THANK YOU!

This post is really just to say a massive "Thank You" to the people who have helped me with my writing over the past couple of years, the people who have encouraged me to write, introduced me to different techniques, given such useful constructive criticism; the people who have picked me up and dusted me off when I've been down and who have celebrated with me when I've had successes. When I retired from lecturing I didn't find the transition from academic to creative writing easy and I'm so grateful for all the advice and support I've been given. In particular Rona Laycock's classes at the New Brewery Arts Centre in Cirencester were fantasic for me and lately the sessions I've been attending with the poet Jennie Farley have moved me forward a great deal.

What has made me especially aware just now of all the help I've been given has been the news that, in addition to winning this year's Onward Short Story Competition, I've also won the Onward Poetry Competition - I'm still recovering from the shock! But I know that so much of the credit goes to Rona, Jennie, my Ty Newydd tutors of the past two years (Lavinia Greenlaw, Paul Dodgson, Victoria Field, Nigel Jenkins, Paul Henry, Tom Bullough) and others I've been fortunate enough to do occasional workshops with. To all of you - a huge "THANK YOU!"

This is the poem with which I was fortunate enough to win.

An Autistic Child

Fluent at six

You read as if

By instinct,

Concentrating

For hours,

Cocooned within

Your world

Of words.

“A gifted child”

They said.

But to spread

Your wings,

To interact,

You must read

Between the lines,

Decode the syntax

Of expression

Interpret posture,

Gesture, space,

Leaf through the pages

Of the human face.

Not yours

The gift that

Makes for

Easy friendship,

Give and take,

Acceptance by

The crowd.

Such literacy

A mystery to you –

A lesson

To be learned

Piecemeal

Over years.

Easier by far

The comfort of your books.

 (Copyright Gill Garrett 2013)