Dix Poetry Prize Winner, 2009

Congratulations to Fiona Boyd (V form), who is the 2009 winner of the Peter Dix Memorial Prize for Poetry (she also shared the prize last year). Over the coming days we'll be posting poetry by Fiona and other entrants. This is a real week for poetry, with Louise Callaghan visiting us for workshops (see today's other post for a podcast interview with her), and the Voices of Poetry evening on Sunday.

The first piece is a mirror poem, like Julia Copus's 'The Back Seat of My Mother's Car', this week's Poem of the Week (our 52nd).


Christmas Reflexive, by Fiona Boyd

today, just for a window width's glance
i felt Christmas again
that deep childhood feeling stirred
somewhere near my heart, where emotions live

as we drove past the church with its ringing bells
and the giggling children
i turned to my father
i was angry
not so much with him, as with anything

i tried not to cry
the whole way home.

the whole way home
i tried not to cry.

not so much with him, as with anything
i was angry.
i turned to my father
and the giggling children
as we drove past the church with its ringing bells

somewhere near my heart where emotions live
that deep childhood feeling stirred.
i felt Christmas again
today, just for a window width's glance