Now and Then

I really enjoyed participating in this year's Bangor Poetry competition. It was great to take part in it - from developing the first draft of each poem, reworking and editing then submitting them, to waiting to hear if I'd been shortlisted or rejected and dealing with the mixed emotions of the process.

Then to decide how to present each poem as an eye-catching piece of art to hang in the gallery- a very new experience for me. Choosing the frame and medium, colour and textures and deciding what details to include were part of the challenge.

The next part was viewing all the poems on the launch night and being awestruck by the talent of our local writers and the crowd who showed up to view them. Then the votes were cast and the winners announced, prizes and certificates distributed. For me, the highlight was tonight - meeting the lady who liked one of my poems so much she bought it to hang on her wall.

All part of the experience of my writing journey.