Dorian David Leigh reads his Phantom Billstickers winning poem. Video / Manawatu Guardian
It's a stick-up but one Palmerston North poet Dorian David Leigh is happy about.
Leigh is one of five winners of Phantom Billstickers Open Mic Poetry Contest for unpublished poets.
His poem 'The Book Lover' has appeared on walls in Palmy, Auckland and Nelson.
Leigh always had poetry books in his home growing up and he remembers writing poetry at a very young age.
He likes that poetry is a way of expressing empathy - inviting people to feel the way you feel. "It's an emotional connection via words you don't always get with prose."
Leigh grew up in Paraparaumu, moved to Christchurch, and then Palmerston North after the earthquakes. He is doing a bachelor of arts in history at Massey University.
Some 217 poets answered Phantom's call for fresh voices in its frames. Leigh says he was not expecting to win; he entered three poems and thought The Book Lover was the best one.
He says it is about an historian's idea of death, an anthropomorphism of death. Will there be someone there to appreciate the book of your life?
"I think we all want something to live on after we are gone. If mostly how we live is in words then someone has to read them."
Alternatively, if everyone had gone and only words are left who is going to read them?
Dorian David Leigh with his winning poem, The Book Lover, and his Shih Tzu dog Elijah. "To me poetry is very much about connection." Photo / Supplied
The 37-year-old makes time to write poetry every day. "Not everything you write is going to be good, but everything you write is a step towards something that is going to be good."
He writes in a notebook with a fountain pen, then types and edits his work. Without a fountain pen his writing is atrocious. Plus they are nice to write with and he can write more quickly.
"That's the big challenge of poetry, having your hand keep up with your mind."
Leigh says it has taken him a long time to find his voice as a poet. When you get older you have more idea of who you are and it's easier to express yourself in an authentic voice.
When you are younger your work is influenced by the music you are listening to, pop culture of the time, and a sense of rebellion.
"When you have more of a sense of self you can express it with a poem."
His favourite poet is Lord Bryon. He's read a lot of Shakespeare's sonnets and part of his poetry journey is learning to write using modern language. There's a lyrical cadence to romantic poets not found in a lot of modern poetry.
"To bring that lyricism into modern language and create a mixture that resonates now has probably been my biggest challenge as a poet."
Death is the last reader Of the first language. A librarian who waits patiently For the next volume, Cherishing the language of life, Finding beauty in the chaos and cadence Of our existence.
When all is said and done, and done is final; When there are no more words To commit to paper, Death will read the literature of lives Alone in his library.
He will touch the spine of the last book, Slide it into place upon the shelf, And smile.
