We had a great evening on Thursday when Nottingham poet, Martin Grey, announced the winners of our Poetry Competition with three of the top eight being able to attend our virtual meeting. The theme was ‘Promise’ and Martin took a look at some of the definitions attached to the word and how the various entries reflected different meanings and sentiments.
Mostly, the poems were about making and breaking promises to others and the associated expectations, but a good number focused on promise as potential and general promises to be or do something.
There was a diverse range of subject matter although the two recurring themes were romantic relationships and home/family life. Other areas covered included the journey through life, weather and seasons as extended metaphors, football, animals, displacement, faith in others and the nature of promises.”
Martin selected five Commended poems, explaining that he found the quality of entries was very high and there wasn’t much between the top ten. His criteria was firstly whether it brought out a strong emotion, followed by whether it matched the theme. Other considerations were interesting or unusual lines or subject matter and use of imagery.
Commended Entries
Golden Voice by Roger Elkin of Biddulph Moor, Staffs.
This had multiple themes of promise (the talent the grandson has, the promise of what the new instrument can provide) and I could feel the love and commitment from the grandparents to the grandson along with a sense of the lengths that have been gone to to get the trumpet. There was love and care clashing with everything being against him. Very vivid with fine details.
Soulmates by Julie Burke of West Bridgford, Notts.
This was a really nice, simple poem that does what it does very well. Poems don’t have to be complicated and I love a good rhyme. Really interesting, relatable and quirky images that fit together really well and flows wonderfully. It’s a great list of stuff that most of us have done. I’ve swilled coffee grounds, had my card declined. I felt the love in the poem, full of warmth.
The Ballad of Lady Spring by Jordan Galbraith of Holywood, County Down
I love the way it starts, the idea of winter being a conman and Christmas being in league with him. I love the formatting too. It’s clever, a metaphor but it’s also true right now as we move out of lonely, cold darkness into the warmth of spring. It’s very hopeful as well as timely, not only in terms of the time of year but also with recent viral events gives the promise of better things to come.
War Memorial by Tina Negus of Grantham, Lincs.
This is a great poem with really vivid writing – you can feel and taste and smell every part of the setting and the war memorial at both stages of the poem. The broken promise of ‘we will remember them’, a very clever use of the theme and also really emotional. My grandad fought in the war; he wouldn’t talk about it but you couldn’t interrupt Remembrance Sunday. The second part has a change in emotion and it feels like the writer was there for both parts of the poem.
You Promised by Nat Ravenlock of Newark (local poet winner!)
So much said in a few simple words, so much suggested between the lines. The beauty of the minimal information given is that we want to know more while dreading the revelation of the worst case scenario.
Third Place
A Sleeping Promise by Philip Burton of Bacup, Lancs.
An amazing first line, again tells a lot with few words. A great use of theme, the promise of the dancers, the promise of the Iron Curtain being raised and the future that could bring, the promise that the performers might see such a thing. There’s a sadness and a hope to it, the metaphor of East and West embracing told through the performance.
Second Place
Til Death Do Us Part by Danielle Chadwick of Todmorden, West Yorks.
A really fascinating take on promise and the wedding vow. A super emotional poem, I well up when reading it. There’s really deep love in this poem that’s warming but at the same time makes me really sad. We’re not good at talking about grief and death and this captures that really well in how it’s written. It says the things a lot of us would like to say but aren’t sure how to. Simple and elegant and powerful because of that.
First Place
A Cold War Incident by David Smith of Ilkeston, Derbys.
Again, an amazing first line that draws you in. Promise here has many facets: to each other, to the American dream, to history – but also in a personal context as well as the global impact. The reveal is great and you pick up on hidden contexts when you re-read the poem. The words are hard-edged, visceral. It’s a very destructive relationship but they are always forgiving each other for it, like they see promise in each other but we as readers see it for what it really is. Interesting to have a poem with an unreliable narrator. The language makes the punching and fighting and criticism seem routine, like it’s not a big deal even though it’s clearly awful.
Click here to read the top three poems.
Congratulations to our winners and commended entrants! The winning entries will be put online for all to read (as soon as I get around to it!). And thanks to all that entered; Martin said that he thoroughly enjoyed reading them all and at times forgot that he was supposed to be judging a competition instead of getting engrossed in fantastic poetry!
Here’s a link to Martin’s recently released book of poetry entitled The Prettyboys of Gangster Town.
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