2016 Poetry Competition

Since ancient times our understanding of ourselves, our sense of what lies within, was said to come out of the blue: inspiration, the breath of heaven, the song of the muse, the voice of the poet. But now, in these bitter-sweet times, our new nation tensing in conflicted diversity, how do we hear ourselves – mice-quiet or bull-bellowing? What is the intimate content of our common voice now?

We are mirrors to each other in our humanity and our poets, giving voice to individual truth, express for us the insights in which healing is found. It is the joy of the sky’s eternal renewal, after all that the poet’s voice realises: the simple idea of freedom, our common South African goal. Because freedom, above all, is a state of mind, an experience of being, not a static social reality. When said and done, it is not the poet’s insight itself, but the experience of it emerging into our mind that makes the difference. We feel the presence of what was absent. We live Creation itself. We know the fathomless blue of heaven inside the vault of the human skull.

Open Category “Voices on Fire” 
Poetry Competition

· Have you ever thought of writing poetry?

· Are you an unpublished poet?

· Would you like to see your poetry published?

· Are you over the age of 19?

Then you are eligible to enter our Open Category and stand a chance of winning R 7,500.00 CASH and a trophy. The finalists may have the opportunity to have their poetry published in our annual “Poetry in McGregor” Anthology and their winning entries will be read during our “Poetry in McGregor” weekend which will take place from the 26 to 28 August 2016.

Competition Guidelines : Entries restricted to unpublished poets *The poem must be the original work of the entrant submitting it *Poems must have a title * Length submitted must be between 12 and 40 lines * Poems may be in English or Afrikaans or IsiXhosa* Full names must be provided plus date of birth and contact numbers * Maximum of two poems per poet * Entries must be submitted separately * The judges’ decision is final * No correspondence will be entered into *Entries must be typed and emailed to: mcgpoets@gmail.com /posted to PO Box 361, McGregor, 6708 / faxed to 086 756 0864 / delivered to the Temenos Office, corner Voortrekker and Bree Streets, McGregor. 

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: 16h00 on Friday the 22nd JULY 2016

The name of the (one and only) winner will be announced at the prize-giving function which will take place at 11.30am on Saturday 27th August in Caritas at Temenos Retreat, Long Street entrance, McGregor, 6708.

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High School Category “Voices on Fire” 
Poetry Competition

· Have you ever thought of writing poetry?

· Are you an unpublished poet?

· Would you like to see your poetry published?

· Are you between the ages of 13 to 18?

Then you are eligible to enter the High School Category where the winner will receive a R2,500 book voucher and a trophy plus the opportunity to have your poetry read at the next “Poetry in McGregor” weekend which will take place from the 26 to 28 August 2016 and the top poems may be published in the 2016 “Poetry in McGregor” Anthology

Competition Guidelines : Entries restricted to unpublished poets *The poem must be the original work of the entrant submitting it *Poems must have a title * Length submitted must be between 12 and 40 lines * Poems may be in English or Afrikaans or IsiXhosa* Full names must be provided plus date of birth and contact numbers * Maximum of two poems per poet * Entries must be submitted separately * Our judges’ decision is final * No correspondence will be entered into *Entries must be typed and emailed to: mcgpoets@gmail.com /posted to PO Box 361, McGregor, 6708 / faxed to 086 756 0864 / delivered to the Temenos Office, corner Voortrekker and Bree Streets, McGregor. 

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: 16h00 on Friday the 22nd JULY 2016

The name of the winner will be announced at the prize-giving function which will take place at 11.30am on Saturday 27th August in Caritas at Temenos Retreat, Long Street entrance, McGregor, 6708.

Poetry in McGregor, 26 to 28 August 2016

Feast with us, on the heart’s food, the resonant human voice, the felt reality of who we are, the quiet of the cricket’s night and the exuberant possibility of the peacock’s day. There is no theme, no purpose, no rule, no truth, no meaning imposed. Just a few days of freedom for poets and poetry lovers. Rage, whisper, sing, declaim, laugh, preach, chatter, wail….carouse and sleep. As I should be, in McGregor. 

Poetry in McGregor!

It gives us great pleasure to present this momento from last year’s McGregor Poetry Festival. We hope you will enjoy viewing it as much as we have enjoyed compiling it and that you will share it with your family and friends. The next “Poetry in McGregor” weekend will take place from the 26th to the 28th of August 2016 and you are invited to join us for this inspirational annual event. The vision of this event is to honour poets and poetry by giving poets a platform for their voices to be heard and poetry-lovers the opportunity to indulge in the spoken word.

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Ansa Smit and the McGregor Poetry Festival

I will always remember the first time that I rolled into McGregor Village. It was 4:42 am on a cold winter’s morning in July 2013. I cannot remember what day of the month it was because days blurred into one. Days consisted of riding my mountain bike, carrying my bike on my back - up some unforgiving mountain, eating and sleeping. On this adventurous journey, there were many moments of astonishment - for the natural world, the vast spaciousness, for friendships made with other riders and for the open-hearted people that live in this beautiful, diverse country. There were tears of fear - fighting within not to give up but mostly, there was laughter. Plenty of laughter. McGregor was one of the villages we passed through on the annual event called The Freedom Challenge - the Race Across South Africa. In short – you ride, hike, crawl and roll from Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town via the most remote and spectacular route. You have 26 days to complete this non-stop race of 2300km. No technology allowed, you have to navigate compass style and be completely self supportive. You have your maps, all your gear on your back, hopefully a sense of humour, a good dose of passion for your own insanity and bum cream. Lots of bum cream.

I vividly remember pedalling through McGregor’s short main street. There was something particular about this village that I could not put my gloved finger on. It was different and I like different - a warmth. Welcoming verandas. McGregor stimulated my imagination and I would even go as far as to say that I felt a beckoning. The route takes you through the village, then up and then up some more on a gravel road before we turn right, to follow electrical lines to get to our next stop - Trout Haven Farm outside Rawsonville. We left Montague early that morning – eyes and hearts set on getting home – we were so close to the finish line and we were racing to try and beat a storm pulling in. At some point, not too far outside the village, we stopped to eat breakfast next to the road. The sun was coming up and I could see the village nestled in the bottom, covered in mist – only the church tower sticking out. Magical. Surreal. Little did I know that I would return. 

Following the crumbs of my longing, I returned to McGregor about a year later. This time - no bike. No gear. Only myself. I was still yearning for something which I could not name. Much to my surprise, an even more challenging pilgrimage unfolded – the journey of navigating the valleys and mountaintops of my inner world. Looking back, I realise I was aching for silence and balance and for the need to cultivate simplicity and stillness into my life. The obsessively busy mechanical world overwhelmed me and I was becoming severely disconnected from my source of creativity and nurturance. An overgrown path appeared and I blindly followed. Eventually, I did find a lamp in my darkness. I arrived at the dream fields of Temenos, the heart of McGregor. Resting in their garden, I discovered these shimmering words in a little book saying:

Temenos, Temore and the Treasure

In the heart of a small country village

lies a garden that is more than a garden,

dreamed into being by a gardener who is more than a gardener,

whose eyes and heart sees the hidden treasure

in all things and beings,

and brings the inner beauty to light.

It felt like coming home – a sense of belonging. I did find silence and I rediscovered the gift of poetry. Rekindling the old flame.

Poetry has the ability to penetrate past the ego and thinking mind and straight into the soul. That is why it often stirs us deeply; reawakening parts we did not know are asleep.

In the silence that follows
a great line
you can feel Lazarus
deep inside
even the laziest, most deathly afraid
part of you,
lift up his hands and walk toward the light.

David Whyte – The Lightest Touch.

We can try to grasp and analyse poetry with our logical minds but by doing only that, we cut ourselves off from one of the greatest sources of nourishment.  There is also the invitation to feel poetry come alive within your own flesh. To allow your entire body to become an ear – to soften and receive words, the lines, the substance within. Poetry lives in the body like music. We come to embody poetry - be it heavy, light, humorous or mystical. Like myths and stories, music and art – poetry delves into the collective and individual underworld. Often, we do not even know we need poetry until we hear those lines - until a poem slices through the topside world, down into the flesh and bone of being human.

Unbeknown to me, these two aspects of my life would combine - McGregor and Poetry. The journey unfolded in an unexpected way - introducing The McGregor Poetry Festival. Unaware, the village of McGregor are lovers of poetry. Billy Kennedy had a dream – to host a Poetry Festival and to welcome all lovers of all things poetic - a weekend to indulge and nourish. That year, the village hosted its’ first McGregor Poetry Festival.  Everyone was and still is involved, the whole community. I received an invitation to present my Weaving Word with Sound at the festival and what a heartening gift that was to me.

I labour my creative life in isolation. It is the fertile soil where I explore that which wants to immerge.  A time to pay attention to the world outside and equally essential, within. Yet our lives, like the seasons, moves in cycles. The great path of spirals. The Poetry Festival creates a welcoming and supportive platform for poets to share their craft – ears that are willing to receive, celebrate, contemplate and indulge. The programme is a spread of various poets, presentations and topics – literally something for every mood. Listening to the poets is one of my highlights, I try to go to as many readings as possible – leaving the festival saturated in creative stimulation. Inspired, I return home to reflect and digest everything given and received. In a world starved for soul, where most of us are constantly rushing around attaining some goal – poetry and a festival to nurture poetry  is something to be treasured. May we cultivate the poetic in our lives and in our world, giving sustenance to many a hungry heart.

I live my life in widening circles
that reach out across the world.
I may not complete this last one
but I give myself to it.
I circle around God, around the primordial tower.
I've been circling for thousands of years
and I still don't know: am I a falcon,
a storm, or a great song?

Book of Hours, I 2
Rainer Maria Rilke.

Weaving Word with Sound by Ansa Smit. www.ansasmit.com

Experience poetry at the McGregor Poetry Festival:

http://mcgregorpoetryfestival.blogspot.co.za/

Read about the Freedom Challenge, Race Across South Africa:

http://freedomchallenge.org.za/index.php/2015-01-17-17-56-04/rasa-race-across-south-africa