Poetry and Creative Writing for All

The Top 5 Poems of the Month

June 2003

Our winning poet for June is John G Hall.
Read John G Hall's biography and more of his poems

Since She Turned Remote

She used to come to me
and turn the control
till silence was gone.
But now she keeps a
comfortable distance.
I hardly feel the brush
of fingers, merely
the thick coats
of desire's dust
and the occasional
kicks of hope, now
my only pleasure
the sweet revenge
of fuzzy pictures
and missed episodes,
her faults my only solace
since she turned remote.

John G Hall

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Here are the other four poems chosen by our imprint editors as winning poems for June. All other poems submitted for the Top 5 Poems of the Month for June are being considered for various anthologies.

Myself

I search for my identity,
In a swirling mist of colours.
Torn between who I should be,
and who I desire to become.
Surrounded by faces.
All calling out in my direction,
but all with a single inaudible tongue
Should I take their future?
Or should I mould my own
Shape myself into who I desire to be
And not who others have created.

Catherine Prince

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Ever Present

Ever present, existing close, undiscovered. Our worlds separated by footsteps. Not close enough to touch, smell, taste, make knowledgeable, until now. Many times our path's must have crossed, gone undetected. How could I have missed the scent of you, breezing past me arousing all my senses, How did the serene azure of your eyes not capture my gaze, and the enchanting way you smile not make my heart quicken, the way it does now. Timing, chance and circumstance are of the essence. A combination that collided that night, like our souls, an unforeseen discovery. Treasure, precious and rare.

Charli Rose Harvey

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Why…

When this era of confusion comes to an end, 
when the clouds of uncertainty clear off, 
and the drums of fear stop rumbling 
in the lonely hills of the souls of my people, 
when the sweet flavour of their hard earned independence 
is restored to their parched lips, 
and their sons and daughters make their way home 
from the foreign lands in which they have sought refuge, 
I will take a break…

I will take a break and begin to travel; 
to journey deep into the rotting gullies of my motherland's troubled soul; 
to swim frantically in the rivers of her dashed hopes, 
to weave my way desperately in the forests of her entangled aspirations; 
to climb perilously in the dizzy heights of her shattered dreams, 
her crushed ambitions and her weary spirit…

I will take a break, and begin to question the order of the things in my motherland; 
to ask why and where this great nation went wrong, 
why and how so great a people; such great a nation, 
could find herself on her knees, so quickly, so much; 
why the world can afford to stand by and watch, 
why so many young, vibrant and active young people are scattered all over the world, 
depriving their country of all its productive lives… 

I will sit down and wait for the answers, 
and the answers must surely come, 
for I will forever ask the question, 
Why…

Thamsanqa Ncube

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Extremism

Our world, so sad, overflowing with pain
Exposing two faces, both mad and insane 
Strong who run roughshod then bury the weak
Unlucky survive too fragile to speak,
An earth that exhibits all the extremes,
Poor being milked whilst the riches wealth creams 
Some die of thirst whilst some others will drown
Racism fighting, why aren't we all brown?
Hate attacks love to revenge an old score
Disruption of peace when greed dictates war
Speeches that sway inarticulate word
Punishing those who disruption have stirred
Where has the middle ground disappeared to
What's wrong with peace living next door to you?

John Peverill

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To submit a poem to the online competition email
inbox@forwardpress.co.uk
Please include Top 5 Poems in the subject line of your email.