Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025 Winning Poem
Blue Wood Rosie Jackson
At first I think it’s a tree, a blue tree, walking towards me
in the midst of my dark wood, the branches full of leaves and buds,
small creatures taking refuge there: squirrels running up and down,
Creeping ivy, tangled garlands of speedwell, cornflower, thistle.
Then I see the boughs are a woman’s arms, inked with blue –
Bethlehem mosque blue – full of dunnock, blackbirds, robin, tit,
so much dawn chorus. A heart with wings reminds me we also
are upheld, we also fly. And she, my saviour of the strong arms,
lifts me, shifts the blocks around me, her merciful hands raise me
from the grave. I lean against her sinewy strength, dream of being
transported into the limbs of her, to be one of those swallows –
African blue – swooping down from her shoulder, feeding
on the wing. Her ponytail swings from side to side as she works,
teaches me how to breathe to lessen the pain, and no, she says,
putting on these sleeves of tattoos – denim blue, indigo blue –
Didn’t hurt at all by comparison: little ant bites, scratches, pin pricks.
I promise myself, then, when I’m further back from death,
an elongated eight, magical number eight, enduring eight
of never-ending resilience, this same sign of infinity – perfect
mother-of-God blue – that sits inside her Herculean wrist.
Marion Oxley - Sole adjudicator 2025 Comments
Blue Wood – Rosie Jackson
This poem intrigued me from the word go, with its mysterious title, its attention to detail, the naming of creatures, birds, plants but particularly the significance of the naming of the tattoos’ ink colour, ‘Bethlehem mosque blue’. A poem that starts with the questioning of appearances. The seemingly misread image of a woman as a tree that develops into symbolically much more. This is a poem where the poet has made sure that every word absolutely counts. It’s a skilfully executed complex poem that for me explores important themes, nature, feminism, war; perhaps psychological, ‘shifts the blocks around me’ as well as physical. Resilience in the face of ongoing adversity. A many layered poem open to personal interpretation. Its complexity belies its ability to open up space for the readers’ imagination. A poem that feels much longer than the ten couplets. A beautifully paced, quiet poem that carries an awful lot of weight with grace.
Marion Oxley
This poem intrigued me from the word go, with its mysterious title, its attention to detail, the naming of creatures, birds, plants but particularly the significance of the naming of the tattoos’ ink colour, ‘Bethlehem mosque blue’. A poem that starts with the questioning of appearances. The seemingly misread image of a woman as a tree that develops into symbolically much more. This is a poem where the poet has made sure that every word absolutely counts. It’s a skilfully executed complex poem that for me explores important themes, nature, feminism, war; perhaps psychological, ‘shifts the blocks around me’ as well as physical. Resilience in the face of ongoing adversity. A many layered poem open to personal interpretation. Its complexity belies its ability to open up space for the readers’ imagination. A poem that feels much longer than the ten couplets. A beautifully paced, quiet poem that carries an awful lot of weight with grace.
Marion Oxley
Sunday 4th May, 2025
Dear Poet,
Thank you for your entry to this year’s Red Shed Poetry Competition. The results follow, and congratulations if your name is included on the list. If your name doesn’t appear on the list, please don’t be too disappointed as we received just over 400 poems this year and our judge, Marion Oxley said that the standard was extremely high. Her comments will be published on the Currock Press website shortly and of course she will appear in person at the Red Shed Poetry competition awards event on Sunday 25th May at Mocca Moocho café, Wakefield, an event to which you are all welcome to attend.
John Clarke
Poetry Competition organiser
The Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025 Results
Winner
Blue Wood - Rosie Jackson
Second place
Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental – Tallulah Howarth
Highly Commended
The British Council of Colour Standards, 2nd Edition 1951 – Alison Carter
The Chiropractor – Rosie Jackson
Archie – Alison Carter
Cherry Boys – Austin Crowley
Wakefield Postcode shortlist
A Note to Sujata Bhatt – Deborah Robinson
Reclaimed – Lisa Falshaw
Canal Birds – Tim Brookes
Clearspace-1, Domestic – Jo Brandon
Holding the story – Deborah Robinson
Cat Ice – Tim Brookes
Sunday 4th May, 2025
Dear Poet,
Thank you for your entry to this year’s Red Shed Poetry Competition. The results follow, and congratulations if your name is included on the list. If your name doesn’t appear on the list, please don’t be too disappointed as we received just over 400 poems this year and our judge, Marion Oxley said that the standard was extremely high. Her comments will be published on the Currock Press website shortly and of course she will appear in person at the Red Shed Poetry competition awards event on Sunday 25th May at Mocca Moocho café, Wakefield, an event to which you are all welcome to attend.
John Clarke
Poetry Competition organiser
The Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025 Results
Winner
Blue Wood - Rosie Jackson
Second place
Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental – Tallulah Howarth
Highly Commended
The British Council of Colour Standards, 2nd Edition 1951 – Alison Carter
The Chiropractor – Rosie Jackson
Archie – Alison Carter
Cherry Boys – Austin Crowley
Wakefield Postcode shortlist
A Note to Sujata Bhatt – Deborah Robinson
Reclaimed – Lisa Falshaw
Canal Birds – Tim Brookes
Clearspace-1, Domestic – Jo Brandon
Holding the story – Deborah Robinson
Cat Ice – Tim Brookes
Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025
Generously sponsored by Mocca Moocho café, Cross Square, Wakefield
Sole adjudicator: Marion Oxley
Closing date: Friday 28th March, 2025
Prizes: 1st— £100 2nd—£50
Short listed poems - £20
Wakefield Postcode prize—£25
Entry fee: £3 for the first poem, £2 for subsequent poems.
Rules for EntryRULES FOR ENTRY: Please read and observe these rules carefully
· Entries must be accompanied by an appropriate entry fee: £3 for first entry, £2 for each poem subsequently entered.
Cheques (sterling only) must be made payable to Currock Press.
Postal entries should be sent to:
The Competition Organiser,
The Red Shed Open Poetry Competition,
3 Sandal Cliff,
Sandal,
Wakefield.
WF2 6AU
Please complete a cover sheet for your postal entries which includes titles of poems and your contact details. The one below can be
copied and pasted for that purpose.
Online entries
· Please follow the directions below very carefully:
We also accept poems via email. (Small surcharge. Sorry.) Such entries should have their PayPal payment number marked
clearly in the body of an email which also includes the poet's contact details and a list of titles of the entered poems.
The poems themselves should be on separate pages in one attachment. No identifying details on the poems
please.
So, in summary, one email with all details in the body of that email. One single attachment with all entered poems on separate sheets within that attachment.
Email entries to:
[email protected]
PayPal button available further down this page. Please choose the appropriate button.
· Entries eligible for the Wakefield postcode prize should be marked with a W in the top right-hand corner.
· We regret that we are unable to return poems or enter into any correspondence with entrants.
· The adjudicator’s decision is final.
· The closing date is Friday 28th March, 2025.
· Once again, we hope to hold a presentation event in Mocca Moocho cafe towards the end of May. Details to be confirmed.
· Copyright remains with the authors but Red Shed Readings reserves the right to print winning and highly commended poems.
Find out what Marion is looking for here.
Entries
First poem £3.50 GBP Two poems £5.50 GBP Three poems £7.50 GBP Four poems £9.50 GBP Five poems £12.00 GBP
Financial Assistance
Once again, thanks to a generous sponsor, we are able to offer six free, two-poem entries. i.e. six x £5 entries for anyone who feels that without such support they would not be able to take part in the competition. Anyone hoping to take advantage of this offer must first request a code from the competition organiser. The code should then be included on the cover sheet of their entry. You will not be expected to make a case for your request nor will any further mention be made of the support. Codes will be given out on a first come first served basis.
Competition organiser: [email protected]
The Red Shed Open Poetry Competition 2025 Entry Form
Titles of Poems submitted:
1. ___________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________
I enclose a cheque (payable to Currock Press) for the sum of £_________
Name: ______________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
email address: _________________________________________________
PayPal payment number: _________________________________________
Use the button below to enter the appropriate number of entries 1 - 5
Generously sponsored by Mocca Moocho café, Cross Square, Wakefield
Sole adjudicator: Marion Oxley
Closing date: Friday 28th March, 2025
Prizes: 1st— £100 2nd—£50
Short listed poems - £20
Wakefield Postcode prize—£25
Entry fee: £3 for the first poem, £2 for subsequent poems.
Rules for EntryRULES FOR ENTRY: Please read and observe these rules carefully
- The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over.
- Poems should be in English, they must not have been previously published, nor be currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Please do not submit poems with which the adjudicator may be familiar following readings or workshops.
- Poems must be the original work of the entrant, they must be typed on plain A4 paper and be no longer than 40 lines.
- Unless the delineation of the poem demands otherwise, please lay out your poem in a plain font such as Times New Roman or Ariel. Eleven or twelve size font with 1.5 line spacing.
- Each poem must be on a separate sheet of paper which must not bear names or any other form of identification.
- Postal entries may be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope which will be used for priority notification of results and judge's comments.
· Entries must be accompanied by an appropriate entry fee: £3 for first entry, £2 for each poem subsequently entered.
Cheques (sterling only) must be made payable to Currock Press.
Postal entries should be sent to:
The Competition Organiser,
The Red Shed Open Poetry Competition,
3 Sandal Cliff,
Sandal,
Wakefield.
WF2 6AU
Please complete a cover sheet for your postal entries which includes titles of poems and your contact details. The one below can be
copied and pasted for that purpose.
Online entries
· Please follow the directions below very carefully:
We also accept poems via email. (Small surcharge. Sorry.) Such entries should have their PayPal payment number marked
clearly in the body of an email which also includes the poet's contact details and a list of titles of the entered poems.
The poems themselves should be on separate pages in one attachment. No identifying details on the poems
please.
So, in summary, one email with all details in the body of that email. One single attachment with all entered poems on separate sheets within that attachment.
Email entries to:
[email protected]
PayPal button available further down this page. Please choose the appropriate button.
· Entries eligible for the Wakefield postcode prize should be marked with a W in the top right-hand corner.
· We regret that we are unable to return poems or enter into any correspondence with entrants.
· The adjudicator’s decision is final.
· The closing date is Friday 28th March, 2025.
· Once again, we hope to hold a presentation event in Mocca Moocho cafe towards the end of May. Details to be confirmed.
· Copyright remains with the authors but Red Shed Readings reserves the right to print winning and highly commended poems.
Find out what Marion is looking for here.
Entries
First poem £3.50 GBP Two poems £5.50 GBP Three poems £7.50 GBP Four poems £9.50 GBP Five poems £12.00 GBP
Financial Assistance
Once again, thanks to a generous sponsor, we are able to offer six free, two-poem entries. i.e. six x £5 entries for anyone who feels that without such support they would not be able to take part in the competition. Anyone hoping to take advantage of this offer must first request a code from the competition organiser. The code should then be included on the cover sheet of their entry. You will not be expected to make a case for your request nor will any further mention be made of the support. Codes will be given out on a first come first served basis.
Competition organiser: [email protected]
The Red Shed Open Poetry Competition 2025 Entry Form
Titles of Poems submitted:
1. ___________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________
I enclose a cheque (payable to Currock Press) for the sum of £_________
Name: ______________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
email address: _________________________________________________
PayPal payment number: _________________________________________
Use the button below to enter the appropriate number of entries 1 - 5
