Poem of the month

Each month the two FSP editors select a poem, from those read throughout that month, as the poem of the month. A laminated copy of the poem is awarded to the poet at the next FSP City meeting. This is peer recognition of a poem of high quality.

April Poem of the Month: Through the Roman Goddesss of Spring by Erica Jolly

Our Poem of the Month for April 2021, selected by Anthology editors, Louise Nicholas and Judy Dally, from poems read at the April Open Mic.

Through the Roman Goddess of Spring
Erica Jolly

Flora: An Artistic Voyage through the World of Plants by Sandra Knapp,
published by the Natural History Museum.

What is it you all share?
Roots hold you to your world.
You have ways to attract visitors –
perfumes, colours and form.
You seek and find the light,
breathe in through pores
the energy you need.

Here, with Flora I can pause,
take it in, revel in the life
brought to me with such
loving attention to detail.… Click for more

March Poem of the Month: A Kick to the Head by Avalanche

Our Poem of the Month for March 2021, selected by Anthology editors, Louise Nicholas and Judy Dally, from poems read at the March Open Mic.

A KICK TO THE HEAD
Avalanche

A kick to the head will do you in,
You may well be Rhonda Roussey
But none of that matters,

A vicious rumour will finish you off
And you may even be Oscar Wilde,
But truth will be a casualty in any case.

A trick question evaded can still do you harm,
See what happened to JC himself –
Someone you trusted will turn you in…

And a broken leg won’t help you dance,
Even Nureyev worked this one out
No winning that bum-kicking contest,

The father of the nation is no such thing
Look at how poor old Leonidas finished,
Metaphors make such poor policy.… Click for more

February Poem of the Month: In Memory of Robin Gibb by Nigel Dey

Our first Poem of the Month for 2021, selected by Anthology editors, Louise Nicholas and Judy Dally, from poems read at the February Open Mic.

IN MEMORY OF ROBIN GIBB
Nigel Dey

Massachusetts is one place I have never seen.
My world is an island in a stream.

You don’t know what it’s like.
You can only guess what I mean.
I see only through a lighthouse beam.
But love bursts through any seam.

My world is your world 
And our world is this world.
And this world is round.
I used to think it flat and square.
But still it rains everywhere.… Click for more

Poems of the Month: June and July

With one editor residing in Port Augusta & one in the Barossa, getting together to discuss poems has been a challenge (and after an exhausting 4 hour long phone conversation to determine March & May we decided it had to be face to face). Finally after a couple of hiccups we achieved it this past weekend.

June

June was a massive success for the online portal. Over 60 poems were submitted by 22 poets and the quality was extraordinarily high. A quarter of the poems made the longlist and choosing, first the final five, then the top three was exceedingly difficult.… Click for more

Poems of the Month: March & May

COVID-19 has definitely thrown up some challenges this year but the editors are pleased to announce the Poems of the Month for March & May. 

March

March was our second and to date last face-to-face meeting of 2020. 65 poems were read and the longlist for this month was really quiet long. It was an excellent selection to draw upon & there were many fine poems in the initial discussion. But we managed to get it down eventually. We liked so many we have noted three Highly Commended poems. The challenging thing was how completely different each of the final 4 poems are yet each so strong in their own way.… Click for more

December Poems of the Month: Judy Dally and Louise Nicholas

Living with Mr D. by Judy Dally

1.
At 2am
 
or 4 pm
 
or sometimes
10pm
just after 
we go to bed
 
he gets up
to make breakfast.
 
He asks me
“Do you want breakfast?”
 
And I say “No
 
It’s too soon.”
 
It’s just too soon.
 
2.
For some reason
his feet
don’t tuck under the sheets
 
so
night after night
I lift his feet into the bed
spread the sheet over his legs
and tuck him in.
 
Like a baby.
 
3.
When we sit
in a group of four
 
there are sometimes
just
three of us. 
  
4.
On those nights
when he isn’t sure
what time it is
what’s going on
who he is
(maybe 
who I am)
 
I lie in the bed
with my back to him
and make him hold me.
… Click for more
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