nichepoetryandprose

I am so happy to announce my poetry manuscript, ‘a glimpse of sickle moon,’ has won Third Place in the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick (WFNB) Competition for the Alfred G. Bailey Prize for a poetry manuscript.

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I’d like to extend huge congratulations to First Place winner of the Bailey Prize, Kathy Mac, and Second Place winner, Roger Moore. I cannot be jealous of these winners because they are, respectively, members of my two writing groups: Wolf Tree Writers and Fictional Friends.

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Roger Moore has also won Third Place in the WFNB Narrative Non-fiction Prize and First Place in the WFNB Competition for the David Adams Richards Prize for a fiction manuscript. I am also proud of another of my Fictional Friends, Neil Sampson, who won Third Place in the David Adams Richards Prize for a fiction manuscript.

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And to all the other winners, some of whom are good friends, congratulations!

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My manuscript, ‘a glimpse of sickle moon,’ includes 56 poems about nature, arranged according to the seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall. For every four poems, a year rolls by, so the manuscript covers 14 years of seasons!

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Here is the title poem, about the andirons in front of our fireplace.

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andiron

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wrought owl with amber eyes

perches on the hearth

hears a call in the forest

three hoots and silence

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great-horned owl, light gathered

at the back of its eyes

the oscillating branch

after wings expand and beat

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iron owl longs for a glimpse

of sickle moon

shadow of a mouse

sorting through dry leaves

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in this cramped space

night woods decanted

fibre and bark, fire and sparks

luminous eyes

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The next step will be to complete some drawings for the poems and add the manuscript  to the poetry manuscripts I intend to publish.

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All my best, especially to the winners of the WFNB Competition.

I am staying at home,

and in my two family bubble.

Jane