Latitude Festival 2009

Poem

(50° 73’ North, 3°54’ West)

I’m watching your hands
spidering dishes

pink-hot to the cuffs
in sudsy water

you pull out a glass
breaking its soap caul

fisherman holding
his catch to the light.


Watching you makes me
want to make traces

around this kitchen
the breath-milked windows

draw it all out
longitude, latitude

holding this moment
this simple horizon.

Gemma Green
Exeter, United Kingdom

My poetry has appeared in magazines and anthologies but 2008 was my year - after much graft I won 2nd prize in the Daily Telegraph Poetry for Performance competition and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. I am a Court Enforcement Officer, deftly combining debt collection with writing poetry.

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Comments (1)

This poem is in my top three - I have printed it off and pinned it next to my desk. Simple. Lovely. This competition is fascinating ; a real insight into people's psyche about their countries, and most particularly views of England...only because most of the poems posted are from UK residents. Seeing it develop as new poems are added, all the layers building up....Is no one else going to post comments??!

Posted by: leestorm, June 28, 2009 at 10:10 AM

 

Competition Rules

Deadline for submissions:
July 3rd 2009

Rules:
Submit one original poem about where you live. The poem can be of any length and in any style, but must not have been published anywhere else before in print or online.

Copyright:
The copyright of each poem remains with the author.

Terms & conditions:

1.  Only one poem accepted per person
2.  Winner chosen by Latitude Festival and Pen Pusher Magazine. The judges’ decision is final.
3.  Pen Pusher Magazine and Latitude Festival have rights to publish or broadcast the winning entry and runners-up.

Prize:

–  a reading on the prestigious New Voices stage in the Poetry Arena at Latitude Festival 2009 on Saturday 18th July*
–  a pair of weekend tickets to the Latitude Festival 2009
–  the winning entry will be published in issue 13 of Pen Pusher Magazine (published July 23rd 2009).

*If the winner is unable to attend the Latitude Festival, a runner-up will be chosen to perform, and the winning poem will be read by one of the poets performing on the New Voices stage.

Background Illustration: Michael Constantine