LOCAL poet Noodlestring compared surfing with bull riding in the Cloncurry heat of the Australian Poetry Slam on Sunday. The comparison was an unusual description but proved popular enough with the Bush Poets Breakfast attendees to score the highest points in the competition.
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The Bush Poets Breakfast was held at the Cloncurry Racecourse as part of the Curry Merry Muster Festival.
Cloncurry councillor and muster announcer Keith Douglas Jnr came second in the heat with a rigorous bush poem.
The State Library of Queensland will fund their flights to Brisbane so they can enter the Poetry Slam state finals in September.
Five judges were randomly selected from the crowd of about 80, and they gave a score from one to 10 to each of the seven contestants.
Curry Merry Muster Festival committee president Jeremy Grimm said the poetry performances were “awesome” .
It was positive to see children entering the slam, Mr Grimm said.
“Something like this builds their confidence.”
The slam might have been a reason why the Bush Poets Breakfast numbers doubled from last year.
Poetry slam master of ceremonies Adam Hadley said he had never been involved in a slam contest at a rodeo before, but attendees were supportive.
State Library of Queensland events co-ordinator Heidi Arni said she was “pleasantly surprised” with the reception of the poetry slam event.
“It’s been a unique experience,” she said.
