An ode to 'Atonement'

On Sunday, Feb. 24, The Times will publish five essays about the Oscar best pic nominees. Each is written by a local cinephile. We're also publishing a "Pick the Oscars" chart that features 10 local cinephiles. I'm one of them.

Each day this week on my blog, we'll cover one of the films in some form or another.

If the film at hand is your choice for best pic, tell me why by posting your thoughts to the comments.

For Sunday's essays, Judy Kieffer wrote about "Atonement." Just for fun, she wrote a poem about the WWII-era drama. She never intended for this to be published, but I begged her. Here goes:

"Atonement"
By Judy Kieffer

Teen writes,
Life’s light.
Guest invited
Lola’s smitted
Notes sent
Briony’s bent
Robbie nails
Cecilia pales
Briony tattles
Cages rattled
Robbie’s jailed
Unfairly nailed
Love’s cut short
Lives contort
War looms
Robbie’s doomed
Cecilia nurses
Briony muses
War’s scene
Forever mean
Robbie wains
Briony trains
Cecilia perishes
Briony anguishes
Briony type writes
Her final plight

TOP PHOTO CREDIT: Keira Knightley, left, and James McAvoy in a scene from "Atonement." (AP Photo/Focus Features, Alex Bailey)