The Poetry Cafe Eastbourne celebrated poetry in style at the Grove Theatre this year. We had a fine line up of glorious words opened by the one and only Peter Wathen, followed with recitals by our competition winners: under 18s to start, and fast on their heels were the over 18s winners.
Many thanks to Phil Vernon and Mara Bergman who accepted the invitation to judge our entries this year. All of the entries can be found here on our website.
Our guest poet, Phil Vernon, kicked off our second half and our wonderful host of poets from our community swept in to finish with some extraordinary poetry all on this year's theme of Counting. A fabulous night, indeed.
Our under18s winners were there to collect their certificates but were too shy and nervous to read their poems to the audience, but their words, read by Pam Knapp, were touching, reflective and crossed the generational divide to touch the hearts of those of us whose teenage years are a way behind us.
Erica Franca couldn't make the event but both her poem and Lily Houghton's dealt with sibling relationships and Lily's words: 'But I know that we’ll always meet – In the space between.' plucked at heart strings. Fin Toner's 'Exile' showed remarkable understanding for those on society's fringes with, 'But loneliness is the worst pain of all
It’s the pain in your heart that no doctor can heal '
Our over 18s winners were equally evocative with Di Hills' beautiful 'Countdown to Life' reminding us of the precariousness as well as the wonder of new life, and Keith Willson's 'Seconds Count' gave us a little humour and then followed through by packing a punch, warning of the consequence of inaction - both available on our You Tube channel and on our Instagram Reels. Kevin Scully couldn't make the event but Phil ably recited Kevin's entry - 'The Counting of Sheep' where Kevin explored identity through an amazing knowledge of sheepherding. All three poems truly worthy winners.
Phil Vernon, as our featured poet of the evening, gave a stirring set with much to think about, his inspiration often taken from his experiences overseas, working in peace building and development. Ancient and modern events merged into a profound set that gave pause for thought on those big 'Why?' questions.
Who would have known that counting had such a wide spanning response from our poets?
Perhaps the most warming part of the evening was the fact that many people stayed to chat socially after the event: reflections on the evening, the poets and the poetry showcased, catch-ups and community. Long may that be the case.
Congratulations to all who took part in our National Poetry Day events. We look forward to seeing you at our regular open Mics at The Frontier Bar. Next meeting is on the 8th October. See you there.
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