{"id":2371,"date":"2023-07-18T11:54:43","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T11:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/?page_id=2371"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T10:37:18","slug":"five-words-poetry-competition","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/five-words-poetry-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition: Five Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 12th \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al Five Words International Poetry Competition<\/strong><\/center>
\n\"Five 
Full results are now available (scroll down) …<\/i><\/font><\/center> <\/p>\n

Congratulations to our 2025 competition winner:<\/p>\n

Lucie Pereira<\/font>!<\/strong><\/font><\/center> <\/p>\n

\n
\n

Competition Overview<\/span> <\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

The 12th and final<\/strong> competition (2024\/5) ran for 42 weeks.<\/center><\/p>\n

Every Tuesday at 12pm (Irish time) for 41 weeks from April to Hanuary, five words were posted on this competition page. Entrants had one week<\/strong> to compose and submit one or more poems which included all five words given for that week. Details of all 12 prize winners are beneath.<\/p>\n

\n

Prize<\/span><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

A prize of 750 euros<\/strong> was awarded to the overall winner, plus 500 euros<\/strong> for second place and 250 euros<\/strong> for third place. Winners were invited to read at \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al\u2019s eighteenth anniversary (hybrid) event, on Monday the 14th of April 2025. The overall winner also receives a physical award, hand-crafted by acclaimed glass artist (and poet) Michael Ray<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The shortlisted poems and winning entry are also published in Five Words Vol XVIII<\/em> \u2013 the anthology of five word poems launched at the final event of the 18-year long series. <\/p>\n

The judge for 2024\/25 was Lauren O’Donovan<\/a><\/span><\/b>.<\/center>
\nThe five words offered each week for the 12th Five Words competition (2024-25) were sourced from \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al’s twelfth year of live Monday evening Five Word Challenges (held during 2018-19). A small, varied selection of additional words were also used due to deletion of duplicates, colloquialisms, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n

Submission Guidelines<\/span><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

Entry has been open to all countries. Poems were limited to 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and had to include all five words listed for the week. <\/p>\n

A modicum of poetic license was allowed. As long as the original spelling is intact, writers have been welcome to extend, pluralise or even split any word to appear across two adjacent words, even if its original meaning became altered. <\/p>\n

Poems had to be newly written, during the relecant 7-day period, with no limit to volume of entries.<\/p>\n

\"Five
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<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Anthology PDFs<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Five Words Vols I-VI<\/b> (April 2007 – April 2013)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol VII<\/b> (April 2013 – April 2014)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol VIII<\/b> (April 2014 – April 2015)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol IX<\/b> (April 2015 – April 2016)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol X<\/b> (April 2016 – April 2017)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XI<\/b> (April 2017 – April 2018)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XII<\/b> (April 2018 – April 2019)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XIII<\/b> (April 2019 – March 2020)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XIV<\/b> (April 2020 – March 2021)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XV<\/b> (April 2021 – March 2022)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XVI<\/b> (April 2022 – March 2023)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XVII<\/b> (April 2023 – March 2024)<\/a><\/p>\n

Five Words Vol XVIII<\/b> (April 2024 – March 2025)<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

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<\/a>
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12th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 3rd March 2025<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judge<\/b>: Lauren O’Donovan<\/span><\/center>
\n 
\n
Shortlist & Winners<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nLate Twenties Hangover<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Lucie Pereira<\/font><\/strong> (Ireland\/USA) 1st<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\na force of nature<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Dean Gessie<\/strong> (Canada) 2nd<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
contents of the underwear drawer I share with my boyfriend<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Em Egan Reeve<\/strong> (Ireland) 3rd<\/strong><\/font> <\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nEstrangement in a Meadow<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Karen Hodgson Pryce<\/strong> (Scotland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
November Storm<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Giles Constable<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nPoem written on the 2nd anniversary<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Julia McNamara<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAlways one for sorrow<\/em>  <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> DW Evans<\/strong> (Jersey)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThere are lilies in the compost heap<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Sarah Salway<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThe First Star<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Lisa Rosinsky<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nmy memory and I<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (UK)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nMore wren than heron<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Mary Anne Smith Sellen<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCooked Up<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Hilary Evans<\/strong> (Wales)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comments from Lauren O’Donovan<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Late Twenties Hangover<\/strong> by Lucie Pereira<\/center><\/p>\n

“Late Twenties Hangover<\/i> thrums with the energy of lived experience. The poet captures a slice of post-party disorientation with striking, cinematic precision. The imagery is unflinching yet deeply relatable, invoking both nostalgia and self-awareness in a voice that is wry, knowing, and emotionally charged.<\/p>\n

What makes this poem remarkable is its ability to balance irreverence with poignancy. Lines like “…a heron screeches as the sun ascends rudely over the rooftops. Nature is so fucking loud in the morning.” crackle with humor, yet they also carry a deeper weight\u2014a kind of raw immediacy that refuses to be ignored. The voice here is fresh, self-aware, and immersive, reminiscent of Kim Addonizio, who wields striking sensory detail and biting wit to illuminate the interiority of contemporary life.”<\/font><\/p>\n

2nd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

a force of nature<\/strong> by Dean Gessie<\/center><\/p>\n

“This poem is an astonishing force in itself. It is relentless, razor-sharp, and its emotional core unsentimental yet deeply affecting. The language moves at a near-breathless pace, sweeping the reader along through a tangled family history of sharp-edged humor, betrayal, and longing. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s something almost mythic in the mother figure\u2014a gravitational force of ego, cruelty, and charisma\u2014while the father, softer and more sentimental, walks through the poem gently, inverting traditional stereotypes. The humor is biting, but it never undercuts the emotional weight of the poem\u2014instead, it sharpens it, making all the more haunting the poem\u2019s final image of the youthful mother\u2019s dancing skirts spinning.”<\/font><\/p>\n

3rd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

contents of the underwear drawer I share with my boyfriend<\/strong>
\nby Em Egan Reeve<\/center><\/p>\n

“Contents of the underwear drawer I share with my boyfriend<\/em> takes an intimate and seemingly mundane space\u2014the shared underwear drawer\u2014and turns it into a layered exploration of gender, love, memory, and bodily estrangement. Through stark, unexpected imagery and unflinching honesty, it subverts expectations, challenging conventional narratives of intimacy and selfhood.<\/p>\n

The contrasts at play here are particularly striking: the everyday cotton briefs and sanitary towels juxtaposed with testosterone needles and gender clinic letters, the past and present sticky notes layered physically and emotionally. The poem\u2019s closing lines, where the simple act of finding clothes becomes a repeated struggle, brilliantly encapsulate the deeper themes: familiarity does not always bring ease, and even the most basic routines are shaped by identity.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Access to the e-book version of this volume is available here from 14th April 2025.<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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<\/a>
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11th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 28th February 2024<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
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Judge<\/b>: Theo Dorgan<\/span><\/center>
\n 
\n
Shortlist & Winners<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nagainst cartography<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Derek Sellen<\/font><\/strong> (England) 1st<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nGardening in the Otherworld<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Mary Anne Smith Sellen<\/strong> (England) 2nd<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
imagine a field<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (England) 3rd<\/strong><\/font> <\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nInheritance<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Alison McCrossan<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Storm Glass<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Brian Kirk<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nself-care f\u00fcr unsichtbare<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nTo Be Done Before Anything Drastic<\/em>  <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> J.A.Speta<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nA Tale for No Tail<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Mary Louise Kiernan<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nOut of the Woods<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Kevin Conroy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nRapture<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Marcella Remund<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFor Sam Lawler, Who Used His Gun<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Tracy Newlands<\/strong> (Australia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nLeaving Ursa Minor<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> John D. Kelly <\/strong> (N.Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"2024
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Comments from Theo Dorgan<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

against cartography <\/strong> by Derek Sellen<\/center><\/p>\n

“I thought of the Hopkins poem ‘Inversnaid’ when I read this, and of Brian Friel’s ‘Translations’; a championing of what is wild and wayward, what is not to be confined inside the grid of maps and by extension inside a reductive frame of reference. A beautifully extended and mastered metaphor breaks free into a hymn of praise, a celebration of ‘unmapped existence”. Masterfully handled.”<\/font><\/p>\n

2nd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Gardening in the Otherworld<\/strong> by Mary Anne Smith Sellen<\/center><\/p>\n

“The sheer exuberance of the words, the flow of attention and the interplay between what is seen and what thought the seen thing evokes, these things delighted me. Derek Jarman’s garden in the shadow of Dungeness power station was, among other things, a celebration and an act of defiance. The poem does him, and the garden, a beautiful justice.”<\/font><\/p>\n

3rd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

imagine a field<\/strong> by Laura Theis<\/center><\/p>\n

An adventurous and persuasive invitation to the reader’s imagination \u2014 and a corrective to the rather trite clich\u00e9s of contemporary journalism, a rebuke to the idea that humankind is somehow outside nature. We, too, can be \u2018free things\u2019, and if we trust our imaginations, as this poem does, we can \u2018fit right in\u2019”<\/font><\/p>\n

Access to the e-book version of this volume from 8th April 2024 is here:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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10th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 6th March 2023<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
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Judge<\/b>: Victoria Kennefick<\/span><\/center>
\n 
\n
Shortlist & Winners<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nLighthouse \/ Mother<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> David Ross Linklater<\/font><\/strong> (Scotland) 1st<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nWalking alone<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Alison McCrossan<\/strong> (Ireland) 2nd<\/strong><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Terms of Endearment<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Glyn Matthews<\/strong> (England) 3rd<\/strong><\/font> <\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nShive<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> David W Evans<\/strong> (Jersey)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gifted<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAfter Eunice<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Jill Munro<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nScut<\/em>  <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> John Baylis Post<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFump<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Phoebe Colby<\/strong> (Canada)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nIt Isn\u2019t Inevitable, Just Likely<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Dante Miller<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nIn praise of liminality<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Gabrielle Deakin<\/strong> (Spain)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThe University Of Brattleboro And The Uncluttered Table<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Rolf Parker-Houghton<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThen There Was Only One Foetal Heartbeat<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Mandy Beattie<\/strong> (Scotland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"2023
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Comments from Victoria Kennefick<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Lighthouse \/ Mother<\/strong> by David Ross Linklater<\/center><\/p>\n

“This stunning poem stopped me in my tracks. I am obsessed with hyphens at the moment and the use of one in the title was so arresting and unexpected. The poem itself is so beautifully written and I was utterly impressed by how the poet included unusual terms like \u2018nuckelavee,\u2019 \u2018horneri\u2019 and \u2018isthmus\u2019 in the poem so naturally and eloquently. This is a deep, dark, and mysterious poem \u2013 unknowable yet utterly familiar, just like a mother.”<\/font><\/p>\n

2nd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Walking alone<\/strong> by Alison McCrossan<\/center><\/p>\n

“This brilliantly written poem is full of quiet, delicate moments that belie the sinister undertones that follow, \u2018I was down by the clear water, watching minnows\/dart over stones. Taking comfort away from teenage taunts.\u2019 The imagery is unforgettable and perfectly described, the ending in particular stayed with me, \u2018How a lone starling flitted in\/and pinched a minnow in its beak.\/How the other starlings wouldn\u2019t be far behind.\u2019”<\/font><\/p>\n

3rd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Terms of Endearment<\/strong> by Glyn Matthews<\/center><\/p>\n

“This poem opens with the lines, <\/p>\n

From my bed I heard my father
\nenter in a drunken rage,
\nbeat midnight to a pulp
\nas the juke-box played<\/p>\n

I was particularly taken by the brilliant, \u2018beat midnight to a pulp,\u2019 and the rest of the poem lives up to this disturbing and evocative image. The introduction of the budgie is a stroke of genius and brings an originality and freshness to this poem that is all its own, \u2018and wrote \u2018Joey\u2019 on a lolly-stick.\u2019”<\/font><\/p>\n

Access to the e-book version of this volume from 10th April 2023 is here:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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9th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 28th February 2022<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
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Judge<\/b>: Maurice Riordan<\/span><\/center>
\n 
\n
Shortlist & Winners<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nCaught<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Marcella Remund<\/font><\/strong> (USA) 1st<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFinding Nero<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> David W Evans<\/strong> (Jersey) 2nd<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bleeding Kit<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Peter Arvan Manos<\/strong> (USA) 3rd<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\u2026stream\u2026<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Peter Longden<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small Blues<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Cindy Botha<\/strong> (New Zealand)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nBathing Mother<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Marcella Remund<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nA Barrow From The Marketplace<\/em>  <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Chris Reed<\/strong> (New Zealand)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nLines from the lateral canthus<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Rosemary Norman<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSleep Lessons From Birds<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (UK)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThe Complete History of the Lyric<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Kyle Vaughn<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nForegone Conclusions<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Dean Gessie<\/strong> (Canada)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nWith Blackbirds and Pirates<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Eoin Hegarty<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"2022
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Comments from Maurice Riordan<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Caught<\/strong> by Marcella Remund<\/center><\/p>\n

“Arriving at the winning order has more to do with taste than objective judgement, a matter of what seduces the eye and the ear more than what satisfies a set of criteria \u2013 and on another day, one suspects, or in a different mood, other poems might take one\u2019s fancy. But \u2018Caught<\/b>\u2019 I found irresistible on many readings. It is a beautifully achieved poem. It has a toned perfection both of voice and stanzaic muscle. The repetitive use of the imperative provides an efficient little engine to propel the poem through our world of danger and damage, resonating at times with perennial fears, elsewhere suggesting recent circumstances. And then, almost unnoticed, \u2018forget\u2019 mutates into \u2018forgotten\u2019. How smart is that! Never I suspect has \u2018silk\u2019, that last word, been used in the context of such forlorn constraint.”<\/font><\/p>\n

2nd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Finding Nero<\/strong> by David W Evans<\/center><\/p>\n

“By contrast, \u2018Finding Nero<\/strong>\u2019 is a poem of exuberant excess, freewheeling through that infamous life while giving its outsize subject a contemporary speaking voice, one we overhear in all its delusional self-obsession — in its petulance, pettiness, cruelty, in its murderous insouciance. At the same time, this high-flying, often comical monologue is always tethered and secured by demotic phrasing and grounding detail — \u2018perfection mixed with god-dust\u2019, \u2018they\u2019re big on myth these punters\u2019, \u2018pool-eyed Narcissus\u2019. Is the maniacal narcissism, I wonder, specifically pertinent in our current world? “<\/font><\/p>\n

3rd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Bleeding Kit<\/strong> by Peter Arvan Manos<\/center><\/p>\n

“I was immediately mesmerized by \u2018Bleeding Kit<\/strong>\u2019 \u2013 very much a sad gloss on our age. It\u2019s a noisy poem in the best sense \u2013 with words and sounds clashing and ricochetting: \u2018quids\u2019 against \u2018quid-pro-quos \u2018, \u2018blunders\u2019 into \u2018blunderbusses\u2019, \u2018flintlocks\u2019 and \u2018bump stocks\u2019, culminating with the off-rhyme closure of \u2018buzzwords\u2019 and \u2018buzzards\u2019. Executed high-tempo as a single sentence, the effect is percussive and abrasive and in keeping, both in sound and image, with its disturbing subject-matter.”<\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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8th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 28th February 2021<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
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Judge<\/b>: Grace Wells<\/span><\/center>
\n 
\n
Shortlist & Winners<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nA Rook Longs For A Badger<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Sin\u00e9ad McClure<\/font><\/strong> (Ireland) 1st<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nThe Chagallisation of Joan<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Jill Munro<\/strong> (England) 2nd<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
what you meant when you
\npromised we\u2019d go to the
\ncircus <\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Laura Theis<\/strong> (UK) 3rd<\/strong><\/font> Place<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nHeld Back<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Sin\u00e9ad McClure<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Both Ends<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nIn His Jacket Pocket<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Jane Salmons<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCrossing<\/em>  <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> E\u00f3in Condon<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nLightfastness<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> David Evans<\/strong> (Jersey)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nGirl Missing<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Jane Salmons<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nElse<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nInferred and Implied<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Glen Wilson<\/strong> (Northern Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nNight Flight<\/em> <\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Sarah Salway<\/strong> (UK)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"2021
\n <\/p>\n

Comments from Grace Wells<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

A rook longs for a badger<\/strong> by Sin\u00e9ad McClure<\/center><\/p>\n

“From the nearly 800 entries, I created a long-list of about 100 poems. All fine pieces. All submitted within a week of their crafting. I wanted poems which gave no hint of their genesis, no glimmer of the short time-frame they were conceived in, or of the five words that prompted them. Poems that really were poetry. About fifty entries fitted that description. They all deserved to be shortlisted. Many could have won. But I chose \u2018A Rook longs for a badger\u2019 because the poem so neatly, so lyrically addresses my politics. They are the only politics I believe we need to be exploring now. It is ever shocking to me how human-centric we are. How little nature exists in our collective thinking\u2014even the thinking of poets. For years she\u2019s been a sideline in the competitions I\u2019ve judged; so few writers have given her even a glimmer of regard. Here\u2019s a poet who isn\u2019t just writing about nature, she\u2019s thinking as the creatures do. This type of thinking is the moral task of our times. But we won\u2019t get there by being lectured; we need to be seduced. How beautifully A rook longs for a badger<\/strong> calls come hither.”<\/font><\/p>\n

2nd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The Chagallisation of Joan<\/strong> by Jill Munro<\/center><\/p>\n

“Many quirky delights returned me over and again to The Chagallisation of Joan<\/strong>. Many of its lines don\u2019t quite make sense in the same way that Chagall\u2019s images reveal an other, altered reality, which doesn\u2019t quite make sense, but surely improves our lives. The poem leaves me standing before a stained-glass image, taken into its vibrancy to become \u2018part of this glassy patchwork, to be awash in a multi-coloured quilt\u2019. I was reminded of once standing in St Carthage\u2019s Cathedral in Lismore, looking up at the Burne-Jones window-glass, and being similarly transformed. The liminal metamorphosis that artworks can engender is beautifully, memorably captured here.<\/font><\/p>\n

3rd Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

what you meant when you promised we\u2019d go to the circus<\/strong> by Laura Theis<\/center><\/p>\n

“I always feel a judge\u2019s final winners are ultimately only personal choice. Any of the final twenty poems in my shortlist were well enough crafted to win the competition. But the ones I picked were the poems that resonated most with me. How well I recognize the territory of disappointed romance in what you meant when you promised we\u2019d go to the circus<\/strong>. But what I love is the unique way this universal experience is portrayed. Failed love tends to look the same in poems, but this meander through circus metaphor addresses the pain of heartbreak, and provides leaps of imagination which transform the hurt and gild it with significance.<\/font>
\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/center>

7th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 29th February 2020<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Afric McGlinchey and Michael Ray<\/span><\/center>
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\nBetty Fox is Skipping<\/em><\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Derek Sellen<\/font><\/strong> (England) winner<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nEvolution<\/em> <\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Cliona O’Connell<\/strong> (Ireland) highly commended<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Automaton<\/em><\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Rosemary Norman<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFather\u2019s Day<\/em> <\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Janice Bethany<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nWise and Luminous<\/em> <\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Ada Volynska<\/strong> (Ukraine)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSmoke Flares, Pyro Prayers<\/em><\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Lucy Holme<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Boat Crane<\/em><\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Sharon Phillips<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n6am. River. Girl.<\/em>  <\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> Fiona Ritchie Walker<\/strong> (England\/Scotland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nTo Paint Death as The
\nMountain Pine Beetle <\/em> <\/td>\n		\n by  <\/font> Michele Ring<\/strong> (France)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nBottled Lines,
\nExcellent Spirits<\/em> <\/td>\n		\n by  <\/font> Ada Volynska<\/strong> (Ukraine)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nA Small Bee Came to
\nRest Upon My Hand <\/em> <\/td>\n		\n by  <\/font> Margaret McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nLa Rue des Touettes<\/em> <\/td>\n\n by  <\/font> David W Evans<\/strong> (Jersey)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comments from Afric McGlinchey and Michael Ray<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Betty Fox is Skipping<\/strong> by Derek Sellen<\/center><\/p>\n

“This poem\u2019s appeal is in its simplicity and cinematic quality. Each image evokes a bygone era. I always enjoy learning something new, and had to Google Betty Fox to find out more about the Sky Dancers, known as the world\u2019s greatest aerial act. It\u2019s also refreshing to come across a poem that has no trace of an \u2018I\u2019 voice.”
\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“This poem carried itself beautifully through a sequence of triplets ending in a quatrain, the rhythmic qualities and slant rhyme brought this poem spinning to the top of the pile.”
\n

Michael Ray<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Evolution<\/strong> by Cliona O’Connell<\/center><\/p>\n

“The various geographical landscapes of this poem give it a sense of spaciousness. I particularly liked the unexpected use of the adjective \u2018spiky\u2019, which opens up the mind to the evolution, not just of humans, but of plants, trees, every living thing.”
\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“An arid poem full of stark images. A great example of how to slip five words seamlessly into the fabric of the poem.”
\n

Michael Ray<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Automaton<\/strong> by Rosemary Norman<\/center><\/p>\n

“A significant element of a poem is its title. This one introduces the notion of a robot attempting to emulate the living. The strange syntax could conceivably have been generated by a computer. The poignant effect is to hint at a future when forests and birds no longer exist and have to be simulated.”
\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“So close to claiming first prize, this small tightly formed poem with its ingenious repetitions pulled me into the whirl and jerk of automata.”
\n

Michael Ray<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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\n <\/p>\n

\n
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<\/center>

6th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 3rd March 2019<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Bernadette McCarthy and Matthew Geden<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Monolith<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Mary Anne Smith<\/span><\/strong> (England) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Idea of Snow<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> by Jenny Pollack<\/strong> (Australia) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My grandmother goes
\nto the temple<\/em><\/td>\n		 by <\/span> Sophia Li<\/strong> (USA) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Lyric Impulse<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Steve Xerri<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Omens<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Joan Gooding <\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detachment<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Geraldine McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peckham Flaneur<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Giles Constable<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La Llorona \/
\nWeeping Woman<\/em><\/td>\n		 by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What you woke to<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Steve Xerri<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Karst Landscape<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Gillian Laker<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vardo<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jill Munro<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nexus<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comments from Bernadette McCarthy<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Monolith<\/strong> by Mary Anne Smith<\/center><\/p>\n

“No prior knowledge of the monument described is necessary to enjoy this apotropaic poem, which is \u201cstonelike\u201d in its sparse form that sparingly employs end-rhyme and assonance to great effect. The short-line structure gives a sense of peering hard at the surface, or simultaneously peering up into the sky. It escapes being maudlin, like many memorial poems, by virtue of the sense of distance created between the sculptor\/mother and lost son. Nevertheless, the poem is an uplifting testament to the power of art to endow the seemingly absurd and uncontrollable events of life with meaning and context.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The Idea of Snow<\/strong> by Jenny Pollack<\/center><\/p>\n

“This poem drifts effortlessly from opulence to humour. Its onomatopoeic line structure and assonance build up a vivid idea of snow for the reader before being punctured by the epigraph. Each word is given its weight and the result is reminiscent of individual snowflakes.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

My grandmother goes to the temple<\/strong> by Sophia Li<\/center><\/p>\n

“The river-like pouring out of poetic prose, as a babbled prayer, comes full circle in the penultimate line before a bathetic finale. The use of matter-of-fact language and repetition accentuates the complex daily challenges of the grandmother and speaker\u2019s lives, giving way to a sensuality in the description of the material culture of prayer in which the grandmother allows herself to indulge.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The Lyric Impulse<\/strong> by Steve Xerri<\/center><\/p>\n

“This energetic and melodic poem almost reads as a translation of a Latin lyric into a rich vernacular, reinventing the classical legend of Orpheus\u2019s head floating downriver after he was ripped apart by female fans. En route down the rubbish-filled 21stcentury river, complete with houseboats, the head serves as a powerful image of a poet derailed, the ultimate bard no longer able to sing, speak or play despite finding in this worldly setting his greatest inspiration yet.”<\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/center>

5th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 7th March 2018<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Kathy D’Arcy and Rab Urquhart<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ptarmigan <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jill Munro<\/span><\/strong> (England) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Among Starlings <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Margaret McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Dream of my Dead Grandmother<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
in the Modern Art Museum <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disciplining the Modern Satyr <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Mary-Jane Holmes<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nothing To See<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Giles Constable <\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How We Are <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Ted O’Regan<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Writing for the \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Open-Mic <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jim Crickard<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Amber <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Ted O’Regan<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reindeer Moss <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Every Sunday Ever <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Kirsten Irving<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Centenary<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Ted O’Regan<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My Mother’s Birthplace<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Comments from Kathy D’Arcy and Rab Urquhart<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Ptarmigan<\/strong> by Jill Munro<\/center><\/p>\n

“There are beautiful musical lines in this piece, which weaves an odd, enchanting myth around the bird. A really well-crafted, memorable little fable.”
\n

Kathy D’Arcy<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“The poem weaves, both gently and robustly, the journey of adolecence through the
\nform of this colour-changing bird.”
\n

Rab Urquhart<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Among Starlings<\/strong> by Margaret McCarthy<\/center><\/p>\n

“Powerfully empathetic, this poem uses unusual language to convey the sense of loss felt by the cows. The opening line in particular is arresting, as is the evocation of lowing.”
\n

Kathy D’Arcy<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“Reading this poem I become Starling.”
\n

Rab Urquhart<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

A Dream of my Dead Grandmother in the Modern Art Museum<\/strong>
\nby Derek Sellen<\/center><\/p>\n

“Very unusual piece, which weaves the surreal poignancy of loss through a vivid cascade of images in a highly original way. The use of the bewildering array of images, some grotesque, some classical, seems to work in a really affecting way to interrogate the fractured thought processes of grief.”
\n

Kathy D’Arcy<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“This poem does what it says on the tin: It’s an extremely well made tin.”
\n

Rab Urquhart<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/center>

4th Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 5th March 2017<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Afric McGlinchey and John W. Sexton<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Identifications <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> John Baylis Post<\/span><\/strong> (Ireland) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Milk <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Siobhan Campbell<\/strong> (Ireland) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Safety<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (U.S.A.) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eve <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Siobhan Campbell<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LOVELOCKS<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jane Boxall <\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Only Connected <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Margaret McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Perspective <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Ted O’Regan<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
THE ZOMBIE-MAKER<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minor Deities <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A fickle god <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Margaret McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
STITCHES<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jane Boxall<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Buttonhole <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> John D. Kelly<\/strong> (Northern Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Comments from Afric McGlinchey and John W. Sexton<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Identifications<\/strong> by John Baylis Post<\/center>
\n“The poem itself is a cabinet of curiosities, and our eye is directed towards a myriad of stray details \u2013 but the emotional resonance is most powerfully felt with the introduction of the St Christopher and Lucy\u2019s name. Although the last line tells us: \u2018There\u2019s no label on Lucy\u2019s St Christopher. She has no story\u2019, the poet has given her one. An absolutely wonderful poem, and a worthy winner.”<\/p>\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“Memory and history are corruptible and therefore destined to be fragmentary and, eventually, almost enigmatic. Memory is the micro-history of the individual, and like the history of the wider community it sheds its ghosts to haunt whatever it has touched. This poem deftly examines these issues by way of the museum of the shoebox and the museum of the heart.”
\n

John W. Sexton<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Milk<\/strong> by Siobhan Campbell<\/center><\/p>\n

“Powerfully empathetic, this poem uses unusual language to convey the sense of loss felt by the cows. The opening line in particular is arresting, as is the evocation of lowing.”
\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“Here, language and concept almost graft the mind of the reader into the poem itself, until we are not simply reading, but experiencing the poem\u2019s narrative from the inside. A wonderful piece, and expertly done.”
\n

John W. Sexton<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The Safety<\/strong> by Tamara Miles<\/center><\/p>\n

“A rhythmic narrative, convincingly told. I particularly loved the line, \u2018why for love or other grown-up hobbies…\u2019 This is intense hero-worship, vividly remembered and evoked.”
\n

Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“This poem demonstrates a universal: how, in our overeager desire for friendship or kinship, we can sometimes damage any hope of it by neglecting the interests of those with which we seek a bond. In the final analysis, there\u2019s a self-judgement here that impinges on the reader and reflects back our own past complicities.”
\n

John W. Sexton<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/center>

3rd Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 28th February 2016<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Marie Coveney and Colm Scully<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Dancehall on the Summit of the Bloodiest Head of the Twenty Six Headed Giant <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> John W. Sexton<\/span><\/strong> (Ireland) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tuesday on a Fulcrum <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Beth Somerford<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commuter <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Janet Lees<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Night of the Nightjar <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Mary Anne Smith<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tribes <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Pam Szadowski <\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
An awful hush <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Jenny Pollack<\/strong> (Australia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chinese Zodiac:
\nYear of the Fire Monkey<\/em><\/td>\n		 by <\/span> Tamara Miles (formerly Gantt)<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
An unread novella in a
\ncharity shop<\/em><\/td>\n		 by <\/span> Janet Lees<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Igloo <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Shirley Bell<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ragwort <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Coin in the Soft Machine <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> John W.Sexton<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sky, an Open Window <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tamara Miles (formerly Gantt)<\/strong> (U.S.A.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\n 
\n

Comments from Marie Coveney and Colm Scully<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The Dancehall on the Summit of the Bloodiest
\nHead of the Twenty Six Headed Giant<\/strong>
\nby John W. Sexton<\/center><\/p>\n

“The Dancehall is a worthy winner, a chilling, surreal fairytale written with great skill. Its imagery will linger in your imagination long after reading.”
\n

Marie Coveney<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“The transformation of a giant\u2019s head into a dance floor for the passengers on a wandering airship is never abandoned throughout this fantastical poem. Its skilfully engaging storytelling style, coupled with a sophisticated use of prosodic tools provides us with a complete poetic experience.”
\n

Colm Scully<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Tuesday on a Fulcrum<\/strong> by Beth Somerford<\/center><\/p>\n

“An atmospheric poem that wonderfully captures a day in the life of a seaside town, where low light hovers over its slow-moving residents and only a gang of seagulls
\nbreak the torpid air.”
\n

Marie Coveney<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“Its formal construction and gentle cadence tells a day\u2019s story from a singular point of view. Looking down over the town of Hanover we are guided through that day\u2019s dreary but beautiful passing, aided by the poems finely balanced, delicate descriptiveness.”
\n

Colm Scully<\/center><\/font>
\n <\/p>\n

Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Commuter<\/strong> by Janet Lees<\/center><\/p>\n

“In \u2018Commuter\u2019 the rhythm pulses with urgency, that of the train and the hands tapping on a laptop, like, \u2018two panicky sand crabs far from shore.\u2019 ”
\n”
\n

Marie Coveney<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“As if we have engaged all our own inventions to somehow follow the unspecified human project, this poem reveals how modernity is not complex at all, only multiple versions of us “like panicky sand crabs – always digging for something.” The conceit of the commuter on the train is not original, but in this case is profoundly achieved.”
\n

Colm Scully<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n

<\/center>

2nd Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 1st March 2015<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
\n
\n

Judges<\/b>: Billy Ramsell and Jennifer Matthews<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Survivor <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/span><\/strong> (England) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sonnet in B Major <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Afric McGlinchey<\/strong> (Ireland) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Home Cooking <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Adannaya Igwe<\/strong> (UK) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saved <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Liz Smith<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Breakfast <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Sheena Blackhall <\/strong> (Scotland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
At the Hair Clinic <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Derek Sellen<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Snooze Button <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Margaret Mc Carthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Sectioning <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Bernadette McCarthy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I Coin a Line <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Mary Fahy<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Stereogram <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Anthony Scott<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Black Mountain Rebel <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tess Sheridan Adams<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
False North <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> John W. Sexton<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Comments from Billy Ramsell and Jennifer Matthews<\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

1st Place<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Survivor<\/strong> by Derek Sellen<\/center><\/p>\n

“‘Survivor’<\/b> is a worthy winner, a richly detailed vignette than transcends anecdote, gesturing toward the selfishness and irresponsibility of art and artists with a vivacity and colour worthy of Gauguin himself.”
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Billy Ramsell<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“Within this poem, a famous artist’s model is transformed from passive object into the subject of her own story. Not only is ‘Survivor’ well executed in craft, but it displays compassion and depth of inquiry necessary to lift a poem to the place where it will live actively in the reader’s imagination.”
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Jennifer Matthews<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

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Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Sonnet in B Major<\/strong> by Afric McGlinchey<\/center><\/p>\n

“‘Sonnet in B’<\/b> is a tricky, shifting kaleidoscope, its shape and significance altering with each reading. It works its spell by rhythm rather than narrative, its beguiling fragmentary phrases hinting toward truths that are never quite revealed. ”
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Billy Ramsell<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“This poem is bold, brash and brave! It operates outside the narrative tradition, making its own kind of logic that is utterly compelling. Once you reach the end, you’ll read it again and again to unlock its mysteries and stay a while longer in its lovely sense of play.”
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Jennifer Matthews<\/center><\/font>
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Highly Commended<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Home Cooking<\/strong> by Adannaya Igwe<\/center><\/p>\n

“Home Cooking’<\/b> is an almost unbearably moving account of loss and identity, of an old and ‘deep-rooted’ voice forsaken and recovered. ”
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Billy Ramsell<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

“There is nothing that evokes ‘home country’ for the ex-pat more than home cooking! Rich in detail, the reader’s taste buds are tantalised while the complexity of identity is considered. The voice in this piece is authentic and moving, letting the page express an experience which is difficult to put words to in everyday life. ”
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Jennifer Matthews<\/center><\/font><\/p>\n

For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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1st Five Words Competition<\/span> Results, announced 1st March 2014<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
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Judges<\/b>: Cal Doyle and Paul Casey<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Old Maps and Books <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Don Nixon <\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fado in a Lisbon Bar <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Don Nixon<\/span><\/strong> (England) winner<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gipsy Girl <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Eithne Reynolds<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Magician\u2019s Hat <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Linda Mills<\/strong> (USA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Matin\u00e9e Idol <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Richard Hawtree <\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Postcard<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Joy Howard<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A boy of six thousand parts <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Janet Lees<\/strong> (England) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Palimpsest<\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Janet Lees<\/strong> (England)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frozen moment <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Afric McGlinchey<\/strong> (Ireland) highly commended<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Life on Mars <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Colm Scully<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Choice <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> Tom Dredge<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
At the Banquet <\/em><\/td>\n by <\/span> M\u00e1ire Wren<\/strong> (Ireland)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


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For free access to the e-book version of this volume, click the book image cover below:<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

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Awards<\/span><\/strong>
\nby glass artist<\/span>
\nMichael Ray<\/a><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
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Inaugural competition winner Don Nixon (R.I.P. 2014), with glass artist (and poet) Michael Ray<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n
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\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 12th \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al Five Words International Poetry Competition   Full results are now available (scroll down) …  Congratulations to our 2025 competition winner: Lucie Pereira!  Competition Overview The 12th and final competition (2024\/5) ran for 42 weeks. Every Tuesday at 12pm (Irish time) for 41 weeks from April to Hanuary, five words were posted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2371","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2371"}],"version-history":[{"count":967,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21959,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2371\/revisions\/21959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}