Former probation officer Mike Barlow has won the National Poetry Competition for his poem The Third Wife.
The Lancaster-based poet beat off competition from more than 10,000 entries to scoop the £5,000 first prize.
A delighted Barlow said: "A number of friends have previously won major prizes and I remember how affirming I found that, great pleasure on their behalf and also a sense that these things happen to real people, my peers.
"So I hope the success of this poem of mine will give similar encouragement."
The poem was chosen by judges John Burnside, Lee Harwood and Alice Oswald.
Atmospheric scientist John Latham came second with his poem From Professor Nobu Kitigawa’s Notebooks on Effects of Lightning on the Human Body.
David Grubb took third place with Bud Fields and His World.
Previous winners of the accolade include Colette Bryce, Medbh McGuckian, Tony Harrison and Carol Ann Duffy.
The National Poetry Competition was established in 1978 by The Poetry Society.
Extract from The Third Wife
My third wife won’t say where she lives.
She comes to me when the tides are right,
stays longer if a wind’s got up or fog’s come down.
I stroke the warm loaves of her biceps, kiss
dimpled elbows, listen for the souch
our breathing makes when we’re together.
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