2018 Poetry Competition
It gives us great pleasure to publish the names and poems of the winners of our 2018 The Sound of Water Poetry Competition:
Adult category:
Winner: Adriaan Havenga (Wat het met Ingrid Jonker gebeur)
Runner-up: Sue Woodward (Drop in the ocean) Highly commended: Catherina Koen (Stilte)
High School Category:
Winner: Kyle Morero (Like a glass of water)
Runner-up: Joshua Schiefner (Blood River) Highly commended: Jamie Davids (Water sound and unsound) Highly commended: Liyema Sigidi (Water works)
Adult category:
Winner:
Wat het met Ingrid Jonker gebeur?
Weerlig lig weer lig op die water
Onder die donder waar die donker lê
Diepgesonke die koggel
Druppeltjie klein is die word
Onbeholpe die roggel
Druppeltjie niks is die dood
Sinkermeisie lagbreek
Sinkermeisie kon
Onwrikbaar gerammel
Skommel en klak
Onskeibaar geskommel
See swel en sak
Verstik sy die water?
Verstik die water haar?
Adriaan Havenga
Runner-up:
drop in the ocean
as the taps run dry
we watch as our precious
jewels, raindrops
painstakingly collected
and coaxed
into the tank,
dribble into a bucket
until the last pearl
clinging to the rim of the tap
reluctant to launch,
like a bungee jumper
after countdown,
stretches and trembles
breaks through
the forces of cohesion
and splashes like a meteor
into the centre
of an ocean of pearls
Sue Woodward
Highly commended:
Stilte…
Die rooi duine lê ademloos
onder die hittenewels.
In die leegtes jag stofduiwels
sporadies die tolbosse voor hul uit.
Veraf die gebrom van die volstruis
wat stram stram proe aan die hofmaak se pas.
Ramkiesnare toets die pols,
helder voorskote flanker met die jonker, veer in die hoed.
Die voete trap, also, also,
windmaker al in die rondte, al wilder en wilder.
Die slag en die donder al nader en nader,
verswelg die klap klap van die askoek se trap.
Stof werwel onder die vlugtige voete uit
al draaiend, al swaaiend.
Die volstruis op sy knieё
dronk van die opwinding en die dans.
Die druppels slaan stof
en riel saam die oer ritme uit,
totdat uitgewoed en tevrede, die passie taan.
En voetspore dankbaar verdrink in die beloftes
van more se geel plate duwweltjies
en tsammas tussen males duineveld gras
Stilte….
Catharina Koen
High School Category:
Winner:
LIKE A GLASS OF WATER
Like a glass of water, I’m plain
Like a glass of water, I don’t stain
Like a glass of water, I have no taste
Like a glass of water, I have a reflected face
Like a glass of water, I quench your thirst
Like a dam, I am your source
Like a river, I deliver what you need
Like an ocean, I harbour life
Like a source of water, I will run out
An infinite source I am not
You will leave when I dry out
To find another
Kyle Marero
Runner-up:
BLOOD RIVER
Blood river
pumping through my vein
watering and nurturing every cell
removing waste
breathing
Blue river
flowing across the terrain
watering and nurturing every cell
removing waste
breathing
Poisoned river
stagnating in great pain
contaminating and starving every cell
creating waste
gasping
Joshua Schiefner
Highly commended:
WATER SOUND AND UNSOUND
The sound of water
rushing and gushing through taps,
like the slurping and gurgling
of a baby at its mother’s breast,
is life-giving music to me.
The sound of water
wild, fresh and free
flowing through the river beds
rolling in the sea,
like the sound of 10 000
cheering at the World Cup,
excites and exhilarates me.
The sound of water
contaminated and contained
is vulgar and violent,
like a mad man restrained
like a thousand mobster trucks,
hell-bent on destroying me.
The sound of water
withered, wasted…gone,
because of all we done wrong
is a deathly, sinister silence
like an anaconda
waiting to strike
Jamie Davids
Highly commended:
WATER WORKS
Nobody sees the mundane tasks I’m doing
Nobody cares how crucial I am to their well being
Monday to Sunday no break for me
I wake up early…cold as ice
turning, rushing, gushing, swirling
to the call of taps turning
…to fill baths to wash my masters clean
…to pour into kettles for a cuppa
and splosh into porridge to sustain them till suppa.
Buckets and buckets I have to fill
to wash clothes, floors and the window sill
And through the garden hose
I spurt and spray
their thirsty green lawn and haughty red rose
My essence made dirty and grey
through pollution and abuse
I am sacrificed to the alter
of a corporate culture
that uses profit as justification for my misuse
Liyema Sigidi
The finalists in this year’s Poetry Competition.
HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY:
BLOOD RIVER by Joshua Schiefner
LIKE A GLASS OF WATER by Kyle Marero
WATER SOUND AND UNSOUND by Jamie Davids
WATERWORKS by Liyema Sigidi
ADULT CATEGORY:
TODAY THE LAKE by Janine Milne
WATERREKENING by Mae Montgormery
Stillte by Catherina Koen
WEATHER AT HOME by Janine watermeyer
wat het met ingrid jonker gebeur by Adriaan Havenga
The 14 year drought by Su Nightingale
The Sound of water by Sergio Henry Ben
opgedra aan francois du toit by Elske Maxwell
drop in the ocean by Sue Woodward
my three year old son by Dimikatso Sedite
ingrid AND THE SEA by Blony Adams
MY BED FEELS m+ARKEDLY EMPTY by Mpumelelo Msomi
SEA STORY by Trayn Laing Cox
I AM MEMORY by David Gear
The theme of Poetry in McGregor Festival 2018, to be held over the weekend of August 24-26, is The Sound of Water. Water is unquestionably Earth’s most precious resource. Without it there would be no life, yet we over-use and abuse it, inflicting great suffering upon our waterways, seas and oceans. Poetry in McGregor Festival 2018 is seeking to raise awareness and gratitude for this ‘earth-blood’ and to inscribe a new set of water-values upon the human heart. We want to be reminded of the wonder of water.
Die tema van 2018 Digkuns in McGregor, wat gedurende die naweek 24 – 26 Augustus gehou sal word, is Die Klank van Water. Sonder enige twyfel is water die Aarde se kosbaarste hulpbron. Sonder water sou daar nie lewe wees nie; nogtans gebruik ons meer as wat ons nodig het an ons misbruik dit ook. Sodoende is ons die oorsaak van enorme lyding ten opsigte van waterweë, die see en oseane. Die doel dus van Digkuns in McGregor is om mense bewus te maak van, en dankbaar te wees vir, hierdie “aardsbloed”. Ons beoog om in die siel van die mens, ʼn nuwe stel waterwaardes, in te skryf. Ons wil aan die wonder van water herinner word.
Poetry Competition – Adult Category
We have pleasure in inviting you to submit up to three poems written on the theme of Water. There will be a First Prize of R5000; a Second Prize of R1000 and, if applicable, a Highly Commended Prize of R500.
Competition Guidelines: Entries are restricted to unpublished poems from adults who have not had any poems published as yet (school magazines and journals excluded). The poem must be the original work of the entrant submitting it. Poems must have a title and have a “Water” theme. The poems should be between 12 and 40 lines in length. The poems may be in English or Afrikaans. Full names must be provided plus date of birth and contact numbers. A maximum of three poems per poet may be entered. Entries must be submitted separately. The poems will be judged by a competent panel of experienced judges and their decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into at any stage of the competition. Entries must be typed and emailed to: mcgpoets@gmail.com / posted to PO Box 361, McGregor, 6708 / faxed to 086 756 0864 / delivered to the Temenos Office, corner Voortrekker and Bree Streets, McGregor.
Closing date: 31 May 2018. Finalists will be notified by 20 June 2018 and invited to attend the prize-giving ceremony to be held during the Poetry in McGregor Festival in McGregor which will take place from the 24 to 26 August 2018. The winners’ prizes will be awarded even if they are not able to attend the prize-giving ceremony and the winning poems may be included in the 2018 Poetry in McGregor Festival anthology. See www.poetryinmcgregor.co.za for details of previous winning entries.
Ons nooi graag die wat wil deelneem uit, om tot en met drie gedigte in te dien. Hulle moet oor die Water -tema handel.
Eerste prys –or is R5 000; Tweede Prys –or isR1 000; en indien van toepassing, ʼnprys van R500 vir Eervolle Vermelding.
Kompetisiereëls: Inskrywings van volwassenes moet net ongepubliseerde gedigte wees (skooltydskrifte en joernale uitgesluit). Die gedigte moet die oorspronklike werk van die inskrywer wees. Die gedigte moet ʼn titel hê en oor ʼn Water-tema handel. Die gedigte behoort tussen 12 en 40 reëls te wees. Hulle kan òf in Engels òf in Afrikaans geskryf word. Inskrywers moet hul volle naam, geboortedatum en kontaknommers verskaf. Die digter kan ʼn maksimum van drie gedigte indien. Inskrywings moet afsonderlik ingehandig word. Die gedigte sal deur ʼn bekwame keurkomitee beoordeel word, en hulle besluit is finaal. Tydens die kompetisie sal geen korrespondensie toelaatbaar wees nie. Inskrywings moet getik word en of deur epos aan: mcgpoets@gmail.com gestuur word; of aan Posbus 361, McGregor, 6708 gepos word; of aan 086 756 0864 gefaks word; of afgelewer by die Temenoskantoor, hoek van Voortrekker en Breestrate, McGregor.
Sluitingsdatum: 31 Mei 2018. Die finaliste sal teen 20 Junie 2018 in kennis gestel word, en hulle sal dan genooi word om die Prysuitdelingseremonie by te woon wat tydens die Digkunsfees in McGregor gehou sal word vanaf 24 – 26 Augustus 2018. Die wenners se pryse sal toegeken word al sou hulle nie die Prysuitdelingseremonie kan bywoon nie en die bekroonde gedigte sal in die 2018 Digfunsfees in McGregor Versameling ingesluit word. Vir verdere inligting omtrent bekroonde inskrywings: www.poetryinmcgregor.co.za
Poetry Competition – High School Category
We have pleasure in inviting you to submit up to two poems written on the theme of Water. There will be a First Prize of R2500; a Second Prize of R1000 and, if applicable, a Highly Commended Prize of R500.
Competition Guidelines: Entries will be accepted from students enrolled at High School in 2018. Entries are restricted to unpublished poems from students who have not had any poems published as yet (school magazines and journals excluded). The poem must be the original work of the entrant submitting it. Poems must have a title and have a “Water” theme. The poems should be between 12 and 40 lines in length. The poems may be in English or Afrikaans. Full names must be provided plus date of birth and contact numbers. A maximum of two poems per student may be entered. Entries must be submitted separately. The poems will be judged by a competent panel of experienced judges and their decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into at any stage of the competition. Entries must be typed and emailed to: mcgpoets@gmail.com / posted to PO Box 361, McGregor, 6708 / faxed to 086 756 0864 / delivered to the Temenos Office, corner Voortrekker and Bree Streets, McGregor.
Closing date: 31 May 2018. Finalists will be notified by 20 June 2018 and invited to attend the prize-giving ceremony to be held during the Poetry in McGregor Festival in McGregor which takes place from the 24 to 26 August 2018. The winners’ prizes will be awarded even if they are not able to attend the prize-giving ceremony and the winning poems may be included in the 2018 Poetry in McGregor Festival anthology. See www.poetryinmcgregor.co.za for details of previous winning entries.
Digkunskompetisie – Hoërskool kategorie
Ons nooi graag die wat wil deelneem uit, om tot en met twee gedigte in te dien. Hulle moet oor die Water -tema handel. Eerste prys- R2 500; Tweede Prys – R1 000; en indien van toepassing, ʼn prys van R500 vir Eervolle Vermelding.
Kompetisiereëls: Inskrywings sal net van studente wat nou (2018) in hoërskool gerigistreer is, aanvaar word. Inskrywings van studente moet net ongepubliseerde gedigte wees (skooltydskrifte en joernale uitgesluit). Die gedigte wat ingedien word, moet die oorspronklike werk van die student wees. Die gedigte moet ʼn titel hê asook ʼn Water-tema. Die gedigte behoort tussen 12 en 40 reëls wees. Hulle kan òf in Engels òf Afrikaans geskryf word. ʼn Maksimum van twee gedigte per student mag ingeskryf word. Inskrywings moet afsonderlik ingedien word. Die gedigte sal deur ʼn bekwame keurkomitee beoordeel word, en hulle besluit is finaal. Tydens die kompetisie sal geen korrespondensie toelaatbaar wees nie. Inskrywings moet getik word en of deur epos aan: mcgpoets@gmail.com gestuur word; of aan Posbus 361, McGregor, 6708 gepos word; of aan 086 756 0864 gefaks word; of afgelewer by die Temenoskantoor, hoek van Voortrekker en Breestrate, McGregor.
Sluitingsdatum: 31 Mei 2018. Die finaliste sal teen 20 Junie 2018 in kennis gestel word, en hulle sal dan genooi word om die Prysuitdelingseremonie by te woon wat tydens die Digkunsfees in McGregor gehou sal word vanaf 24 – 26 Augustus 2018. Die wenners se pryse sal toegeken word al sou hulle nie die Prysuitdelingseremonie kan bywoon nie en die bekroonde gedigte sal in die 2018 Digfunsfees in McGregor Versameling ingesluit word. Vir verdure inligting omtrent bekroonde inskrywings: www.poetryinmcgregor.co.za
In Gratitude From Poetry In McGregor
