Wells Festival of Literature

I was chuffed to bits to be a prize winner in the Open Poetry Competition at the Wells Festival of Literature last month. With over 1000 entries and a shortlist of 40 fabulous poems I thought I didn’t stand a chance. In fact, as I listened to the shortlist being read aloud, I was sure of it! To my mind there was a clear top three. Satisfyingly, the judge, Owen Shears agreed with my verdict! David Underdown’s pantoum, Notes on How to Pack, was a worthy first-prize winner. When the top three had been announced it was a complete surprise to hear Owen announced three additional prize-winners, myself included.

Check it the winning poems at Wells Festival of Literature.

My poem, The Shadow Butterfly, appears below, and on the website. I feel very honoured to be in such excellent company.

The Shadow Butterfly

It’s midmorning and I should be working.

Instead, I am curled up, like a cat, 

watching a woodpigeon

through the window.

She is back and forth at her nest building, 

twigs in the corner of her beak,

like a Wurzel with a stalk of wheat.

Busy fool, she puts my idleness to shame.

Inside, in the milk cartons all along the sill  

rows of seedlings 

arch like the corps de ballet, 

tilting their faces up towards the sun. 

They are grateful,

as I am, for the first heat of the year.

And then the shadow butterfly makes her entrance.

Caught in my peripheral vision,

a flicker of darkness,

she flits about the shadow net that holds me.

I open my white hand, palm up, 

and she settles upon it. 

I don’t look round.

This is enough.