Thank you to all who took part in choosing their favourite poem from September Blogs.  16 people voted, which unfortunately wasn’t a great reflection of the site’s membership and meant that the votes were spread rather thinly.  I abstained, in the interests of fair play.  In view of this, I think it is perhaps better to think of this more as a list of ‘Notable Poems for the Month’.  Hopefully this may be of interest to new members wishing to take a look at some outstanding poetry.

 

First Place

 

Went to ‘Beyond the Equinox’ by Anthony Emmerson.  This poem was liked for its beautiful imagery and superb structure – it was enhanced by the sound attached to it.  A notional £50 is winging its way to you in Devon, Anthony.  If you ever make it up North, you can buy me a real drink with it – mine’s a  G&T and make it a double. The poem was voted for by 3 people.

 

Second Place

 

Went to ‘The Daylight Comes With Me’ by John Darwin.  This poem was noted for its quote ‘deft, appropriate and original handling’ of the subject matter.  There was only one vote in this, so I think you owe me a single G&T, John…

 

Lest We Should Forget…

 

There were 376 blogs posted in September – a record breaker – so anyone making it onto the selection list, did very well indeed to stand out from the crowd.  A number of poets were chosen twice for different poems so were winners in their own right.  This is the list of poems voted on, in no particular order,

 

Michael Shepherd          Oneliness

Michael Shepherd          Young Musician Of The Year

 

Neil West                       The Last Ham Sandwich

 

Gus Jonsson                 A Boy’s Visit To His Aunt

Gus Jonsson                 All Kissed Me Down

 

Marianne Daniels           Wife

Marianne Daniels           The End Of The Affair

 

Steve Garside                 Keeping Time

 

Dominic O’Rourke        Tales My Father Told Me

 

McDoogle                      The Minds Eye

 

Deborah R Jordan          Shoormal

 

As an experiment I have enjoyed running this.  I hope that more people decide to take part next month. If numbers dip significantly, I will obviously have to review whether there is any point.  Thanks to all who read and commented on these and all poems for the month of September.

 

I have copied Anthony’s poem for those who are interested to read. 

Beyond the Equinox

 

The land sleeps,

furrowed, cold and still.

Each field edge mourns

in widow’s weeds.

The flocks keep silence

on the hill,

while nature weeps

tomorrow’s seeds.

 

Penitent

in golden cloak,

the woodland

whispers overhead

and through the mist,

like incense smoke,

sheds slow confetti

for her dead.

 

No birdsong

breaks these solemn days -

wreathed in cobweb,

edged with frost.

The hedge,

a thorny garland lays,

in tribute to

the season’s lost.

 

This tired landscape

bows her head

in memory of

her verdant birth.

In jewelled robe

she bears her dead,

with reverence,

to the waiting earth.