UPDATE – Unfortunately due to poor response to this competition the prize is carried over to the Valentines Poetry Competition, entries close 14 February 2015.
UPDATE – 26/12/14 – The dates for this competition have been slightly extended. Submissions close 3rd Jan and winners will be announced on 10th Jan, you still have time to submit. I decided that the mood to write about Christmas and New Year has not yet passed.
I am very excited to announce that Skimming Stones is running a poetry competition with the amazing prize of a R500 gift voucher from PrintWild. My father Paul Changuion started out as a photographer on the Copper Belt in Zambia and after a lifetime in the photographic industry now uses his creativity to prepare the images for printing at PrintWild. PrintWild are currently taking orders for Christmas gifts and a framed print, canvas, acrylic or block mounted image would make a perfect Christmas gift for someone special. They also offer gift vouchers. They’ll guarantee your gift is delivered by Christmas if you order’s paid by 08 Dec and the artworks are delivered to your door, ready to hang.
The competition
Calling poets to submit original work using the theme Christmas or New Year.
A maximum of 2 poems may be submitted
Please submit your work by the deadline of 25 December 2014, winners will be announced on 1st January 2015
e-mail submissions to sula1968@gmail.com
You may also post your submission here on Skimming Stones under the comments section below.
The winning poet must be a resident of South Africa
With your entry please provide your contact details.
I hope that this will be the first of several poetry competitions which will run here in the future. I will be looking for other sponsors for prizes in these forthcoming competitions. Please share this with the wordsmiths in your circle.
I am the founder of the Durban Live Poets Society (LiPS) and my work has been published in various anthologies. I look forward to reading your submissions, I wish that I could take part in the competition myself! Thank you very much to PrintWild for the sponsored prize.
Check out this cool video featuring my totally awesome brother Paul (sorry ladies he’s married) and Dad. I am blessed to be part of such a special family.
What a great prize and exposure for any poet.
Poetry submission – also e-mailed as an attachment
Twilight New Year by Trevor L’Etang Tuesday 23/12/14
Photo-pic – author’s copyright shot shows Durban Central at twilight
Twilight New Year
Ho! ho! ho!
Santa’s voice is a fading echo
Christmas cheer has fled
Merry is gone
The holiday is fleeting
Resolution is the in fling
In a short time
New Year!
Let us go in
healing the ravaged heart
living as if
there are no imperfections
No blemished skin
No politicking
No trafficking
in forbidden things
No more spilling of guts
less mincing of words
less waste across the board
no ratting or tattling on him
No more kidding about things
Just kidding!
Just living right
as right as must!
No blight, no storm, no wrong
on spite
except to say we knew these last
past year
Let the singer sing
at new year’s eve
of golden morn
to wake us from our dreams of light
Open the gates
Let the inmates out
Turn the page
Round a bend
Let the fleet foot run
and all run free
No chains to bind
No clanging noise
Just eye to eye
our souls we see
Times are past of ill regard
The year ahead of summer bliss
We plan to live in great repose
in gardens spaces with scent of rose
The smell of fear has left this place
The perfumed life defines new grace
No more bustle
from here to there
No more hustle
for this and that
Simple life
Peace of mind
With faith alive
our spirits soar
If this – my new year wish
for you and me –
is but delusive dream…
then singer, sing again
of golden morn, the more
and wake us not
from this idyllic night
of illusive dream!
Ends
Poet’s details:
Poet: Trevor L’Etang
Telephone: 083 320 8546
Address: 35 Nerissa Road, Wentworth, Durban, 4052
E-mail: trevorletang@gmail.com