pre dawn dark fox
disturbs the thin skin
of frost

Iced Grasses

frost
white washed woods
diluted vague pale

Photo Iced Grasses by sbisson

Rain Richmond Park

twilight woods
pierced with rain
the cries of birds

Photo Richmond Park by Pixelhut

T S Eliot Poetry Prize 2009

We were at The Queen Elizabeth Hall last night, to hear the ten shortlisted poets for the T S Eliot Poetry Prize 2009 read a selection of their poems. It was a really great evening where the poetry world - or at least the one that has London at its centre all came together.

We bought the books of the poets we thought had a good chance of winning and who we really liked. We chatted to them and wished them all the best for the announcement that was given today at 7.30.

We were really pleased that Philip Gross won. Katy built and manages his website and I've met him at The Troubadour in Earls Court where he read last year.

Another poet we thought was really good was Jane Draycott. I was invited to hear her read last summer at a club in Hampstead Heath along with other members of The Poetry Workshop. Hugh - my colleague and friend at Richmond College - is also a member of the workshop.

Katy also met up with an old colleague who was also shortlisted for the prize. Christopher Reid was poetry editor at Faber and Faber when Katy worked there. And since T S Eliot was one of the founding directors of the publisher, that rather neatly brings us full circle back to the T S Eliot Poetry Prize.

Anyway enough of this.

in blue twilight
the sound of water falling
into gutters

Slow thaw

in the park
the grey remains of snowmen
slowly dissolving

roads choked with snow-
dissolves dirt grey
under exhaust fumes

Richmond Park

fields sown with snow
now a harvest of ice

Photo Richmond Park by BillKatyGemma

London Winter Dawn

London dawn
shrouded in a gauze
of mist - pierced
with red reflected light
from high city windows

Winter Dawn

snow covered
branches shining amber
in dawn light

Photo Winter Dawn at Granchester by mushi_king

Snow Woods

alone in the dark woods
the snow swallows our footsteps
and laughter

Photo The Snowy Evening by Storm Crypt

White Tree

frosted winter trees
a fragile white blossom

Photo White Tree by Jos van Wunnik

Morning Frost

the clear night conjures
iced white washed fields

Photo Morning Frost by Odalaigh

12.30 am New Year's Walk

i

under a blue moon
we walk a milk white path
beside the river

ii

moon swollen river
swallows field, footpath and
crust of blue frost

Photo River Flit by Moonlight by ellyukrm