Rob Wallis wins 2012 Castlemaine Poetry Prize

Castlemaine poet Rob Wallis has scooped the pool, winning the two major awards at the 2012 Castlemaine Poetry Prize.
Rob's poem The Story of Life was a beautiful and moving tribute to his late grandmother.
The awards were presented during the monthly Castlemaine Poetry Readings at The Comma hotel in Castlemaine last Sunday afternoon.
A packed house turned out for the readings and also to see who had won this year's awards.
Rob Wallis, who lives in Castlemaine, won the overall award for best poem in this year's competition and as a result won the Best Poem by a Mount Alexander Shire Resident award as well.
Both of these awards were presented by Joyce Sanders of the Soldier and Scholar Bookshop in Castlemaine, who sponsored the award for Best Poem by a Mount Alexander Shire Resident.
The judge for this year's competition was award-winning Castlemaine poet, Ross Donlon, who said Rob's winning poem was the stand-out in a large field of high quality entries.
"There were a number of poems that dealt with the sombre themes of old age, sickness and death but this was the best of them," Mr Donlon said.
"Rob's poem - The Story of Life - is a closely observed poem about the losing of life.
"It is a pared down poem, with a series of similes and occasional metaphor that has an almost haiku like effect. The opening simile is arresting and sets the mood and progress of the poem to the final poignant image."
The Castlemaine Poetry Prize, which is run by the Castlemaine Mail, attracted a record number of entries in 2012, its second year.
Mr Donlon said the standard was very high this year and difficult to judge.
"There were a wide range of interests among the poets for subject matter and many moving stories and reflections contained in the entries. It was a privilege to read them. Dark themes were predominant, many concerned with illness, aging or recollection of someone now passed on.
"I think there was only one love poem or poem about loving and one about friendship."
Mr Donlon, who unfortunately was unable to attend the awards on Sunday because of a prior commitment, awarded seven commendations and five highly commended certificates.
Commended certificates were awarded to: Joan Webster OAM for Moments and Oil Slick; Katherine Seppings for My Father's Voice, Peter Wallace and Attempt; John Shiell for Here and About at Christmas; and Keith R. Falconer for Gold is Where you Find It.
Highly Commended certificates were awarded to: Rob Wallis for Horses; Gail Oliver for Night Eases In, Nola Firth for Margaret Olley, and Joan Webster OAM for Sunday Afternoon Drive and Movement at the Station.
A special award of appreciation was later presented to Castlemaine artist Helen Kelly, who created the beautiful design for the Castlemaine Poetry Prize awards last year.
Castlemaine Mail editor Jeff Jones thanked Mr Donlon and Ms Kelly for their contributions to the awards and for helping to encourage the arts in Mount Alexander Shire.
Mr Jones said it was great to see such a high quality of work being entered in all sections of the awards and it was encouraging to see such a surge in the number of young poets participating in this year's junior section.
He thanked Mount Alexander Shire Council for its commitment to the arts in the shire, particularly with youngsters, by sponsoring the Junior Section for the past two years as well as the cost of the three awards this year.
The major award - the Castlemaine Poetry Prize Open Section winner is proudly sponsored by the publishers of the Castlemaine Mail, Elliott Midland Newspapers.
The winning poem and the highly commended poems in this year's Castlemaine Poetry Prize are published below. The commended poems in this year's competition will be published in coming weeks.