grass

Take tea in china cups,

Sweet smile and vows of love,

The great house witnesses it all!
You lock our fingers in against the cold
Whilst I revisit vague memories of
A grey hooded duffle coat and wanting
To go home. We pass a group of muffled

Elderlies, who all still tell those same old
Stories to lonely toddlers that loll
Towards that oh-so-familiar view
Which my childhood has reduced
To a forgotten boredom.

Though under this beloved pale sky, where the
Blueish birds just sit and watch, unnoticed,
There seems something different about this
Place; yet nothing's changed. The tired lake still

Looks cold, and dying branches of passing
Trees still score white clouds until they stain the
Skies with spilt reds and crookéd blues; but then
I catch your eye, smile because
I haven't been listening

And finally realise that walking
Here with you, dear, watching your glistening
Hair as the sun hangs in the distance, has
Slowly shown me that this is a place worth
Stopping for, simply to look,
And share with someone you love.
I would love to spend Valentine’s day
Sipping tea, and acting so very fancy
Over scones and cakes, at Blenheim palace.

I would steal a kiss in the secret garden,
When I ask “will you marry me?”
I hope she won’t say “eh pardon?”

If she says yes, we’ll sip champagne at Blenheim palace
To celebrate my engagement,
to the most wonderful girl called Alice.
As we walked around the Palace grounds
Arm in arm along the way
I realised my true love I’d found
And hoped today would always stay
Fresh in my mind as I knew then
The Love of my life was by my side.
The paths we followed meandered through
The pretty gardens and ambling glades
Paths straight and curved through grass and heather
The beginning of our lives together
Heaven pours stars that bounce and settle where Blenheim gently sleeps;
Where lighted bows defer to hallowed earth, where Capability’s vision creeps.

And so here we go and catch a falling star, for the fragment least
Would surely melt the heart of the most wretched beast.

But beastly not nor shall ever be,
She I love, who gives her love to me.

Where else then but here do I dare ask for her precious hand,
So my rude grip does not crush nor yield as Talland?

No; judgement on my love shall only here pass,
Only Blenheim, by endless sprung fields and silent lakes of glass.
i do not know
where i would go
if it where not for
you, love.

i do not know
how i would flow
unless i knew that you
were in flood

i scamper here
i scamper there
i watch as you gently pull
my hair

out of my nose passages
How kind, how thoughtfull
i wonder why, or if i even
ought to have

married a slug
but then again i suppose
it shows
the reason i'm only a lettuce
love
My body writhes in passion
lusting for your touch
I yearn to feel you in me
this wanting is just too much.

It’s exciting, all this foreplay
don’t keep me in suspense
now move a little closer
my body’s way too tense.

Seduce me with your eyes
while taking off my clothes
escape with me tonight
to a place where noone knows.

This romance’s getting wild
hotter than a flaming fire
so come inside, you make me hot
and soothe my burning desire.

I’m lying here next to you
after making love tonight
in the morning dawn when we arise
these sparks will reignite.
I will always remember the night we first kissed.
We hardly spoke. The evening was late. It was cold, a typical English night.
Under a soft light my eyes gazed into yours and a spark ran down my back. Our embrace sent a rush of warmth through my veins. I still feel that warmth, whenever I am with you.
I would swim across the lake for you,
in ripples of icy waters.
Then when I get back to land you could warm in the servants' quarters,
we could sit and watch the day go by, with coffee cream and cakes, and watch the boats one has hired sailing round the lakes,
then when the night draws in, and I've got a little chilled, we can walk under stars in the park and I will be fullfilled.
There's a Valentine for everyone

Long hair, short
hair, curly hair shine, brown eyes green eyes blue eyes shy, big nose, little nose snotty nose green,
big mouth, little mouth teeth all clean, two arms two legs two feet let's run, two knees that knock, now that's not fun, fingers thumbs, nails that grow, hair under armpits to shave hey ho,
wrinkles, dimples moles and warts,
don't pick anything of growing sorts, bruises, bumps, scars that show
got them playing games you know, cellulite here cellulite there, from eating habits when we didn't care,
face pack here face pack there covering the lines not covered by hair, hair colour here, hair colour there, cover up the grey where people stare, liposuction here and liposuction there to make me look younger slim and fair.
theres a hollow in a tree,
down by the bridge,
its where we found our love,
you and me,
we were kids at the time, playing hide and seek,
now the years have past ,we always take a peak,
of where we first found each other,
and giggle at the way,we kissed each other,
it will always be our spot ,
that we will visit every year ,
and if the tree should fade away,
it will still be in our memories,of where we used to play
I love you more than tea
- and I am English.
At the border they will ask me, Nationality?
Where were you born? Where do you live now?
Is that bag yours? Did you pack it yourself?
Who are these names at your address with you?

I will answer, I am a naturalised citizen of a small country
Bounded by two doors, with a population of three.
The baggage I carry belongs to that nation.
I can't say any more which parts of it are mine and which are his,
But we hold a handle each, and we packed it together.

You won't know the national anthem, it is a whisper.
Patriotic? We don't need to be. Our roots are too deep.
Those names are my compatriots, and we travel together.
We are each other's greatest strength.
We are each other's greatest weakness.
It's a feeling that's inside us all
That someone will bring out
A smile when you're all alone
Is what love's about
It's something held inside a child
You can see it in their eyes
It's something in an older couple
After 60 years of highs
It's couples in their twenties
Buying their first house
It's the birthday of a five year old
Getting his first mouse
It's shopping for a fish tank
To fill it full of fishes
It's painting red your kitchen
To fill it full of wishes
It's a feeling that can explode
With excitement and with haste
It's something that can creep upon you
Without giving you grace
It's something to be cherished
It's something that is mine
So for all that you are perfect still...
Will you be my valentine?
Love is mucky, inspiring, tiring, tough!
Folk never quite admit that, especially not today.
It is about showing everyone the sweet-smelling smushy stuff,
the “always love you”s, and the “being better with you, than without you”s which make you stay.

Today is the day where we don’t mention jealously, rage and that weird power play.
It is just best not.
But after Valentine’s is over, the kisses made, the chocolates eaten and the cards put away,
We still have love in our own weird way.
Why do I love you?
There is no explanation, just simple self-evident fact.
You are part of me.
Without you I am less;
with you I am more
and the world a place of fruitful endeavour
transforming the barren wilderness
Our courtship began on a Blenheim walk
Your smile beguiled, we laughed and talked
We meandered through trees, past lambs new born
Admired flowers, clipped box and velvet lawn
We joined a party on the Palace tour
Through spectacular rooms of stately grandeur
Outside again we got lost in the maze
The day was spent in a romantic haze
Children's squeals of delight filled the air
As playground adventures they happily share
Capability's breathtaking landscape views
Display natures colourful vibrant hues
Romantic Blenheim has a place in our hearts
We visit often for memories it imparts
Picnics or music proms Blenheim welcomes all
Coach loads, families large or small
Propose there on Valentines, don't forget the ring
Romantic Blenheim has everything!
To England we came in the month of May

It was Churchill who showed us the way

We have found the Palace and it's Gardens

And I my Valentine, down by the Roses
Dearest Christy my beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart
Happy Valentine
As another year passes on by, the stronger we grow
My beautiful dreamer, prince of my song
We are adorned in our patchwork, colors brightly gay.
Woven threads intertwine like two minds
Tones of deep gold and emerald green shimmer in the light
Silk textures crush like to lips into each other
My glorious dreamer, awake into me.
You watch me put my make up on,
Watch me brush my hair,
The mundane things I seem to do,
You always stop to stare.

You always have to hold the bags,
Always get the door,
The little things you do for me,
make me love you more.

You never try to argue,
Never make me cry,
You only ever make me happy,
You're mine and god knows why.

This love is not a grand gesture,
love is not a show,
Just you being you,
Is what makes me love you so.
A hundred vows have been made at Blenheim
A thousand lovers have crossed these grounds
A million kisses have been exchanged in the Palace's shadow
And yet I feel that ours must be something special
The lake sparkles
The flowers sway
The birds call
Love is just as grand as you believe it to be
LOVE

Love can leave you in fits of laughter,
Love also forgets to put the seat down after,
Love gets us take-out when you just can’t be bothered,
Love, please share that bhuna you’ve ordered!

Love makes us go crazy-doo-lally!
Love is not just a quick snog in the ally,
Love tells the truth but never fat, I know.
Love comes round once, or twice- or three times for Joe.

Love will always see you for what you are,
Love transcends whether you’re near or far.
Love will always find its way- you’ll see,
Love just happens, so let it be.
Violets are blue
Rose are red and 
I love you

 

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