May Prize Poem

My two shortlisted poems for May were by Eileen Carney Hulme and Alyss Dye, both with the title of 'Life Waits Inside Us'.

One of the things I love about reading poetry is being surprised by the language or startled by an image. The damp stars in Eileen’s poem did that for me; I don’t think I’ve ever read about stars in this way.

Alice’s poem has more straightforward imagery yet it's equally as suggestive, and her use of contrast in the following lines is subtle and moving: Life is work and a day off work./ It‘s the funeral tea.

After reading both of these poems several times, I’ve decided to choose Alyss’s poem for the quiet way it reassures me that life does wait inside us, even at times when we can’t make ourselves believe it.

Congratulations, Alyss. Can you email me with your address, please?

The first of June’s prompts will follow in a couple of days.

Lynne


Life waits inside us

Life waits inside us for a ribbon to be cut.
In May, we walk round the corner
and it’s there –
ice-cream chimes,
warm pavement,
a man resting on a garden wall
with his face turned to the sun.

Life is the lottery ticket.
It is tea and toast in the recovery room.
A mistake corrected.

Life is work and a day off work.
It‘s the funeral tea.
After weeks of sleepless nights
it surprises us,
like a baby’s first smile.

Alyss Dye