WAR: 24-Hour Chapbook Challenge VII, edited by Colin Dardis, Rancid Idols Productions, Northern Ireland
I tend to take time writing a poem. A first draft, some initial revisions and then coming back over a period of time, reviewing and editing. I think my record from first mark on paper to completed poem is 30 years. So the concept of writing a poem from a single word prompt and being published all withing 24 hours was a particular challenge for me.
The challenge, by Rancid Idols Production, was part of their sporadic poetry challenge series: a one-word prompt was sent to participating poets, we replied back with a brand new poem, It is then collated and a free digital chapbook available to be download all within 24 hours!
The one word prompt was ‘War’, unfortunately currently a very fertile ground for artists. My poem is based around the Gweagal Shield, which is currently held, under dispute, in the British Museum. Although its providence is questioned, is it supposedly the shield dropped by a Gweagal warrior following the confrontation with British Marines on the shore of Kamay (Botany Bay) in 1770.
The chapbook, which contains some remarkable poems, all of which were written withing 24 hours over the weekend, is available for download here:
https://rancididols.weebly.com/war-chapbook-challenge.html.
Many thanks to Colin Dardis who coordinated and edited the project and to all the other poets who took part in producing this remarkable little artifact in such a short period of time.
Rancid Idols Productions also runs the Poet Alone project and maintains a Bandcamp channel of music, poetry and noise. You can access these projects at
Printed Shadows - 40 Years of Cultural Journalism 
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