|
The Inaugural Manning's
Pit
Poetry Competition
Second Prize, Adults
Frances
Corkey Thompson
I have always enjoyed reading and writing
poetry. Since retiring from teaching
I have taken my own writing more seriously, and
my poems have appeared in various anthologies
and journals, here and abroad.
To date I have published two
books, The Long Acre, a chapbook (pub.
Happenstance, 2008) and a full collection,
Wild Gooseberries of Hailung (pub. Indigo
Dreams, 2015). This latter book arose from
recent visits I made to China in search of
traces of my missionary father. On
publication, it was selected by The Poetry Kit
as its Book of the Month, and Indigo Dreams
entered it for the TS Eliot Prize.
|
|
|
Frances's poem:
"Save Manning's Pit"
A place apart. Listen. A whispering world,
visible and hidden, is getting ready for winter,
each leaf and every creature adjusting,
motion in tune with the turning of the year.
An agreed "Asset of Community Value"
not to be"developed". Root and branch
not bulldozed away. On the Bradiford Water
ice will again glass up the still brown pools.
New Aprils bloom in hedges and ledges,
grandchildren and their grown-ups swing and
whoop,
stop to play Poohsticks on wooden bridges.
Painters, poets may visit, but...People need
homes.
Indeed we do. We also need green spaces -
trees, kingfishers, Tarka. Wild living places.
An acrostic poem. First letter of each line
(including title) to be read
downwards.
|
|