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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2022: High wind
by Fokkina McDonnell
I spent the winter 21/22 in Scheveningen, the seaside part of The Hague, right by the beach. The weather conditions were the inspiration and the contrast between what was happening to Canada geese and storks.
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2022: High wind
Counting the days of high wind.
Dudley, Eunice, Franklin.
They’ve taken down the eight flags
opposite at the Badhotel.
My studio is on the lee side
of the building. I have provisions.
Friday, 2pm, the trains stopped
running, the risk of falling trees.
Rain and sand coat my windows.
Nothing but trouble comes to mind.
I keep losing at Mah-jong, on TV
a vet talks about Canada geese dying,
it’s neurological. Call us, don’t touch.
And the railway company doesn’t know
how to stop storks building nests
by the high voltage power lines.
A special thank you to our WordView 2021 poets.
Chair of the Judging Panel, Joelle Taylor, says: "We were thrilled by the range and scope of the poetry and techniques explored throughout the wide submissions. I have said before that to write a poem is an act of resistance but to then perform it as well is a revolution. It takes a bravery to face the page, and a further one to stand by your words. While we’ve all become more used to filming ourselves over the pandemic, all of us were deeply aware of that courage.
Often when on a judging panel we find ourselves faced with impossible decisions. If you can imagine, after sifting, it’s as though a hundred people have crossed the finish line at precisely the same moment but there are only three medals. How do we come to these decisions? Through the objective unpicking of the poems, through our individual passions, through a consideration of narratives, especially those lesser heard. We come to it through uneasy negotiation and through heart, and above all through our shared love and understanding of the possibilities of poetry.
Our honest applause goes to all who submitted, and I hope you can hear it.
Congratulations to those we selected. We hope to see you all again soon."
See the collectionWatch the full Wordview 2022 playlist