Poems to Share competition winners

Poems to Share ll, created by Red Room Poetry in partnership with the AATE, follows Poems to Share I (2010) and features new poems and activities. Poems to Share II was launched at the AATE/ALEA National Conference (July 2018).

At the launch, Red Room Poetic Learning Manager Kirli Saunders ran Poetry Object workshops for teachers. The teachers then submitted them to a competition to win a copy of Poems to Share II. Congratulations Jane and Paul - read their poems below.

Learn more about Poems to Share II

Milking time

by Jane Darrou

Udder heavy and bulging, fat with milk,
She tap-dances a little from a slosh of icey water.
I rub and rinse her pebbly warts and velvet teats.
Like water-filled rubber glove fingers,
I squeeze and pull them taut.
Ivory, blood-warm streams spurt and pool in the tin bucket.

Signet

by Paul Bradley, Reynella East College, SA

After the funeral, in Nanna’s living room
The box was small and green.
Inside, worn smooth by the same work
That had roughened and callused his hands.
It sat loose on my finger,
But strangled me nonetheless.
It was too big for my hand,
Too big for me.
Too big to wear. Too much.
So small and light, but too heavy.
It would have to wait
Until I grew into it.