Friendly Street Poets

#1 Category for all work published on this site

New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 winners!

FSP is pleased to announce the winners of New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 competitions.

NEW POETS 24

Judge: Jude Aquilina

The three winners are:
• Facebook Poems by Peter Mahoney
• Stepping on Shadows by Helen Hutton
• My Father’s Son by Nigel Ford

Commended
• From the Heart by Susan Thrun Willett

Special Mention
• Save Changes to Normal by Stef Rozitis
• Murder, Mayhem and More by Fred Willett

SINGLE POET 2023

Judge: Steve Evans

Winner
• Selected Poems (1992-2022) by gareth roi jones

Commended
• The Pilgrimage by Claire-Louise Watson
• Eclectica by Veronica Cookson

Thank you to the judges for both competitions.… Click for more

Poem of the Month – June 2023 – Jules Leigh Koch

The Poem of the Month for June 2023, selected by 2023 Anthology Editors, Maria Vouis and Rob Ferris, is 5.45am Sydney by Jules Leigh Koch. The commended poems for June are unpredicted by Geoff Aitken, Blackbird by Martha Landman  and The Baby Locket by Cary Hamlyn.

5.45am Sydney
Jules Leigh Koch

at an intersection
a few wax-work figures
                                    wait
while traffic-lights juggle three
coloured balls
                       in slow motion

the short life span of dawn
is emptying out
all about me
yet
            it’s not a new day

for the homeless
queueing outside
the Salvos’ soup kitchen

in an alleyway
where the twisted body of sunlight

is climbing a fire escape
one step
                       at a time

I put the space-junk of my thoughts
                                                on pause
and as I drive through the fault-line
of the city

another pedestrian is swallowed
by the subway

unpredicted
Geoff Aitken

it fell today

the idea

that the ocean
was just a cloud

shaking out
its wrinkles

in late rain.… Click for more

Erica Jolly at Poets Corner

Long-standing FSP stalwart Erica Jolly is the guest at this month’s Poets Corner.

Effective Living Centre
26 King William Road, Wayville
Monday 24 July 2023
7:30 pm

Everyone is welcome!

FSP Anthology 47 launch and order form

Judges and editors
Left to right: David Cookson (editor), Max Merckenschlager (judge), Veronica Cookson (editor), Jacqui Merckenschlager (judge), Sue O’Brien (Convenor)
Winners
Left to right: Stef Rozitis, Elaine Barker, Louise Nicholas, Charlie Madden, Helen Hutton,  Meryl McDougall, Rob Ferris, Maria Vouis, Sue O’Brien

FSP is excited to announce that Anthology 47 was officially launched by in-coming Convenor, Sue O’Brien, at the monthly meeting on 1 May 2023.

Edited by Veronica and David Cookson, the anthology’s title, beyond the bend … , takes its name from a line in Torbay by contributing poet, Sharon Foulkes. The collection of over 100 poems thrilled the judges, Jacqui and Max Merckenschlager, who were at the launch to meet the winning and commended poets. … Click for more

New FSP Convenor… Sue O’Brien

Following the recent AGM, a new Management Committee has been elected, along with a new Convenor. Congratulations to Sue O’Brien, who takes over as Convenor from Nigel Ford. The full Committee for 2023-2024 is:

  • Sue O’Brien (Convenor)
  • Kristy Willett (Treasurer)
  • Helen Hutton (Secretary and Membership)
  • Stef Rozitis
  • Margaret Fensom
  • Murray Alfredson

+ More