First Prize Prole Poetry Competition

I think I’m having all my good news for the year in the first few months! Thrilled to have my poem Lesley placed first by poet Stuart Patterson in the Prole Laureate Poetry Competition.

The best I hope for above all is to write a poem that achieves what I hoped for it and this feedback from Stuart has warmed my heart!

A very real, touching, human poem encompassing a wide range of emotions and perspectives in such a short space. It’s spare, well crafted but not short on a punch and connecting us to a moment of equal horror and hope.  This isn’t lazily reflective or self-indulgent poetry; these are words & images that take us right to the very terrible end of something which is forever linked to the beautiful beginning of another, dark mirror images, the nubs of life and death. I was very moved by its simplicity, humanity and truth.

Thanks to Prole for the opportunity and Stuart Patterson for the thoughtful and kind comments. You can read the poem here.