The 75-year-old winner took first place in the traditional, original serious and contemporary poetry sections.

Mr Regan has been competing for 14 years and said he had put a lot of hard work into practicing for competitions.

“When you get this strong standard of poetry, luck plays a part in deciding the winner,” he said.

“Half a mark can make the difference between first and second place.”

He said he surprised himself when he performed on stage because he was naturally a shy person.

“It’s 180 degrees out of character to get up on stage and do it,” he said.

“The only reason I can explain why I manage to do it is because I’m not the shy Terry Regan anymore; I’m living the poem, so I’m someone else.”

He said he felt youthful and energetic while performing and it was just a lot of practice that allowed him to win three times.

“The amount of time I practise a poem before presenting it is incredible,” he said.

“If I’m doing a poem committed to memory I just refresh it.”

If he was performing a new poem he would spend six months perfecting it, he said.

As he learnt the poem he worked on the finer elements of performance, such as voice and facial expressions.

“I try to transmit pictures to the audience and to live the poem,” he said.

“I actually see the scene I’m talking about while I’m performing the poem.”

He said the main aim of presenting a poem was to engage with the audience.

Mr Regan said before he performed a poem written by another poet he sought their permission to use it and promised them he wouldn’t change a word.

He also promised them he would do his best to perfect it.

“It can be hard if the words of the poem are similar, but you have to watch out and be careful,” he said.

“Being a poet, it’s easy for another word with the same meaning and similar syllables to slip in.”

Twenty per cent of any prize money went to the poet whose poem was used, he said, as a thank you gesture to them.

Mr Regan, a five-time NSW poetry winner and one-time winner in Queensland said he was lucky to have been mentored by Dubbo-based poets Ellis Campbell and Milton Taylor.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have them both teaching me from day one,” he said.

Mr Regan has produced an hour-long compact disc of his own poems that can be purchased by contacting him on 0427 391 793.