Our judges, Lucy Harland, Jamie Jauncey, Lee Randall, James
Robertson and Sara Sheridan, found it extremely difficult to
pick their winners, but finally decided on the following
entries.
First prize went to Heather Reid for her poem about a wooden
figure of a fisherman's god, brought to Scotland from the Cook
Islands.
Fisherman's god
'Figure' ref A.1923.360
Exiled
he is powerless,
untutored in the
blether of the
herring gull and shag,
he stands aloof.
Little god,
did they think you
could be happy in this
grey-skied foreign land
where prayers are housed
for fear they’ll blow away;
where even the sea
denies you,
murmuring the name
of some new god,
a sacrament of haar
blessing its tongue.
Heather Reid
The judges also chose four runners up.
Suit of Ross Tartan
Suit of Ross Tartan
I proclaim my ancestors
You’re a medical student’s fancy
dress
I honoured a great king
The gouty alcoholic at the
street
party did not see you
I flaunt my cockade
and magnificent sporran
They’re a wee rosette of ruched
red
ribbon and a frustrated folded ferret
I travelled the world
You ran away. You rushed
for Australian gold
I returned
We remained
Jane Cooper
Silver-gilt nef
Pass the Salt
Carry this ship
Across tablecloth ocean,
Unload its cargo onto waiting plates.
Let those seated fancy it was packed
By Marco Polo himself - hull full of oriental spice,
Borne by creatures born
From the margins of the mapped world.
Now port beckons,
Their voyage nears an end -
Richest of tastes, fit for kings and queens,
Encased in fragile, gold,
Well-seasoned dreams.
Keith D Edinburgh
You can see Keith's photo of the
nef here.
Platypus
Platypus
Platypus: Dear duck of the absurd, saint of the weird, eggfilled
fur-lined conductor of the strange - let me kiss you like a
confused friend
Nikki Magennis
Serf's collar
Serf's collar (via Twitter)
I’ll crush your coal, fist by burning fist, and bend a knee to
offer up the diamonds of my heart. I’ll wear your collar: master.
#my26t
Simon Sylvester