Winners 2005 : Runner-up : Shin Woo Kang

Summer School 2012

The 8th Tower Poetry Summer School for young poets aged 18-23 will be held in Christ Church, Oxford from 28-31 August 2012. The tutors will be Alan Gillis (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) and Kevin Young (Emory University, Atlanta, USA).

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Poetry Matters

Poetry Matters is an exciting on-line poetry magazine which provides a fresh, dynamic perspective on poetry issues through a mix of news, reviews and comment.

Shin Woo Kang

Thank You

Thank you
For keeping the air of music;
Had they flown away into the dark space
My sleepless nights would've been empty, unbelievably lonely.
With shooting stars that embroider starry night's silky screen
You fill my window; and I dream without sleep.
You hold shiny particles of white sands, too;
My toes enjoyed the tickly warmth, thank you,
When I walked on the edge of smalt sea, another work of yours. Thanks.
Another thanks should I say for throwing me to the ground;
When my hasty chest was drawn unto your calm bosom,
I realised I was going too fast. You saved me.
By a magic you keep my feet on the ground;
I drop my jumbling thoughts and fragile minds; they fall, smash and shatter.
And thank you, most of all, for drawing her onto this small planet.
She must be extraterrestrial; the attraction is celestial, you know.
So thank you, thank you, thanks again -
You keep me sane, and water flows downwards.

About Tower Poetry

Tower Poetry exists to encourage and challenge everyone who reads or writes poetry. Funded by a generous bequest to Christ Church, Oxford, by the late Christopher Tower, the aims of Tower Poetry are clear: to stimulate an enjoyment and critical appreciation of poetry, particularly among young people in education, and to challenge people to write their own poetry. Creative writing should be a central element in literary education, and learning about writing poetry can help students to think about ways of reading poetry.

Publications

The Twelve:

Poems from the 7th Tower Poetry Summer School 2010
Edited by Daljit Nagra and Jo Shapcott
The Twelve contains 56 poems from the 12 young poets who attended the Summer School.