By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong poet Aloma Davis told last week’s Dandenong Journal that competing at the Sydney Opera House in the Australian Poetry Slam National Final would be “a dream come true”.
But after winning the Victorian State Final of the Australian Slam Poetry Championships on Wednesday 12 October, this dream will become a reality.
With scores of 25.7 in round one and 27.6 in round two, Ms Davis wowed the five-person judging panel to defeat her fellow competitors, enthralling them with the tale of an unfortunate run-in with a pigeon that prompted a traumatic memory firstly, before ditching the microphone stand for a self-reflective poem on her life as an English teacher.
“My goal was to get into top five, and when I made the top five and could see Opera House, I thought, I had to give it everything,” Ms Davis said of her decision to do-away with the stand.
Scores were immediately read to the competitor and the audience following the performance, meaning those with an eye for maths were able to keep track of the scores as they went.
But Ms Davis did not back her numeracy skills, and instead sweated it out, waiting for the final results.
“I’m an English teacher not a maths teacher,” Ms Davis said.
“I was clueless.
“When they read third place I thought, that’s it. Clearly I’m out of the running.”
Adding to the agonising wait was the fact that she was drawn out of the hat to compete first in both rounds, something she feared coming in to the contest.
“It threw me because (being drawn first) was one thing I hoped didn’t happen.
“It’s a bit of a disadvantage to go first but it meant I wasn’t building up nerves while watching other performers.”
Keenly watching in the audience at the State Library was her primary school aged son, who was watching her perform for the first time.
Ms Davis was proud to display a different aspect of her life for him.
“He knows I’m a poet and I’ve always got a notepad with me but he has never seen me perform before, he’s only seen the Mum side of me. As Mums and women, it’s important that kids see all of what mums can be.”
The Finals will be held on Sunday 23 October. Good luck Aloma!
To watch her perform in the State Finals, head to youtube.com/watch?v=IUGCvf-WuFk
