Congratulations, Daniel! Great result! :grin

Below are some additional comments on the winners by the Judge, Brian Appleyard, that are not on the IBPC website, but I thought it might be interesting to post them here:


My primary cull produced a short(long)list of 14. I was then stalled. So, in fairness, I shall name the fourteen to make it clear that my final choice is forced on me only by the terms of the competition.

They are: Mary Lincoln Communes with the Dead, Blas Rivas, Drive By, Losing You, Oracle or Ouija, Grief is Not, Bird Caller, Masked Artwork, Drought, For PMD, Eclipse, Litany, Winterset, River Seine.

My secondary and final cull was based on those poems that stull surprised me on fifth or sixth reading. On that basis.

1) Winterset. The first stanza is a showstopper. The first two lines signal at once that this writer feels poetry. Im not sure about the one line short fourth stanza though I can see why it is lopped. This poem does much with little.

2) May Lincoln Communes with the Dead. This a triumph of tone and rhythm that easily survives multiple readings. The poem sustains the drama of its opening question well, shifting confidently between narrative and detail. It is a touch more perfect than Winterset, but came second only because it didnt have the same poetic originality.

3) Bird Caller. This poet set himself a difficult task writing a strict sonnet in a relaxed, conversational style. He pulls it off by sneaking a strong but easy rhythm into the lines. The poem doesnt fall from its own fiction into excessive directness, a common crime with naive sonnet attempts. It is, simply, very complete and lovely.


Honourable mentions ( in no particular order)

For PMD. I really wanted this to win as I love the way it kind of sneaks its way into poetry. At first you think the lines could be prose, but, on second reading, their gentle, insistent rhythm asserts itself. It was going fine until the line with truly voluptuous masochism which is self-consciously poetic in the way the rest of the poem is not. And then the ending simple doesnt work.

Blas Rivas. A really excellent piece of writing that leads you into a mysterious drama of the imagination. But, somehow, it didnt quite do enough for me. I dont doubt. However, that this is a poet.

Drought. Could have been a winner easily, it displays a really passionate sense of detail and sinewy effort. I think, however, this poet needs to develop a little more.

Masked Artwork. Brilliant use of a tricky form and very refined, silvery language. It doesnt quite carry me through and there are occasional lapses A woman in command and filter out feels wrong. But very fine writing.