By KATH GANNAWAY
A TOOLANGI tongue-twister and a poem that brought the Songs of a Sentimental Bloke in to the politically correct language of the modern day were among poems received from around Australia for the 2013 C J Dennis Poetry Competition.
The competition winners were announced as part of the Toolangi Poetry Festival held at Arden – The Singing Gardens of C J Dennis in Toolangi on 26 and 27 October.
Ted Egan and C J Dennis Society patron, legendary Northern Territory story teller and singer Ted Egan was a special guest at the presentation, reading some of the winning poems.
Paying tribute to the society organisers he said they were doing a great service in keeping the poetry of Dennis alive.
“He is one of few Australian poets who can put the adjective ‘unique’ in front of his name,” he said.
Many of the winning poets were present and read their poems with Will Moody taking out the Adult Open Awards with Rafting on the River in the Spring, and the Australian Politics Open Themed category with Un-a-Bridged.
Other winners were Grandad’s Smile by Grahame Watt in Adults Writing for Children, Ella Jenkins with The First Day of Summer in Poems by Students in Primary School and Leonardo Bamford from Upper Yarra who received a highly commended with Into the Darkness.
The judges told Leonardo that his poem was of a very high quality and would certainly have been in the very top, but was, sadly, the only entry in the Poems by Students in Secondary School.
Festival organiser Jan Williams said there were 126 poems entered this year.
“I am filled with awe and gratitude that so many fantastic poems arrive on my desk,” she said.
