May's ESCAPE competition received 27 entries. Remarkably, 15 of these received votes. It was astonishing to me how varied people's preferences are. It's an encouragement to all of us – there is almost certainly someone out there who likes our poetry, even if others don't. We're all different.

 

Taking both first and second choices into account, four poems had the equal highest number of votes. In order of posting, they were.

 

 

 

Based on First Choice votes, the result is -

 

First:                Isobel                Escape 2

 

Second           Alison                Escape

 

 Congratulations to the two of you. Can you please let me know which charities you nominate.

 

Well deserved in my opinion, but hard luck to Laura and Andy, whose poems were obviously well thought of, and missed out by a squeak.

 If anyone is disappointed and thought they'd written a good one, you were almost certainly voted for. Several people commented on how difficult they found it and how they appreciated so many of the poems. Rachel Bond had strong advocates – she may well have been on the podium if she had left her poem in.

 

Thank you to everyone who posted or voted.