Long listed for the WALKING HOME writing competition run in January & February 2022

Poetry Runner-Up

Returning

The walk home was gentle that evening:
puddles jumped, brambles skirted,
marble-sized stones – a game.
His apple-crunch added to the music,
the rhythmical drag-thud of his skip.

The sparrows, they quietened after a strenuous day,
the cries of distant school runs abated.
A moon was full and sharp. 

Intermittent dim streetlights appeared as we
emerged from the protecting lane.
Once inside, front door slammed, muddied
coat discarded, velcro shoes removed,
he came close, whispered – a thousand years old 

tide’s high tonight, the moon pulls it,
the pirates will be out. 

Read more from the Long List of poems and stories submitted to the WALKING HOME writing competition. Watch winning authors reading their work on the video of the Write About Walking Home showcase event that took place on Sunday 25 September 2022.

Itching to write something yourself? Submit a piece to our Shorelines project, and invite your friends to read it aloud. Join one of our creative writing workshops or keep up to date with all our competitions by signing up to our curated newsletter here.