Friendly Street Poets

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Poem of the Month – April 2024 – Bruce Greenhalgh

The Poem of the Month for April 2024, selected by 2024 Anthology editors Ivan Rehorek (Avalanche) and Martha Landman, is Say Cheese by Bruce Greenhalgh. The commended poems are Suddenly the Sky by Margaret Dingle and The Famous Last words of the Male Driver by Beth Baillie.

Say Cheese
Bruce Greenhalgh

In my younger years
I wanted to be a cheese.
I wasn’t aiming high.
I wasn’t ‘getting ahead of myself’.
I wasn’t thinking Camembert or Brie,
more your Cracker Barrel or tasty cheddar,
even processed cheese sandwich slices would do.

In time though, I learnt I wasn’t cut out to be a cheese,
and that was disappointing.… Click for more

FSP 2024 Annual General Meeting and April Open Mic

Monday 8 April 2024
6:15pm

The Box factory
59 Regent Street, Adelaide

This month’s meeting will begin with our 2024 AGM. You must be a current financial member of FSP to take part in the AGM. There are openings for positions on the Management Committee. If you would like to nominate, follow the instructions on the agenda or send us a message via this link:
Nominate for Committee. If you are unable to attend the AGM but would like to vote via a proxy, please nominate your proxy via a message at this link: Proxy nomination.

Click here to download the AGM Agenda.… Click for more

FSP March 2024 City Meeting and Open Mic

Monday, 4th March, 2024
from 6:00pm

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read. 3 minutes per poet

All welcome!

Add your name to the reading list on the night if you want a turn at the mic. If you are a member of FSP, bring two printed copies of your poems with your name and contact details if you want them considered for next year’s anthology, or submit them electronically via the form below after the session.

The meeting will be held under current COVID-19 safety plans if required.

… Click for more

New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 launched!

New Poets 24 Peter Mahoney, Helen Hutton and Nigel Ford; New Poets 24 judge Jude Aquilina; SIngle Poets 2023 judge Steve Evans; SIngle Poet 2023 gareth roi jones 

New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 were officially launched at a great night on 30 October 2023 to a capacity crowd of 80 people at the Q on Hallett. The launch celebrated the collective works of New Poets 24 Nigel Ford (My Father’s Son), Helen Hutton (Stepping on Shadows) and Peter Mahoney (Facebook Poems) as well as the solo collection for Single Poet 2023 gareth roi jones (Selected Poems 1992-2022). … Click for more

FSP November City Meeting and Open Mic

Monday, 6th November, 2023
from 6:00pm

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read. 3 minutes per poet

Add your name to the reading list on the night if you want a turn at the mic. Bring two printed copies of your poems with your name and contact details if you want them considered for next year’s anthology, or submit them electronically via the form below after the session.

The meeting will be held under current COVID-19 safety plans if required.

… Click for more

Poem of the Month – August 2023 – Martha Landman

The Poem of the Month for August 2023, selected by 2023 Anthology Editors, Maria Vouis and Rob Ferris, is Loose-limb Man by Martha Landman The commended poems for August are Haiku & Senryu by Nigel Ford, Cliché Clambake by Veronica Cookson and White Thrift by Geoff Atkin.

Loose-limb Man
Martha Landman

Mother wouldn’t approve.
Not yet old wine, she’d say.
She was taught the virtues of shepherd men
guiding their flock, heavy feet,
calloused hands.
She followed a man of the land,
made good the harshness of his tongue,
watered the trees he planted.
Her virtue woven through sufferance,
a basket holding blame.… Click for more

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