More great work from our resident poet, along with his latest news…
Delighted to announce I have won two poetry prizes this month.
The first is the very prestigious Waltham Forest Poetry Competition – where out of 600+ poems on Wednesday 7 December 2022 I won the main prize with the Kindness Epidemic.
The award is run by Paul McGrane (an exceptional poet), Barry Coidan, and the Waltham Forest Poets. It was judged by Andreena Leeanne - an absolutely fantastic writer I heartily recommend, her poetry book Charred is an inspiration. She wrote about Kindness Epidemic:
“The diamond shape of the poem caught my eye straight away. I have never seen a poem written in that way before. The symbolism of the diamond represents strength. The writer is passionate about kindness which makes the poem quite persuasive. I liked the optimism of one individual can create change in their community and the world with acts of kindness. Lovely message. Clear winner for me.”
Andreena Leeanne
More details: https://pctothepowerof2.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/2022-winners-waltham-forest-poetry-competion/#Devonald
Then on 21st December 2022, it was announced I also am one of the winners of the FofHCS Poetry Award. My poem will appear on the rear windows of the waiting room on Platform 2 of Heaton Chapel Station!
I always loved poetry on trains - such a great initiative to allow the mind a chance to wander into Blake, Shakespeare, and T.S. Elliot, to walk amongst the flowers and glimpse eternity. So pleased to be able to have my voice join this fantastic scheme.
THE SECRET LIFE OF LINES
Three poetry experiments:
LIVING BETWEEN THE LINES is a poem made up of all my poetry lines that mention the word Line (including one flawed find!). It creates strange meandering repetitions, but also some meaning glanced between the lines: I think in a strange way it makes a lot of sense.
FRACTURED HEART is a more conventional poem, a moment in time.
WRITING LINES is the memory of futility. To handwrite lines over and over again, page after page, as penance at school. Was this some strange authoritarian device – or just lazy punishment? You’d think they’d ask us to write a poem about redemption, an essay on enlightenment, a page of lost regrets… but no, just repeat repeat repeat. Can’t have helped O.C.D? So much easier to do this on computers! I always felt for the runner who had to hand-type these words in THE SHINING. I use a slightly different phrase – a teacher at my school used to repeat it endlessly and think they were a raconteur. Strange how words lose all meaning when repeated repeated repeated repeated repeated repeated repeated …
