Moon

by Jack Cooper

I want the sun to spit at me like hot oil
but there she sits clot
of cream bleached orange
full and sweet and selfish.
She won’t wane
pools like wax
at the base of a burning candle.
We wrap ourselves in this thin
shawl of moonlight
gorge on whatever warmth we find
like dried strips of ash gourd
oh god
let us rest.
We’re so tired
and the wolves won’t stop
howling.

This poem is the first-prize winner of the second Bloodaxe Archive challenge on Young Poets Network, White Space. This was part of a series of writing challenges asking young poets worldwide to respond to the digital Bloodaxe Archive. This particular challenge was written by Sinéad Morrissey, who challenged young poets worldwide to write poems using white space.

Jack comments on how wrote this poem: "'Moon' drew from images in 'My life in two parts' by Kapka Kassabova, from Someone Else’s Life. I found 'My life in two parts' in the Bloodaxe Archive via ‘poplar’, which was a suggested term from ‘Words related to: MATERIAL’."

Jack Cooper

Jack is the first-prize winner of the second Bloodaxe Archive challenge on Young Poets Network, about White Space. He is the third-prize winner of the Carol Ann Duffy challenge on Young Poets Network, judged by Mari Hughes-Edwards, celebrating Duffy's legacy as Poet Laureate. He is also the third-prize winner in the nonsense poetry challenge, in partnership with Little Angel Theatre, London. Jack is commended in the Bletchley Park challenge, judged by So Mayer; commended in the moon poetry challenge, judged by Nii Parkes; commended again in the Mary Wollstonecraft challenge, written and judged by Bee Rowlatt of the Mary on the Green campaign; commended in the Timothy Corsellis Prize 2019; and commended in August challenge #3 on meta-poetry, written and judged by Foyle Young Poet Danique Bailey in 2019.