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Barbara Stewart at work in her study

Pearl Davis wrote a winning poem inspired by her grandaughter

Claire Boylan winner of Inspirations

Poetic pulse pays £1,000 dividend for Barbara

United Press linked up with major lifestyle magazine Yours to offer a free poetry competition with a £1,000 first prize.
The competition was widely publicised in the magazine over several weeks - giving members of the public the opportunity to submit a poem to Yours. The £1,000 went to Barbara Stewart of the New Forest for her poem Life-Pulse.
“I’m completely thrilled to be the winner of a national poetry competition. I still can’t believe it. I only write poetry for my own amusement and this success came as a real shock,” explained Barbara. “Not many of my friends know that I write poetry so they were really suprised. My daughter is over the moon. She is more delighted about this than me and has told everyone. She’s so proud of me.”
“I have had some poetry published by United Press but I just entered the competition on a whim,” Barbara said. “I don’t ever win anything, so I was really stunned when I got a phone call saying my poem had won.”
Barbara’s winning poem reflects her musical upbringing. United Press managing director Peter Quinn said: “I picked Barbara’s poem because of its really effective linkage of poetry and music. Her use of musical imagery was very striking.” Barbara said she would be putting the money towards a trip to the USA.
United Press is currently running two other free to enter poetry competitions with a £1,000 first prize. If you are an aspiring new poet, here is your chance for success.

LIFE-PULSE

Music is the pulse of life,
Each quiet or dramatic moment.
The cacophony of strife,
Sweet friendship’s melodic descant.
The drumbeat thrill of that first kiss.
The lullaby softness of a lover’s sigh.
Duetted closeness of wedded bliss,
A mother’s heart-song at babe’s first cry.
When baptism’s beautiful hymn of joy is sung,
That glorious spiritual of a missionary call.
The shining air of a job well done,
Makes the Devil’s dirge matter not at all.
The majestic anthem of a stately oak,
Morning sun’s prelude to a bright new day.
Starlight symphony sparkling on a velvet cloak,
Sunset’s blushing nocturne ending the play.
Into the grand finale with adagio grace,
Life’s concerto completes its time on earth,
Heavenly choirs will sing in that celestial place,
As the Lord’s love enfolds in all its glorious worth.

Barbara Stewart

Pearl of wisdom wins top prize

Ann Hathaway may have been the inspiration for a lot of Shakespeare’s work but it was another Hathaway who became the inspiration for a prizewinning poem by Pearl Davis.
Pearl was winner of the Poems for Children competition run by United Press. “My poem was inspired by my seven-year-old grandaughter, Hathaway,” explained Pearl, who lives in Maidstone.Pearl (60), is a retired primary schoolteacher.
“I’ve been writing poetry for many years and have had a lot of my work published, but this is the first competition I’ve ever won,” said Pearl, who collected the £100 winner’s cheque in this free-to-enter competition.
There were over 2,000 entries for the competition which was run nationally across the UK by United Press.
“Pearl’s is a very genuine, touching and clever poem,” said the man who judged the competition, Peter Quinn, Managing Director of United Press. Pearl, who retired from work early due to rheumatoid arthritis, has one son and three stepchildren.

HOME

Home for me, sang the bird, is the branch of a tree.
For me, said the worm, it is beneath the turf.
Mine, said the rabbit, is a burrow under the earth.
For me, snorted the camel, it is a desert hot and dry.
And arctic snow is mine, rumbled the polar bear.
My home, growled tiger, is the jungle wild.
And mine, howled the wolf, a mountain lair.
My home, snuffled badger, is the forest glade.
And mine, roared the lion, is a rock hewn den.
For me, screeched eagle, it is the eyrie I’ve made.
And ours, clucked the chickens, is a wire made pen.
But my home, smiled the child, no matter where it be,
Is the place where I am loved, just for being me.

Pearl Davis, Maidstone.

Claire can't keep her secret any longer

Keep it quiet - but Coventry girl Claire Boylan has been exposed - as a poet.
During the daytime, Claire (21) is a mild mannered audio typist. But outside the office she puts her keyboard to a totally different use.
She never tells people she has a secret passion for writing poetry. But now she's going to have to admit to her hidden talent - because she's won a national competition and a £100 first prize.
"I never tell people that I write poetry," said a very modest Claire, who had her first poem published at nine and has had over 20 published in books since then.
She has now won the £100 prize in a free competition run by United Press, which will publish the poem in a forthcoming book.
"In her poem, Claire ruminates on exactly why people write poetry," explained United Press director Peter Quinn. "We had over 4,000 entries for this free competition but we felt that Claire's poem best reflected the theme of Inspirations."

WHY?