Mary McElroy, Enniskillen

The judges thought the first and last lines were fantastic. It sticks in the mind with a clever use of analogy and neat construct. They loved the narrative ark from the pregnancy test to the body bag.

Blue

(For David).

 

You’re a thin blue line on a pregnancy stick.

 

It’s love at first sight,

The blueness of right

Of light

Of skies

Your eyes

Of shy

Your smile.

 

The blueness of sighs

Of cries

Of whys.

 

The blueness of sad

The blueness of bad

 

The blueness of a thin line in a blue body bag.