Yeovil Literary Prize
2008

Final Judging - Poetry Category
Title: The Foster Child's Bedroom
Reference: 10/EC02191/C001575/Z015
Decision:

  
  
Comments:

 

      

The Foster Boys Bedroom

emptied the drawers    emptied the chest of its drawers    emptied
the room of the chest    unhung the rattling hangers    hubbard and cupboard

and bare to the bone:   alien  airplane  bear     dice  dog  farmyard games 
model  remote         shinpad  soldier  track       tyrannosaurus   xylophone
all  untoyboxed.  picture hooks  holding up rectangles of clean paint   

which he cannot deface   the coloured crayons have all gone along
with the paper and scissors and  cords for the blinds dark from now on 

so he can curl up in his at least heҒs safe place       she is on the other side -
 the side with the handle  listening with a lightbulb in her at least i֒m safe place
(the gnawing is coming from inside,  the sobbing, the rocking are inside)

and safe could be floating, leaning back on the wind and not falling,
asleep and sweet dreaming, held in the palm of a hand and not shrinking,

or so she imagined once when she offered her home and thought sticks
and stones could not hurt   things shattered could be mended   boys broken fixed