2016

Satura Prize 2016: “Courage” by Elaine Barker

The Satura Prize is awarded to the best poem in the FSP Anthology according to an external judge. This year the judge was Richard Tipping and the Prize Winning poem is Courage by Elaine Barker. See more of Elaine’s work here and read Richard’s award commendation speech here. (pics: Martin Christmas and Ian Gibbins).

Courage by Elaine Barker

Like his mates he slept upright night after night.
The sheepskin jacket was not enough to warm him –
even his bones were racked.
The whale oil he rubbed into his feet
never enough to stop the rot.
A mild-mannered man, he was always last
over the top, then he’d charge like a barbarian
shouting obscenities as he ran,
all of them madmen shooting and stabbing
in the red fire, rolling smoke and the filthy mud.

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Gala Launch of Anthology #40 – Nova and Satura Prize winners

Front Cover of Anthology

The FSP June City Meeting was devoted to the launch of Friendly Street Poets Anthology 40 “Many Eyes, Many Voices” edited by Murray Alfredson and Margaret Clark and launched by FSP founding member, Richard Tipping.

 

The Nova Prize for best poem by a poet not previously published in an FSP anthology went to Bruce Greenhalgh for his poem, in the wake of  e e cummings.

The Satura Prize for best poem in the anthology went to Eileen Barker for her poem Courage.

Poem of the Month: April 2016

Nigel Ford: regional events

The FSP Poem of the Month selected from the April readings by editors Edie Eicas and David Harris is Screaming At The Ceiling by Nigel Ford.

Screaming At The Ceiling

I’m standing in the middle of the room
fists clenched
muscles tensed
unable and unwilling
to stop myself screaming at the ceiling
in my frustration at the unfairness of it all
not knowing which way my divided loyalties should fall
with my Mum under an imminent death sentence
and my daughter so very heavily pregnant.
Do I stay or do I go?
I’ve got no idea, I just don’t know.

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