Prole Laureate Poetry Competition

[Prole]

Prole's 2nd Prole Laureate poetry competition is now open to entries.

Up for grabs is £130 and publication in Prole issue 7 for the winner and 2 runner-up prizes of £25 with possible publication alongside the winning poem.

The deadline for entries is 1st March 2012. Shortlisted poems will be judged by Andrew McMillan.

For full details of how to enter please see here:

http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page6.html

All the best and good luck

Prole
http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/index.html

[Prole]

Last year’s winning poem by Helen Ramoutsaki, Prole Laureate 2011-2012.



The up side



Inside your small world

you carve your daily bread sideways

with only one side up

to butter it on.



Year after year,

showing stern fingers shaking,

thou shalt nibble at the crumbs

and never be greedy.



Inside your hatch

hides a tin of caring, cariad,

all mouth-melting, griddle-cooked

for children to gobble at.



Grasping your basket,

sensible shopping, pension-eking,

penny by penny in a co-op book

stuck with stamps in line for a bingo.



Over a sloe gin,

sipped sour and surprising,

I hear you careering, black-out illicit,

down contrabanded country lanes.



Out in the avenue,

the children play tin-tan-topper

past the pigeons homing home

all in a line, counting polished doorsteps.



Choking on a woodbine

in adult-bar city-life amazement,

I’m offered lovers, fags and sports cars

and a single, faded photo.



I’ve been told now,

take your cake, eat it up,

relish it, each buttery currant,

before you’re left with only bread.



Pigeons know

where to come home to roost,

trained to their place, compelled by duty

and a battered tray of grain.



Now I see the side you hide

and why you carefully cut,

buttering first so you’re not tempted

to choose which one it’s on.


For full comp details visit:
http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page6.html

Prole

[Prole]

There is now a little under 3 months to get your polished poems into the Prole Laureate competition for a chance of £130 and publication in Prole 7 due out in April 2012.
Cash and possible publication for runners up. Please see above for more or just visit here http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page6.html

Prole never sleeps, just passes out on occasion

Prole