'On the buses' win for Matlock Poet

His poem, 'The Optimism Principle' caught the eye of Muldoon from over 3,100 entries from 49 countries, including the Aland Islands, Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Japan, Nigeria and Taiwan. The winners will be displayed on posters inside the island's buses.

The Optimism Principle

The gods are no more unwilling to listen than usual and babies still get pulled from rubble, sometimes. The Council will never collect oldmattresses, they recline in lay-bys like nudes, as ever. My gate-latch only grinds into the strike if forced, and I forget our lottery tickets, again, which may win us a tenner, but March sun still draws strength from pale daffodils, and rabbits eat my lettuces in summers now, as always, and home remains a flicker of a kitchen light, the radio playing.

Ken Evans's latest collection is published by Salt Publishing https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/to-an-occupier-burning-holes-978178463270

His book was launched locally at Scarthin's Bookshop in Cromford.

To read all the winning 'On The Move' poems, go to - https://poemsonthemove.com/#previous-winners